16-year-old Rio Ngumoha Stuns 10-man Newcastle With 100th-minute Liverpool Winner

Goodness knows what nan man who was not location made of it all. Might Alexander Isak person felt nan tiniest spot blameworthy astatine nan show of his understudy, Anthony Gordon, missing a mates of highly presentable chances earlier becoming truthful overwrought he was sent disconnected for a ridiculous first-half tackle connected Virgil Van Dijk?

How did Newcastle’s presently striking prima striker measure Hugo Ekitiké’s performance? And, moreover arsenic he continues to endeavour to technologist a move to Anfield wherever he hopes to partner Ekitiké successful Liverpool’s team, did Isak astatine slightest half-celebrate Will Osula’s unexpected precocious Newcastle leveller to make it 2-2 earlier 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha won it for nan ­champions successful nan 100th minute?

Given that nan Sweden striker was watching from elsewhere successful nan north-east we will ne'er know. What was abundantly clear though was that nan emotions engendered by nan summer’s longest and astir acrimonious transportation saga provoked a nighttime of compelling, chaotic drama.

Arne Slot has said he is person to Eddie Howe than immoderate different Premier League coach but, if Liverpool and Newcastle’s managers are connected friends texting terms, relations betwixt their teams stay somewhat frostier.

Sure capable Ryan Gravenberch’s early booking for a wince-inducing tackle connected Bruno Guimarães group nan reside arsenic this rerun of past season’s Carabao Cup last opened astatine an almost anarchic 100mph.

If Liverpool wanted revenge for that Wembley defeat, nan sheer fury of a Newcastle crowd incensed by nan Anfield club’s pursuit of Isak, and their perceived audacity successful hijacking Howe’s move for Ekitiké transmitted itself to Howe’s team.

Before excessively agelong Gordon would self-destruct but, for a while, he rattled Liverpool. The England winger, erstwhile again deputising for Isak retired of position astatine centre-forward, whitethorn not beryllium precisely reliable successful beforehand of extremity but Gordon is highly clever astatine winning vulnerable free-kicks. Accordingly Slot doubly mislaid his cool complaining that he had blatantly dived aft inviting challenges.

Virgil van Dijk shows nan wounded connected his correct calf aft nan tackle by Anthony Gordon that earned nan Newcastle striker a reddish card. Photograph: Daniel Chesterton/Offside/Getty Images

It was near to a deep-sitting Van Dijk to effort to enactment calm and slow nan tempo astatine each opportunity. At times they lived dangerously and Alisson Becker would person been relieved to spot Gordon caput fractionally complete nan barroom aft gathering Harvey Barnes’s cross, but nan awesome attack activity of Sandro Tonali was many times undone by nan deficiency of a master striker.

Given that Monday saw Wolves cull a £50m bid from St James’ Park for their centre-forward Jørgen Strand Larsen, Howe must person been tempted to inquire Alan Shearer to switch his spot successful a backstage container for nan transportation astatine half-time.

The directors’ container contained Newcastle’s chair, Yasir ­al-Rumayyan. Might 1 of ­al-Rumayyan’s uncommon visits from Saudi Arabia person been timed to discuss a woody to waste Isak to Liverpool? Or possibly to show them they could not person nan Sweden striker aft all? The boardroom speech tin hardly person been dull.

Neither was a first half initially dominated by a location broadside who, nonetheless, fell down erstwhile an unsighted Nick Pope was beaten by Gravenberch’s low, somewhat deflected shot, from nan separator of nan area.

Pope could astir apt count himself somewhat fortunate not to person picked nan shot retired of nan nett for a 2nd clip erstwhile Mohamed Salah’s subtly curving transverse proved conscionable somewhat excessively clever for a startled looking Ekitiké.

Not that things were precisely going swimmingly for Howe. Dan Burn rightly saw yellowish for catching Salah precocious earlier a video adjunct referee involution resulted successful Gordon being sent disconnected for poleaxing Van Dijk pinch an unpleasant, unnecessary and utterly brainless tackle from behind.

Given that it progressive nan boyhood Liverpool instrumentality and erstwhile Evertonian lunging into nan backmost of nan defender’s opinionated limb arsenic Van Dijk attempted to clear nan ball, Gordon could hardly complain. Significantly, Howe did not look astatine him arsenic he headed consecutive down nan tunnel.

His squad had arguably paid nan value for playing connected nan edge. Initially each this black-and-white adrenaline had unnerved and unsettled Slot’s broadside but, not for nan first time, Gordon carried things excessively acold and imploded.

Slot had not moreover emerged from nan passageway when, 23 seconds into nan 2nd half, Ekitiké showed Newcastle precisely what they are missing. The Frenchman’s burst beyond Tonali and his walk to nan near cued up Cody Gakpo. When nan Dutchman’s changeable was blocked, Ekitiké reacted first to nan rebound, drilling an unstoppable changeable past Pope.

William Osula (left) celebrates pinch Bruno Guimarães and Dan Burn aft his 88th-minute equaliser. Photograph: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images

Either broadside of their goals, Liverpool had enjoyed amazingly fewer touches successful Newcastle’s area but their ratio erstwhile it mattered had wounded Howe’s players.

Not that it was rather complete conscionable yet. When Tino Livramento coiled a transverse into nan area, Guimarães capitalised connected slapdash defending by Milos Kerkez to caput Newcastle’s 10 men correct backmost into things.

For a while Liverpool seemed nan squad astatine a numerical disadvantage but past injuries began debilitating Howe’s team. They could surely person done without losing Tonali, pinch a nasty looking enarthrosis injury, earlier nan influential Joelinton limped disconnected arsenic Jacob Ramsey stepped disconnected nan chair to make his location debut aft a £40m move from Aston Villa.

Ramsey though was not nan night’s astir influential location substitute. That honour looked for illustration being afforded to Osula. The Denmark Under-21 guardant whitethorn not beryllium rather nan vanished article but Osula is astatine slightest a due centre-forward and erstwhile Dan Burn overpowered Ibrahima Konaté to meet Pope’s agelong kick, Osula nipped in, stretched retired a footwear and equalised.

Unfortunately for Howe a visiting replacement proved an moreover bigger gamechanger. The crippled had reached nan 100th infinitesimal erstwhile Ngumoha marked his Premier League debut by adroitly curling a awesome changeable beyond Pope.