Schar punishes Kelleher blunder as Newcastle hold Liverpool in thriller

LIVERPOOL’s seven-game winning run came to a dramatic end as Fabian Schar’s last-gasp equaliser forced the Premier League leaders to settle for a thrilling 3-3 draw at Newcastle on Wednesday.

Arne Slot’s side were seconds away from wrapping up yet another victory in a dream start to the season after Mohamed Salah scored his second goal of the game in the closing stages.

But, in keeping with a testing evening on Tyneside, Liverpool were unable to hold on as Schar punished a mistake from Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

Alexander Isak’s first half rocket had put Newcastle ahead before Curtis Jones levelled soon after the interval.

Anthony Gordon restored Newcastle’s lead before Salah’s double took him to 15 goals in all competitions this season, including nine in his last seven league games.

Dropping points for the first time since a 2-2 draw at Arsenal on October 27, Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table is down to seven points.

After impressive 2-0 wins against Real Madrid and Manchester City last week, Slot’s men were hailed as champions elect in England and leading contenders for the Champions League.

Failing to kill off spirited Newcastle won’t change that status, but Slot will have noted the flaws in his injury-hit defence ahead of Saturday’s Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park.

Conceding Kelleher had made a costly blunder, Slot said: “He has done remarkably well for us and even today he was good. Unfortunately, he misjudged the situation.”

Salah’s second half brilliance contributed to an epic clash that recalled Liverpool’s two 4-3 wins over Newcastle in the 1990s.

“Two goals and one assist. He was a constant threat in the last half hour. He definitely helped the team with goals, threats and assists,“ Slot said.

“We were much better in the second half. But I would have loved if the score would have been 3-2 to us in the end.”

Sting in the tale

With 18 victories in 21 matches this season, it was a surprise to see Liverpool rattled by Newcastle’s tenacious high press.

In the absence of the rested Trent Alexander-Arnold and the injured Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool were unusually vulnerable at the back, an issue vividly illustrated as Jacob Murphy smashed a fierce shot off the far post from an acute angle.

It was a warning Liverpool failed to heed as Isak opened the scoring in the 35th minute.

Surging into Lewis Hall’s pass, Isak took a clever touch that wrong-footed Virgil van Dijk 20 yards from goal, opening space for a blistering strike that flashed into the roof of the net.

Liverpool were ragged and Slot threw his arms up in frustration after a Joe Gomez mistake allowed Murphy to blast narrowly wide.

Yet in the blink of an eye, Liverpool conjured an equaliser five minutes after half-time.

Anonymous in the first half, Salah burst into life with a superbly measured cross towards Jones, whose run was perfectly timed to meet the Egyptian’s delivery with an emphatic close-range finish.

Newcastle were back in front after 62 minutes as Isak’s deft pass sent Gordon galloping into the area and he cut back inside before planting a composed finished beyond Kelleher from 10 yards.

But Liverpool’s resolve was unshaken, thanks in large part to the presence of the sublime Salah, as well as Slot’s decision to send on Alexander-Arnold.

Having set up Liverpool’s first goal, Salah hauled them level in the 68th minute, capping a flowing move with an instinctive close-range shot from Alexander-Arnold’s cross.

That was the signal for a late Liverpool siege and the visitors thought they had stolen the points in the 83rd minute.

Probing away patiently on the edge of the area, they pounced when Alexander-Arnold slipped a pass to Salah, who finished with typical aplomb.

However, there was a painful sting in the tale for Liverpool in the 90th minute as Kelleher completely misjudged a cross and Schar slid in to poke the loose ball into the net.