5 Positives to Take from Liverpool's 2-2 Premier League Draw at Newcastle

Liverpool may feel a little disappointed at being held to a 2-2 draw at Newcastle Utd on Saturday lunchtime, but there were still lots of positives to take from the exciting encounter.

The result temporarily put the Reds back on top of the Premier League, but they were made to work for the point.

Alan Pardew’s Newcastle side produced a very impressive performance, a far cry from that which saw Liverpool run riot at St James’ last season in a 6-0 victory.

If anything, the red card to Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa shortly before half time made Newcastle more resolute and the Reds mad a lot of chances to win it towards the end. 

Instead of feeling gloomy and pointing out underperformers for Liverpool, here are five reasons to be positive following today’s result.

Steven Gerrard’s 100th Premier League Goal

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Captain Fantastic coolly stuck away Liverpool’s first equaliser of the afternoon from the penalty spot after Yanga-Mbiwa’s dismissal.

Gerrard became the 24th player in Premier League history to join the “100 Club”. Twenty of his hundred goals have come from penalties.

Coming Back from Behind (Twice)

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Liverpool showed their character and how far they’ve come in the last year by coming from behind to equalise twice.

Last season, and for several before, heads would have sunk when the Reds fell behind. There were plenty of matches which looked dead to Liverpool as soon as their opposition took a lead.

But Brendan Rodgers kept his men positive and full of belief that they could turn things around. A late flourish of attacks should probably have resulted in a winner for the visitors.

‘SAS’ Linking Well Again

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Luis Suarez made a great run through to the penalty area half way through the second half and was unselfish in lifting it square for Sturridge to head home.

It was the England international striker’s ninth goal of the season, and the pair have now scored 11 goals between them when playing together in their last 11 games.

The partnership continues to flourish.

Luis Alberto

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Adding some spark to Liverpool’s midfield, the introduction of Alberto shortly into the second half was inspired.

The Spaniard provides the key missing link between defence and attack, carrying Liverpool into dangerous phases of play.

Although only 21, Alberto commands the midfield and takes control of the ball with a high level of maturity. His growth and development look very promising indeed.

The Overall Picture

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At the final whistle, although not having pushed on to get a winner against 10-man Newcastle, Liverpool sat back at the top of the Premier League table.

Expectations shouldn’t have risen simply due to Liverpool’s exceptional start to the season, and fourth place is still the ultimate target this year.

However, coming quickly towards November, Liverpool remain up there.

Results like these are all part of the journey – it’s the bigger picture that counts come May.