Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle: Player Ratings

Fresh off the back of their Etihad heroics, Liverpool went again and downed a Newcastle side in what is not only another vital Premier League win but also an early sharpener for the Carabao Cup final.

Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle

Premier League (28) | Anfield
February 26, 2025

Goals: Szoboszlai 11′, Mac Allister 63′

---

Alisson – 7 (out of 10)

Didn’t have much asked of him, but always looked to get involved and barked to the back line constantly.

Brought his big, rain-soaked frame off the line perfectly on multiple occasions in the first half to close the angle and prevent shots on target following troublesome balls over the top.

Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7

Did what was asked of him but still looked absent in patches, with his head going down a little too easily after misplaced passes.

Not a performance Trent will especially be fond of, given the European night-feel inside Anfield, but played his part in getting another massive three points over the line.

Withdrawn with over 15 minutes left to play.

Ibrahima Konate – 7

Started well and stood tall and imperious, but got caught napping a few times in the opening stages. Looked a very relieved man when Callum Wilson’s attempted lob of Alisson went beyond the goal.

Came back into his own thereafter after settling into the pace, and looked robust alongside the captain.

Virgil van Dijk – 8

As cool and calm as he ever can be. Will have quickly reshuffled his game plan ahead of kickoff, after learning it was Wilson in for Alexander Isak. A robust yet tactical battle with the Swede was switched out for a muscle-fest with Wilson, and Liverpool’s skipper came out on top.

Swamped the danger zones perfectly and saved Konate’s blushes in the early stages. Quelled attacks before they trickled into full momentum, and patrolled the clear-up efforts thereafter.

Wilson upped the ante immediately in the second half, and was promptly left bloodied and needing treatment after a clash.

Van Dijk knows this Liverpool team are getting close, very close; but he isn’t letting up at all.

Kostas Tsimikas – 6

As with Trent, Tsimikas grafted away to get another big hurdle navigated.

Didn’t always look entirely comfortable in possession, but pushed into the final third well and offered the overlap where possible.

Ryan Gravenberch – 7

Has been crying out for a rest, but an emotion-fuelled night under the lights at Anfield seemed to breath new life into the Premier League‘s most-improved star of the season.

Gravenberch recaptured his best positioning, he knew when to give the ball and when to hold. Opened up pockets of space where very little seemed to exist, and began to frustrate Newcastle‘s angsty Bruno Guimaraes.

Alexis Mac Allister – 8

Few things give more satisfaction that seeing Ale Mac hammer the ball into the back of the net.

A superb footballer who doesn’t know what it means to deliver a sub-par performance. Was everything Liverpool needed him to be against Eddie Howe’s men; tenacious in defence and creative in attack.

Put on a clinic in showing just how a central midfielder should peel back off and help to quickly neutralise an overload from the opposition.

Took his goal pristinely, and knew exactly what Salah was thinking. Elite-level football IQ from the pair of them.

Dominik Szoboszlai – 9

There’s elite sporting fitness and then there is just whatever this magnificent Hungarian is putting on display every week.

I’ve only just caught my breath from the Man City win… and I watched it while nursing a couple of pints. Szoboszlai quite literally ran himself into the ground, falling to his knees at the final whistle – and yet here he was, mere days later, fleet-footed and gnawing at the bit once again.

Took his goal beautifully, receiving Luis Diaz‘s pass nicely into his stride before dropping the shoulder and fizzing the low, hard shot across the soaked turf.

Kept running, and running, and running. Pedal to the metal in both defence and attack, and finished the match looking like a satisfied gladiator leaving the amphitheatre. The definition of an athlete.

Mohamed Salah – 9 – Man of the Match

Watching Mo this season is such a pleasure. Not just because of the goals, the assists, the quality – we’re all well-versed to that at this point. But this season especially Salah just looks so, so alive. He’s burning with determination, he’s somehow getting even better and he’s taking massive enjoyment from this realisation sinking in for everyone else.

