Newcastle United 2-0 Liverpool : 5 Talking Points
Jurgen Klopp lost his first away game as a Liverpool manager after Newcastle beat them 2-0 at St.James’ Park. Martin Skrtel scored an own goal, while Georginio Wijnaldum scored late to seal the win for Magpies. Liverpool struggled to leave a mark on the game, and were poor on all fronts. The Reds had a great opportunity to close in on top 4 in the Premier League after their rivals dropped points yesterday, but they failed to take advantage of the situation. Newcastle United are within 2 points of Chelsea, having picked up a valuable three points. Here are the 5 talking points of the game.
#1 Benteke struggles once again
It was another poor game for Christian Benteke after the game against Swansea City last weekend. The Belgian international was static, and didn’t do enough to make a difference. He managed just the one shot in the 60 minutes he played, and missed a golden chance to put his team in front from two yards in the first half. The 25-year-old struggled to create space for himself, and get into right positions.
It’s difficult to point out one thing Benteke did right in the game, and was awful throughout before getting substituted around the hour mark. With Daniel Sturridge returning from his injury, Benteke will find his chances limited if he doesn’t improve in the upcoming games. Benteke has also failed to link up with the likes of Firmino and Coutinho, who have also struggled when the Belgian striker starts up front.