Liverpool just smashed a Premier League record in Newcastle demolition - now they can banish a title myth
Just like the Premier League title isn’t won in January, it isn’t necessarily achieved by the team with the best starting XI.
But on a memorable night at Anfield, there came genuine belief as to why Liverpool can maintain their championship charge during the second half of the season.
Certainly, if this is how 2024 is going to proceed for the Reds, the defiant cheers and jubilant songs from the Kop at full-time could well become a regular feature.
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Jurgen Klopp’s side battered Newcastle. Absolutely battered them. Indeed, their xG – expected goals – metric of 7.27 was the highest in the Premier League since such records began.
However, when Alexander Isak profited from an inspired piece of wing play from Anthony Gordon to equalise Mohamed Salah’s opener early in the second half, there was a real fear it was turning into one of those nights.
Instead, it turned into one of those nights, the type of evening for which Anfield has long been famed. If Liverpool had any nagging doubts in the back of their mind over allowing more home points to slip after recent draws with Manchester United and Arsenal, they were comprehensively banished in a whirlwind display in the final quarter of a pulsating encounter.
Key to that was the contribution from the bench which indicated the options now at Klopp’s disposal - particularly in attack - that will be needed with both Salah and Wataru Endo now on international duty for up to six weeks.
The return to fitness of Diogo Jota, then, has been timely. And after his surprise return when scoring at Burnley on Boxing Day,
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