9 hours ago
30
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot says someone in the away locker room at St James' Park admitted that they would have taken a touch had the chance that Rio Ngumoha scored fallen to them.
From a low Mohamed Salah cross, Dominik Szoboszlai feigned to shoot but let the ball run through to Ngumoha at the back post. With some speed on the pass, Ngumoha didn't think twice but instinctively hit a shot first time into the corner.
"It was a great goal for a 16-year-old," Slot said on Sky Sports. "Rio can finish so well for his age. I did hear someone say afterwards in the dressing room that he would have taken a first touch, but he is so confident. For his age, he is a really good finisher."
Newcastle caused Liverpool some problems early in the game and also fought back from 2-0 down despite playing with 10 men. And Slot felt that it was more of a physical battle than a real soccer match.
"I'm not too sure it was a football match today," he added. "It was set-piece after set-piece, long throw after long-throw.
"We didn't collapse and stood strong. We didn't play well enough on the ball. I don't think there was so much open play."
In his press conference, he added: "How do you sum an evening like this up? It felt familiar to me; I think I have experienced a game like this once before since I'm here in England — that was Everton away last season.
"Where so many things happened, where it was complete chaos, where the fans were so loud and so there for the home team and our fans tried to help us as much as they could.
"It was an unbelievable atmosphere and for us to stay strong in that atmosphere for such a long time is worth more to me than when we play every single time out from the back and we have a four or five-nil win.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
"These wins, these mean more to me than when we play good football because tonight had, for me, nothing to do with tactics or good football.
"It was a great game to watch but not because of tactics or good football. But because for every single second of the game everybody was on the front of their seat."
Liverpool.com says: Newcastle played the exact kind of game that Liverpool would have anticipated. In the end, the overly physical nature of the clash helped the Reds because Anthony Gordon was sent off.
As for Ngumoha, it is becoming harder and harder to ignore his talent. He turns 17 later this week, so he can't be overly-relied upon, but he definitely has a role to play in the coming months.
English (US) ·