Liverpool manager Arne Slot has criticised Newcastle United’s approach in his side’s 3-2 Premier League victory at St James’ Park, saying he was “not too sure” he had just watched a football match.
Liverpool secured the points through 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who came off the bench to score a 100th-minute winner on a night filled with fouls, stoppages, and controversy.
Opta statistics show the ball was in play for just 40.8% of the game, the lowest figure recorded in the Premier League since February 2010.
“I’m not too sure if I saw a football match,” Slot told Sky Sports. “It was set-piece after set-piece, long throws. It didn’t have a lot to do with tactics. But I liked a lot how we stood strong.”
Liverpool went ahead in the first half before Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon was sent off for a reckless challenge on Virgil van Dijk. Despite being reduced to ten men, the Magpies fought back from 2-0 down to level the score at 2-2, creating a tense finale.
Slot admitted Newcastle’s style made the contest difficult to manage.
“It was a very difficult first half hour, 45 minutes. We didn’t collapse at all and went 1-0 up,” he said. “Newcastle going down to 10 men, you would expect is a big plus for us. But when a goalkeeper takes every free-kick, there is not much hope [benefit] if you are one player up. That’s why it was so difficult to bring the 2-0 over the line.”
The match produced 32 fouls, the highest tally in a Premier League game this season. Gordon, who was dismissed shortly before half-time, apologised afterwards.
“I was just trying to create energy in the game and I mistimed the tackle,” the England forward wrote on social media. “I also want to apologise to Virgil. I would never intend to tackle somebody like this on purpose. We spoke after and he knows that.”
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