Liverpool were desperate to take all three points and move to the top of the table, at least until Arsenal face Norwich later on Saturday. Yet it was Newcastle that took the lead, before the half-hour was up. Yohan Cabaye took the ball in midfield and flew up the right, getting his shot off from more than 30 yards out. Simon Mignolet stood rooted to the spot, waiting too long to prevent the ball from flying into the back of the net. But there was little the goalkeeper could’ve done to prevent Cabaye’s shot, as it swerved and twisted, moving to the inside and back out again, before landing in goal.
Newcastle looked like they just might manage to keep their lead; despite a shaky centerback pairing in the absence of captain Fabricio Coloccini, the defense was holding strong. Until the 40th minute, that is. A ball from Daniel Sturridge sent Luis Suarez free up the right, causing Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa to panic and bring the Uruguayan down inside the area. That earned the French defender a straight red for denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity, and brought Steven Gerrard to the spot. His low shot to Tim Krul’s right brought Liverpool level, and gave the Reds captain his 100th Premier League goal.
With Newcastle down to ten men with 50 minutes left to play, it looked as though Liverpool would be able to pull off a comeback win and retake the number one spot in the table. But again, the hosts surprised, retaking the lead through a set piece goal. The free kick floated into the Liverpool area, and Kolo Toure got a piece of it. But his headed flick fell right to Paul Dummett, who’d come around the edge of the Liverpool defenders and was able to side foot the ball into the back of the net. What a great show for the defender, whose yet to make his Premier League debut.
Of course, the tale would’ve been far more dramatic if Daniel Sturridge hadn’t come along to erase Newcastle’s lead. Liverpool’s second equalizer of the afternoon came through another great interplay between Sturridge and Suarez, with the latter flicking the ball over an onrushing Tim Krul for Sturridge to tap in with his head.
The visitors were determined to leave with all three points, with Sturridge very nearly putting in another just a minute later. Two minutes after that, Suarez hit the bar. Liverpool very nearly had their fairy tale ending when, five minutes into the four added on, Andre Marriner gave a free kick when Suarez went down under a foul by Mathieu Debuchy. Krul managed to save the shot, however, and Newcastle escaped with a point.
Newcastle: Krul; Debuchy,Yanga-Mbiwa, Williamson, Santon; Cabaye (Anita 78), Tiote, Sissoko (Dummett 45); Gouffran, Ben Arfa (Sammy Ameobi 78), Remy
Subs not used: Elliot, Obertan, Shola Ameobi, Cisse
Goals: Cabaye 23'; Dummett 56'
Red Card: Yanga-Mbiwa 40'
Liverpool: Mignolet, Johnson (Sterling 83), Cissokho, Toure, Skrtel, Sakho (Alberto 63), Henderson, Gerrard, Moses, Suarez, Sturridge
Subs not used: Jones, Agger, Kelly, Flanagan, Allen
Goals: Gerrard 42'; Sturridge 72'