Liverpool player ratings vs Newcastle: Three 8/10s stars shine in crucial win

Liverpool came from behind to beat Newcastle 4-1 at Anfield with Hugo Ekitike scoring twice and Florian Wirtz and Ibrahima Konate also on target in a dominant comeback display

Arne Slot’s Liverpool bounced back to winning ways in the Premier League with a magnificent fightback triumph against fellow Champions League contenders Newcastle. It marks the first time Liverpool have found the net four times in the Premier League since the season opener, and perhaps signals that the defending champions have turned a corner.

The away side made a blistering start, deservedly breaking the deadlock through Anthony Gordon, who struck his first open-play Premier League goal in over 12 months. What appeared destined to become a calamitous first half for Liverpool was dramatically transformed by Hugo Ekitike, who grabbed a quickfire double to put the Merseysiders ahead.

His opener arrived following clever movement from Florian Wirtz, who found his team-mate inside the penalty area, before a lightning-quick breakaway saw Ekitike make it 2-1 before the interval.

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The frenetic tempo of the encounter persisted after the restart, with Liverpool capitalising once more, this time Wirtz switching to scorer. The German struck a calm finish to extend his prolific run in front of the Kop.

Ibrahima Konate added the cherry on top with an emotional celebration after finding the target, following his father’s recent passing. Here, the Daily Star Sport rates the Liverpool stars performances.

Alisson – 7 Made several crucial stops during the encounter to prevent the game from slipping away from Liverpool. Had little chance with Gordon’s strike, but marshalled his box effectively when required.

Dominik Szoboszlai – 6 Filled in at right-back after Jeremie Frimpong’s latest injury setback and may need to feature there regularly in the upcoming weeks. Looked comfortable in the role and nearly grabbed a goal with a couple of dangerous attempts. While not a permanent fix, it certainly addresses the immediate issue.

Ibrahima Konate – 8

Returned to the starting lineup and immediately made his presence felt. The campaign hasn’t been straightforward for the French defender, who shouldered blame for many of Liverpool’s early-season defensive struggles. However, the centre-half appeared to rediscover his finest form under the floodlights against Newcastle. He was moved to tears after finding the net late on to secure all three points for Slot’s side.

Virgil van Dijk – 6 Found himself out of position on one or two occasions, but was also swift to clear up any threats when Newcastle broke through. Would have appreciated greater cover from his midfield colleagues.

Milos Kerkez – 6 Delivered a magnificent through ball behind Newcastle’s defence, which ultimately resulted in Ekitike’s second goal. Showed plenty of energy bombing forward and back down Liverpool’s left flank, though was beaten too readily at times.

Ryan Gravenberch – 6 Certainly involved from an offensive point of view, but the Dutchman struggled to match the intensity of Newcastle’s midfield at points in the first half.

Alexis Mac Allister – 6 Another player who hasn’t always impressed this season, but it was a much-improved showing from the Argentine. However, he’s marked down for falling to the ground clutching his face when touched in the chest by Gordon in the first half.

Mohamed Salah – 6 Picked up an assist for the Wirtz goal, but was generally poor throughout the night. It’s clear the Egyptian has lost half a yard of pace and ought to have done better on a couple of occasions in front of goal.

Florian Wirtz – 8 This is the player Liverpool paid over £100million for. It’s taken a while, but the German has finally arrived in the Premier League party and is starting to properly find his groove. Clever feet opened the door for Ekitike’s opener, with his finish for the third just as instinctive and effective.

Cody Gakpo – 6 The quietest out of Liverpool’s attackers, and perhaps fortunate to have been granted a full 90 minutes on the pitch.

Hugo Ekitike – 8 Already a cult hero at Anfield and understandably so. The match was drifting away from Liverpool prior to the Frenchman sparking it into life. It was a case of ‘what could’ve been’ for Newcastle, who had been linked with a move to St. James’ Park in the summer. The reaction from the Liverpool fans at full-time said it all… they already love him!

Substitutes:

Curtis Jones – 6

Federico Chiesa – 6

Wataru Endo – 6