Liverpool ended 2011 with 3 points thanks to a brace of goals from Craig Bellamy and a goal from substitute Steven Gerrard.
Jay Spearing returned to the starting line up and with Luis Suarez absent through a one match suspension, Andy Carroll started his second consecutive game.
The reds started well kicking towards the Kop, Bellamy a particular threat as he surged down the wings and combined well with Enrique.
However, against the run of play, it was Newcastle who took the lead.
Ryan Taylor sent the ball in to the area and it was headed on to Daniel Agger’s shoulder by Yohan Cabaye. The deflection off Agger wrong footed Pepe Reina, and the ball went in to the net.
Going 1-0 behind had an immediate impact as the reds pressed Newcastle back in to their own half. The pressure was building and when the ball fell to Bellamy he fired a low shot in to the corner of the Kop net to equalise. The reds were unlucky not to take the lead when a superb Bellamy corner was headed narrowly wide by Martin Skrtel.
The game continued to be pulsating in the second half as both teams had chances. However it was the introduction of Steven Gerrard and the removal of the lacklustre Charlie Adam that added that extra bit of quality to the reds ranks.
Within minutes Steven Gerrard was teaching Stewart Downing how to cross the ball – with a number of magnificent crosses in to the box. Carroll headed against the bar and took one touch to many with another of Gerrard’s crosses.
In the 67th minute, Craig Bellamy fired in a free kick and Carroll helped unsettle Danny Simpson in the Newcastle defence – he got in the way of keeper Tim Krul – Bellamy’s free kick sailing in to the net.
Demba Ba had a chance to equalise after beating Reina, but Martin Skrtel was on hand to put in a brilliant goal-line clearance.
Liverpool made it safe when Steven Gerrard danced through the Newcastle defence before nutmegging the Toon’ keeper from a tight angle.
The reds have lost only once in the last 17 games, and move in to 5th – on the same points as Chelsea. The improvement in Liverpool’s football from a year ago is there for everyone to see.
The reds can be pleased with the huge strides forward made in 2011.
Man of the Match:
Steven Gerrard did add quality to the proceedings, but Craig Bellamy’s determination, pace and ability with the dead ball were rewarded with his two goals.
improvement??? you could’nt get the ball of our cheap little team for 1/2 of the second half. 100 million + spent and made us look like barcelona for 20 minutes. LFC top 6 defo top 4 nee chance
Did you read this piece? It refers to an improvement over the football LFC were playing a year ago. You’d have to be blind to think that’s not the case. As for NUFC looking like Barcelona – dream on. How many chances did you create in those 20 minutes?
Your team huffed and puffed a lot but were nothing to get excited over until Your constant saviour came off the bench. If Demba Ba had scored his goal in the second half things could have turned out very differently but for a exceptional piece of defending from skrtel. during that 20 minute period there was only one team going to win the game but Gerrard came on and was class again no matter how much it hurts. Add to that that most of your team cost zillions (Jordan Henderson 20 million eeeeee my lord) Just shows me the improvements only exist when a player you got from the youth team and cost zilch is on the pitch. Remember Spurs look a great team attacking all the time but very rarely score as a result of those attacks and since when was scoring a goal as a result of possesion the be all and end all of a 910 minute game. If our Full backs was of any sort of caliber You would have got nothing to maybe 1 goal last night which is a very tight margin between a team that cost 30-40 million to put together against a team that cost overall close to 150 million or more. They Used to call NUFC fans deluded but that tag rests squarely at LFC fans door now and thats a view taken by many fans around the country because you think you should be at the top based on your history and not on your present situation. Your fans treatment on all forms of media regrding the expectations of how much Andy Carroll can give your team without the proper system to suit him or judging off last night alone the complete lack of decent aerial service (Gerrard aside) from your multi million pound midfielders proves that beyond doubt in my eyes.
Bitter? You should support Everton