Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is deeply concerned about the fitness of key midfielders Joelinton and Sandro Tonali following their side’s narrow 3-2 defeat to Liverpool at St. James’ Park. Despite a spirited comeback and a performance Howe lauded as “really good,” the injuries cast a long shadow over the Magpies’ prospects.
The match began brightly for Newcastle, but Ryan Gravenberch’s long-range strike gave Liverpool the lead. The situation deteriorated further for the home side when Anthony Gordon was shown a straight red card after a VAR review deemed his challenge on Virgil van Dijk to be violent conduct. Howe acknowledged the tackle didn’t appear malicious, stating Gordon “was going full-blooded into the challenge, and he’s tried to pull out and slipped and his momentum’s taken him in,” but offered no outright defense of the action.
Liverpool capitalized on their numerical advantage immediately after the restart, with Hugo Ekitike, a former Newcastle target, scoring within 20 seconds of the second half beginning. Facing a 2-0 deficit with ten men, Newcastle’s task appeared insurmountable.
However, the Magpies demonstrated remarkable resilience. Bruno Guimaraes ignited a comeback with a well-taken goal, and William Osula appeared to have secured a point with a late equalizer. But the drama wasn’t over. In the 100th minute, 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha etched his name into Premier League history, becoming the fourth-youngest goalscorer ever with a dramatic winner for Liverpool.
This defeat extends Newcastle’s winless streak against Liverpool to 18 league games, a frustrating record stretching back to December 2015 when Steve McClaren was in charge. Despite the agonizing late goal and the overall result, Howe was proud of his team’s fight.
“I thought we were really good and fought our way back unbelievably well but couldn’t get over the line to get a point,” Howe told the BBC. “First half we thought we dominated the game, and we were in a great place with just the goal missing. In the second half we had a mountain to climb at 2-0 down with 10 men, but I thought we controlled the game.”
The red card to Gordon will result in a three-match suspension, further depleting Newcastle’s squad. However, it’s the injuries to Joelinton and Tonali that are causing the most concern. Both players were forced off the pitch, visibly in pain, and Howe fears the worst.
“I don’t know with Joe and Sandro. It doesn’t look good when a player comes off, especially because both looked in a little bit of pain and they’d be a huge blow for us if they’re not available,” Howe explained. “Anthony will be suspended and Fabian [Schar] had concussion, so not good.”
The timing of these injuries is particularly unfortunate, with Newcastle preparing to face Leeds United this Saturday. Losing Joelinton and Tonali would significantly weaken Howe’s midfield options and potentially derail the team’s early season momentum. The club will be anxiously awaiting the results of medical assessments to determine the extent of the damage and the length of their recovery.
Newcastle fans will be hoping for positive news, but the initial indications suggest a challenging period ahead as Howe attempts to navigate this injury crisis and maintain his team’s competitive edge. The resilience shown against Liverpool offers a glimmer of hope, but the loss of key personnel could prove to be a significant setback.
