On Thursday, December 16th, 2021 Trent Alexander – Arnold exercised his powerful as well as long – range scoring capability as he sealed Liverpool’s comeback effort in a 3 to 1 victory over Newcastle in the English Premier League keeping Jurgen Klopp’s side in touching distance with the 1st – place Manchester City.
The English right – back received a touch and smashed it hard and high into the net from approximately 25 – meters during the 87th – minute of match play at Anfield which added to 1st – half goal scores by Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah.
Salah’s goal which just so happened to be his 15th in the English Premier League this season was not as infrequent and Salah has now tied Leicester’s striker, Jamie Vardy, for the record of either scoring or assisting in setting up a goal in 15 – consecutive Premier League matches.
Newcastle surprisingly had taken a lead in the 7th – minute via Jonjo Shelvey, and they just might have been unlucky enough to concede the equalizing goal scored by Jota during the 21st – minute of the contest.
The midfielder for Newcastle, Isaac Hayden, ended up on the ground close to the edge of the six – yard box, and seemingly with a head injury, as Jota scored a goal off of a rebound following his header seconds earlier which was initially saved by Martin Dubravka, but Dubravka was not so lucky the 2nd – time around.
With this win, Liverpool gets back to just a point of Manchester City who thrashed Leeds 7 to 0 on Tuesday, December 14th, 2021, and they moved 3 – points clear of the current 3rd – place Chelsea that was held to a 1 to 1 tie by the injury – plagued Everton on Thursday, December 16th, 2021. Newcastle remains one spot over last – place in the EPL, and they have just 1 – league victory all season so far.
Media Statements
“I’ve been waiting for that for five years now, waiting to hit it clean like that,” Alexander-Arnold explained. “I’ve had a few from the edge of the box and I’ve dragged them and things like that. I’ve caught that one sweet and it’s nestled in the top corner.”
“The game turns on a decision I can’t understand,” the head coach of Newcastle’s football club Eddie Howe expressed.“The game should have been stopped. I can’t believe (referee) Mike (Dean) hasn’t stopped the game — Isaac was holding his head and we had two players down.”
“I didn’t expect Chelsea would drop points, it is pretty rare,” says Jurgen Klopp. “I don’t know five or six players of the Everton lineup so to get a point at Chelsea is massive.”
Sources:
The Associated Press News Services. “Alexander – Arnold screamer seals Liverpool win over Newcastle”. The Associated Press. December 16, 2021.