Liverpool got the win they needed to keep hopes of Champions League qualification alive as they look ahead to their FA Cup semi-final with Aston Villa on Sunday.
Liverpool had much to be pleased with last night as they beat Newcastle United 2-0 at Anfield, in what became a convicing win, despite one or two nervous moments.
They were pretty quick out of the blocks and took the lead after Raheem Sterling collected a wonderful pass from Jordan Henderson, before dancing through a couple of defenders, then scooping the ball beyond Tim Krul. Unfortunately for the 20-year-old, all the talk surrounding him is because of a certain story doing the rounds today.
Following on from that, Liverpool threatened to pull away but failure to find a second goal shortly afterwards allowed Newcastle to create a couple of opportunities. The visitors can count themselves unlucky not to have a penalty awarded when Dejan Lovren hacked down Ayoze Perez, before Simon Mignolet pulled off a fine save – in the end the Reds were glad to see half-time.
They were much improved in the second half as they took control of the game, with Joe Allen doubling the lead 10 minutes from time.
Six days prior to their FA Cup semi-final with Aston Villa, here are five things we learned from Liverpool’s display:
1) Philippe Coutinho as a ‘false nine’
With no Daniel Sturridge in the starting line-up, many would have thought Sterling was going to lead the line. But Brendan Rodgers opted to play Coutinho through the middle, and the only thing really unconventional about his role in the side is that there wasn’t anyone further forward. It was clever in a way as the system got the best out of both Sterling and Jordon Ibe, as they were allowed use their pace to cut in quickly off the flanks and cause their opponents problems.
2) There’s still the need for a new striker
Following the opening goal, Liverpool had Newcastle all over the place. Their passing, movement and energy was just too much for John Carver’s side to handle, but one thing they lacked was a killer instinct in front of goal; just someone to stand on the edge of the six-yard box and prod the ball home. As a result it gave the visitors a foothold in the game and a spell where they could have easily gone in at the break level.
Composure is still a worry
Glen Johnson is the main culprit here – in fact you can sum up his composure by how he tried to play a simple five-yard pass back to Emre Can only for it to go out for a throw-in, and there were several times when others struggled whenever Newcastle decided to press. Aston Villa will not give the Reds any room to play at Wembley, and will be in their faces from the first whistle – meaning Liverpool have work to do on the training ground.
Lucas integral in front of a back four
In a back three, Liverpool could probably cope without the Brazilian midfielder because the middle of the park is so congested. That isn’t the case with the 4-3-3 Liverpool played last night, and there is greater need for a specialist defensive midfielder to protect a vulnerable defence. What was also interesting was when Lucas decided to go and press the ball – more often than not he came up with the possession.
Selection issues for Wembley
Steven Gerrard and Martin Skrtel return from suspension for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final, while Jordon Ibe is cup tied. It could be harder for Gerrard to get a starting place as the midfield three actually seemed to function well, with Joe Allen’s goal doing the Welshman’s chances of keeping his place no harm. Neither Emre Can or Dejan Lovren did anything spectacular and Skrtel is likely to reclaim his place, so Rodgers has a big decision to make at the back. In terms of further up the field, a lot is likely to depend on the fitness of Daniel Sturridge having missed last night’s game with a hip problem.
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