"This was supposed to be the night the streak finally cracked. For 40 minutes, Newcastle were not just competitive; they were the better side. They ran Liverpool ragged, pressed with conviction, countered with purpose, and led with full merit through Anthony Gordon. And then-just as they have done so many times before-they unravelled. The self‑destruction was sudden, dramatic, and utterly predictable."
"But if Anfield is Liverpool's cathedral, then Newcastle are the ideal visiting sermon illustration of human frailty. Just before half‑time, they folded in two blinks of an eye. Mo Salah's deflected shot fell awkwardly into the path of Ryan Gravenberch, who nudged it to Florian Wirtz. Three Newcastle defenders converged and somehow none of them intevened. Wirtz slipped the ball to Hugo Ekitike, who tapped it in. One moment of hesitation, one tangle of feet, and the score was level."
Newcastle United led Liverpool at Anfield after a dominant opening 40 minutes, with Anthony Gordon scoring and the team pressing, countering, and controlling the game. The lead collapsed just before half-time when Mo Salah's deflected shot fell to Ryan Gravenberch, who set up Florian Wirtz; Wirtz played to Hugo Ekitike, who scored after three Newcastle defenders failed to intervene. The turnaround exemplified a psychological pattern for Newcastle at Anfield, extending a run of failure that dates back to 1994. Eddie Howe reacted with visible fury, underlining the emotional toll. The match reinforced a narrative of ritualistic unraveling under pressure.
Read at Soccer News
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