It’s not news to Salah, he knew all along he was getting better. Only he truly knows how much hard work he puts in, those silent hours early in the morning – well beyond the end of training – the hours stolen away from his days off with family, he puts all those hard yards in and he’s reaping the ultimate reward.

Here he was first to every ball, terrifying players who have already been coming up against him for several years. It must be incredibly satisfying.

Got a much deserved assist for Mac Allister, after conjuring something from a position where many other players would give up. Salah makes things happen because he plays an entirely different game to everyone else. He came seconds away from another magnificent trivela assist as well.

The kids these days talk a lot about aura, it’s the new buzz word, it’s cool. Well Salah truly has aura in abundance, even his own team-mates look at him differently these days. It’s longevity on unprecedented levels. Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have done it, but neither of them oversaw a golden era such as this in Premier League football.

It’s the hardest and most competitive league in the world, and it belongs to Mo Salah.

Luis Diaz – 8

This was the Diaz we like to see, and haven’t for several weeks. Under the hammering rain the Colombian maestro rediscovered his mojo; the velvet touch was back, the darting feints and the quick thinking.

When Diaz reaches that flow state, it’s like watching the Road Runner from the old Looney Tunes cartoon, a whoosh of air, all darting limbs and unsettling pace. At the end of it all Diaz emerges with the ball by the byline with full-backs terrified and tied in knots.

Found Szoboszlai well for the opener, and took up plenty of threatening positions in the middle third which helped spread confusion.

Diogo Jota – 7

Put in plenty of running but did not have the rub of the green.

Very unfortunate in the first half not to break clean through on goal after navigating the man-mountain that is Dan Burn; instead denied by the referee’s whistle.

Still finding his groove overall, but Jota remains a vital outlet for this Liverpool team in its quest for glory on multiple fronts.

 

Substitutes

Cody Gakpo (on for Jota, 62′) – 7

Just a joy to see this lad back. Showed signs of expected rust, but looked to get involved rapidly and made several runs that gave Newcastle unwanted headaches.

Came a whisker away from scoring a bicycle kick – ridiculous. Looks like he’ll be back to his best very quickly, which is terrible news for everyone outside of the red half of Merseyside.

Jarell Quansah (on for Alexander-Arnold, 77′) – 7

Showed his versatility by filling in on the flank and quickly showing for the ball immediately after being introduced. Has his swagger and confidence back after early-season setbacks and injury woes.

Wataru Endo (on for Gravenberch, 77′) – 7

Launched himself into tackles like it was his last football game, ever. This lad is mustard and knows exactly what’s needed of him when brought into the fold. A cult hero forever more.

Darwin Nunez (on for Diaz, 87′) – 6

Didn’t have much time but plugged away. Spurred on by the Kop, who are still very much willing him hard to succeed while he’s here in a red shirt.

Curtis Jones (on for Mac Allister, 87′) – 6

Like Nunez, didn’t have long enough to make much of an impact, but mopped up loose balls and broke between the lines where possible.

Subs not used: Kelleher, Robertson, Elliott, Chiesa

 

Arne Slot – 8

Watched on from the plush leather seats up in the stands like Julius Caesar overseeing his empire.

Slot has every reason to feel proud of this Liverpool team; they may have been built and assembled by Jurgen Klopp but they are playing in his image and carrying out his every command.

This was a huge win, but Slot didn’t lose composure up high. ‘We’re gonna win the league’ boomed the Kop, but Slot remained eagle-eyed surveying the pitch below.

He knows there remains work to be done, but this was a glorious evening which encapsulated everything that has been enviable about Liverpool this season.

Down on the touchline, a mention needs to go to Johnny Heitinga. The former defender isn’t a stranger to the white markings, having prowled them during a spell as Ajax interim boss.

Heitinga stayed vocal and remained very much in the ears of his troops on the pitch.