Alisson was fantastic for Liverpool in the crucial 2-0 away win over Newcastle at 10, with the Reds attacking players also shining.
Newcastle 0-2 Liverpool

Alisson (out of 10) – 9 (Man of the Match)
What would Liverpool be without Alisson?
The Brazilian was another outstanding player, parrying Miguel Almiron early with a superb save and then producing a wonderful sweeping pass before Nick Pope was sent off.

He beat Allan Saint-Maximin and made another big late save to deny Callum Wilson a clear round.

Trent Alexander Arnold – 7th

Saint-Maximin’s Alexander-Arnold struggled in early substitutions, but grew well in the game. Moving on, his crossing was a joy and provided the opener for Darwin Nunez to get his second assist of the week.
He also strengthened defensively over the minutes. He is in better shape.

Joe Gomez – 6

Gomez was preferred over Joel Matip as a centre-back, but he never looked entirely convincing and looked like Liverpool’s weakest defender.
Good has been added but it does not inspire confidence at the moment.

Virgil van Dyke – 7

Van Dijk has made a very welcome return from injury at St James’ Park – having him back could be so important in the battle for the top four.

Understandably, the Dutchman returned to first-team action, looking a little sluggish at first, but he rallied as Newcastle improved to 10 men.

An excellent long-range pass from Mohamed Salah was a reminder of his ability to instantly turn defense into attack as well.

Robertson -6

Robertson was his usually dependable self and did well against the in-form Miguel Almiron.

However, he lost a sitter to make it 3-0 late. It’s a bit of a puzzle when it comes in the box.

Fabinho-7

After a marked improvement against Everton, Fabinho kept his place in the squad.
He got better as the minutes went by, stopping play and using the ball well, as well as bringing some peace to the center of the park.

Jordan Henderson-7

Like Fabinho, the captain wanted to build on a better performance and has generally performed well in his role as the number 8 on the right.

Henderson has looked more energetic than he has been for much of this season and got along well with both Alexander-Arnold and Salah on the right. Bigger challenges lie ahead and he can still step up a gear – the midfield is still too open with him – but he did well against the club he hated growing up.

Stefan Bajcetic – 7th

Liverpool’s man of the moment was his usual unflappable and efficient self, not as conspicuous as he was but doing his job impressively.

Bajcetic’s spatial ability was noticed a few times when he kept the ball in tight spaces and was the Reds’ most intense midfield presser.

It feels so intimate already, which is amazing for an 18-year-old.

Mohammad Salah – 8

Salah has returned to scoring form earlier in the week, leading Everton irregularly and he has been excellent here again. The Egyptian King’s pace kept Dan Burn in constant trouble and his superb clipped pass allowed Cody Gakpo to give Liverpool a 2-0 lead.
Suddenly he’s looking much brighter and has the potential to blow Liverpool into the top four.

Darwin Nunez-8

Operating down the left wing once again, Nunez was devastating at times and it always looked like he was wreaking havoc.
The 23-year-old’s touch and finish to blast Liverpool in front of him was outrageous and his use of the ball was also much sharper than before.

Some of the criticism Nunez has received has been incredibly harsh and he is getting better by the week – hopefully his shoulder injury is not serious.

Cody Gakpo-7

Gakpo got off to a flying start against Everton and continued his top form with another promising performance at St James’s.

Liverpool’s latest signing took his goal well, slipping behind the defense and burying a finish, linking up well with Salah and Nunez in the central position.
Confidence in football is huge and Gakpo suddenly looks like a different player.
Substitutes

James Milner (in place of Henderson, 59′) – 6

A Bobby Moore-style tackle on former Blue Anthony Gordon was a pleasant moment! He was late for some challenges, but then passed others!

Harvey Elliott (in place of Bajcetic, 59′) – 6

He did nothing wrong, but went unnoticed. He kept the ball and won some challenges.

Diogo Jota (in place of Nunez, 59′) – 6

Flashed a wide shot and missed a keeper. Looked sharp but should have scored his first goal of the season.

Roberto Firmino (for Gakpo, 59′) – 5

Did a nice trick but his pass was terribly loose. I gave away the ball way too many times.

Unused Subs: Kelleher, Phillips, Matip, Tsimikas, Keita

Jürgen Klopp – 8

It was one of Klopp’s biggest games of the season and all eyes were on his ability to pull off another solid performance from his side. It wasn’t perfect in reality, but Liverpool were clinical in the final third and are looking much better than they were a few weeks ago.

Player Rating Definitions: 10 = Flawless | 9 = Excellent | 8 = Very good | 7 = Good | 6 = Average | 5 = Below Par | 4 = Bad | 3 = Very bad | 2 Terrible | 1 = Absolutely not

Two wins, two clean sheets and confidence returns with a more solid squad.

It’s game after game for Klopp, who knows improvements are still needed, but he deserves credit for inspiring back-to-back victories.

Next: Real Madrid!

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