In the Premier League away match against Newcastle, Liverpool chose Szoboszlai to fill in for the injured right-back Frimpon, while Bradley and Gomez had just returned from injury. Due to Mac Allister's injury, Jones replaced him as the left central midfielder, and Gravenberch returned to play as the right central midfielder. Other positions remained the same as the previous match.
The formation and tactics were basically consistent with the last game. Due to Newcastle's consistent aggressive foul play, combined with the home advantage and the Isak incident, the atmosphere was more intense than usual. The referee's leniency towards Newcastle's fouls and double standards against Liverpool made it very difficult for Liverpool to maintain possession and pass the ball.
Although Newcastle controlled the midfield, Gordon, who was filling in as a striker, worked hard but had average finishing ability, missing several good opportunities. Liverpool utilized the left side, with Gakpo passing to the edge of the penalty area, where Gravenberch and Ekitiké scored two goals with long-range shots into the corners.
Although Gordon received a red card before the end of the first half, Newcastle continued their aggressive play, and Liverpool players were clearly holding back to avoid injuries. Additionally, the referee continued to mindlessly award free kicks to Newcastle, putting immense pressure on Liverpool's defense. Kerkez's height disadvantage led to the first goal conceded, and Konate's ineffective aerial challenge resulted in the second goal. After Newcastle equalized, they continued to bombard Liverpool's goal. At this point, Slot's choice was to continue attacking, substituting Elliot and Ngumoha for Jones and Gakpo. Prior to this, Wirtz and Ekitiké had already been substituted, with Bradley coming on as the right-back, Szoboszlai returning to the attacking midfield position, and Chiesa coming on to play as a striker, reverting to the traditional style of play. Chiesa, playing as a striker, dropped back to draw out an opposing defender and passed the ball to Salah on the right. Salah then crossed the ball into the center of the penalty area, where Szoboszlai made a run into the box and chose to let the ball go past him, allowing Ngumoha, unmarked, to score the decisive goal.
Winning this tough match without any players getting injured was truly not easy. It was difficult to implement the normal style of play under the opponent's aggressive fouls, and the tactical analysis from this match is not as significant.
The next round at home against title rivals Arsenal is crucial. Mac Allister's potential return from injury will have a significant impact. It is likely that Jones will start, and either Bradley or Szoboszlai could start as the right-back. For the left-back position, I personally suggest starting Robertson for more stability, while other positions are unlikely to change. The formation and tactics are expected to lean more towards attacking, and with the home advantage, the chances of winning are anticipated to be high.