Newcastle United vs. Liverpool: Live Player Ratings for Reds

Liverpool moved back to the top of the Premier League table, at least for a couple of hours, after securing a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United.

Steven Gerrard's penalty and Daniel Sturridge's header saw the Reds twice peg back Newcastle after the home team had taken the lead, but they will be disappointed not to win after dominating possession and chances and seeing the Magpies reduced to 10 men.

Player	Half-time	Full-time
Mignolet	7	7
Skrtel	7	8, MOTM
Toure	6	6
Sakho	6	6
Johnson	7	7
Cissokho	5	6
Henderson	6	5
Gerrard	6	7
Moses	7	5
Suarez	7	8
Sturridge	5	6

First half analysis

Mignolet—was unsighted for Cabaye's long-range opener, but has dealt well with everything else and made a top save from Sissoko's stinging shot.

Toure—hasn't been able to get forward much of yet and missed a couple of presentable chances off corners at the other end.

Skrtel—dominating centrally and has been strong both in the air and on the ground. Has swept up well behind the other two centre-backs.

Sakho—has been good on the ball, but the Reds have had a bit of trouble in defending down the left-hand side. Needs to remain dominant and with his concentration intact.

Johnson—Liverpool's best outlet at times, he's been quick to get forward which is so vital in this system. A little better with his end product and his team will create more chances. How long will he last after injury though?

Cissokho—off the pace at times and looking like he's struggling to get to grips with either the shape of the team or the expectations of him, but his own first-touch needs to be more assured.

Henderson—has held the ball well at times, but sloppy in possession and not really closing central players down enough.

Gerrard—scored his 100th Premier League goal from the spot. Neat passing but not dominant enough in the middle.

Moses—started as Liverpool's best player, driving forward and opening up Newcastle's defence. Has to use space better now Newcastle are down to 10.

Suarez—A little quiet, but some great deliveries from corners and has shown his danger in the penalty area with a sublime first touch, including winning the penalty.

Sturridge—Very quiet so far. Some good runs when he's on the shoulder of the defence, but rarely involved with link-up play and no clear shooting chances.

Second half analysis

Mignolet—Largely untroubled for most of the half—except when he was beaten by Drummond for Newcastle's second goal.

Toure—Effective most of the time, but not his most dominant performance. Contributed little going forward as Liverpool dominated play after the break.

Skrtel—Liverpool's best player. Made a fantastic tackle on Ben Arfa in the second half inside the penalty box and was assured with his defensive work all game long.

Sakho—Not his most domineering performance either, but he was tidy on the ball and won most of his individual battles.

Johnson—A first start in several weeks yielded a good performance. His ability to cut in and shoot was a regular threat and the wing-back system certainly suits him.

Cissokho—Improved as the game went on but didn't really deliver many telling balls from an awful lot of good positions in the second half.

Henderson—A poor display really; despite winning the ball back a few times he was slow in possession and far too often attempted ambitious, hurried shots from distance instead of keeping hold of the ball.

Gerrard—Created a few terrific chances in the second half for the team but wasn't able to inspire the Reds to victory.

Moses—Drifted completely out of the game and really should have been subbed during the second half. Moving to left wing didn't help as much as Rodgers would have hoped.

Sturridge—As a poacher you'd give him nine out of 10; he set up Suarez to win the penalty, he scored himself with his only real chance and did basically nothing else all game. He did, however, miss the best chance to win the match in the dying minutes as he side-footed a close-range chance wide. All-round, not his best display.

Suarez—Came much more to life after the break and was a real problem for Newcastle to deal with. Much more like his usual performances and unlucky not to score with a cracking shot off the bar.

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