Liverpool vs. Newcastle United: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Liverpool dropped two points at Anfield on Saturday, as Newcastle United mounted a two-goal comeback to earn a key point in their relegation battle.
Jurgen Klopp's men took charge of the contest early through goals from Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana, but the Magpies countered with a pair of second-half strikes by way of Papiss Cisse and Jack Colback to earn a 2-2 result.
The Reds failed to gain ground on West Ham United in the race for sixth place and remain seventh in the Premier League table ahead of their UEFA Europa League semi-final clash with Villarreal on Thursday.
Newcastle inched closer to safety with the draw, as they are now one point behind Norwich City and level on 30 points with rival Sunderland.
Here's a look at our winners and losers from the 2-2 draw played out in the red half of Liverpool.
Winner: Jack Colback
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Jack Colback handed Newcastle a key point in the race for survival in the 66th minute as he sent a deflected effort past Simon Mignolet.
The bouncing attempt from the top of the penalty area completed a comeback that was spurred by an impressive start to the second half.
The 26-year-old also helped cram the center of the pitch when Liverpool were attacking. For most of the match, the hosts were forced to attack through the wide areas due to the lack of space centrally.
Thanks to the effort of Colback and his teammates, Newcastle have plenty of momentum heading into the final stretch of the season as they look to remain in the Premier League.
Loser: Connor Randall
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Many will blame Simon Mignolet for letting in the first Newcastle goal, but Connor Randall didn't perform well in the buildup to the 48th-minute strike either.
The 20-year-old defender was outmuscled by Papiss Cisse in the air, and that allowed the forward to nod his strike into the back of an open net after Mignolet whiffed on his clearance attempt.
Randall almost committed a mistake earlier in the contest in the 37th minute, with a clumsy challenge against Ayoze Perez in the penalty area. Luckily for the defender, referee Andre Marriner didn't whistle for a penalty, but Randall still showcased his lack of experience in a key moment.
Winner: Adam Lallana
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Adam Lallana was a menace in the final third throughout his 83 minutes on the pitch in front of the home fans.
The former Southampton man was rewarded for his fast start in the 30th minute as he curled a splendid effort into the top-left part of the net from 20 yards out.
The Englishman's strike finished off a nice team move that Roberto Firmino started near midfield. Firmino slid the ball over to Alberto Moreno, who found Lallana in the middle of the park to earn an assist on the tally.
Lallana ended the match with the third-highest Liverpool total in touches with 74 and a pass-completion percentage of 82.5 percent, per WhoScored.com.
Loser: Moussa Sissoko
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Newcastle expected to receive another big contribution from Moussa Sissoko on Saturday, but the attacking midfielder came up short of his expectations.
Sissoko, who provided a goal and an assist in the last two matches, rarely found himself on the ball in the first half and only came alive during a few spells in the second half as Newcastle pushed for an equalizer.
The 26-year-old wasn't the only Newcastle attacker who struggled, as Ayoze Perez left the pitch at half-time, but in order to maintain an attacking presence during the latter stages of the relegation battle, Sissoko needs to make his presence known more from the first whistle on.
Winner: Daniel Sturridge
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Daniel Sturridge continued his strong form in front of the net on Saturday, as he opened the scoring for Liverpool in the second minute.
The England forward, who is making a terrific case at the moment to be on the Three Lions roster for Euro 2016, displayed impressive control in the box as he pulled down a pass and turned to fire his shot past Newcastle goalkeeper Karl Darlow.
Although the goal seemed like a distant memory when the final whistle blew, it was still important for the 26-year-old's confidence, and he has scored four goals in his last five league matches.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
