After the club’s return to Premier League action last night, the Reds left St James’ Park with a 0-0 draw against Newcastle United after a frustrating performance that saw a number of missed chances from the side.
It was a disappointing result given the opportunity at hand for the club to go five points clear ahead of the New Year, with Jurgen Klopp’s side missing out on a further two points after a masterclass performance from the Toon’s Karl Darlow, Fabian Schär, and Federico Fernandez.
The reaction to the game was met with widespread frustration, especially for The Atheltic’s Liverpool correspondent James Pearce, who took to Twitter after the game to voice his thoughts on the draw against the Magpies…
FT: Newcastle 0 #LFC 0: Another frustrating night for the champions who finish 2020 3pts clear at the top of the Premier League table. Left to rue missed chances and the heroics of Darlow. Salah, Mane and Firmino wasteful. One big positive was the return of Thiago. Class act.
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) December 30, 2020
I have to agree with everything there – it was a frustrating night overall and I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that we failed to score a single goal. Liverpool registered 11 shots throughout the match with just 4 on target, clearly highlighting the wasted chances throughout the game with the Reds front-three way off their usual beat.
Who was your MOTM vs Newcastle?
Alisson
Nat Phillips
Fabinho
Andy Robertson
Newcastle goalkeeper Darlow pulled off a fantastic performance and deserved his clean sheet in all fairness – as frustrating as the game was to watch, there is no denying the quality saves that the 30-year-old managed to pull off to keep the Reds at bay.
As Pearce says, one shining light throughout the game was the return of Spanish midfielder Thiago, who made his first appearance for the club since the end of October after his knee injury sustained against Everton. As soon as his boots touched the pitch you could see a jump in class from the Reds – there is just something about seeing him with the ball at his feet that just excites you, ad true example of a Rolls Royce quality footballer.
Overall it was a difficult night for the club and they left Tyneside with just a single point to a Newcastle side that refused to be beaten.
What do you think Liverpool fans, were you frustrated with the result? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below…