Liverpool and Newcastle United played out a frenetic 3-3 draw in Wednesday night’s Premier League game at St. James’ Park.
The Reds went behind twice but a Mohamed Salah double, scored in the 68th and 83rd minutes, looked to have secured all three points.
However, Fabian Schar equalised as stoppage time loomed to ensure the hosts claimed a draw.
Earlier, Newcastle had led at half-time through Alexander Isak’s strike, before Curtis Jones equalised soon after the break. Anthony Gordon then restored the hosts’ lead, before Salah took centre stage.
There was to be a final twist, though, as Schar slid home a leveller in the 89th minute.
Team news
Jones, Jarell Quansah and Darwin Nunez came into Liverpool’s starting XI in place of Dominik Szoboszlai, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz as Arne Slot made three changes from Sunday’s win over Manchester City.
First half
An energetic start by Newcastle saw Caoimhin Kelleher palm an early Sandro Tonali shot wide before Virgil van Dijk read the danger and diverted Isak’s low delivery in from the left out for a corner.
Liverpool eased their way into the contest by quelling the aggression of the hosts’ press through spells of calm possession and their best move of the evening so far very nearly resulted in the opening goal.
The Reds moved the ball from back to front and Alexis Mac Allister twice went close: first with a sweetly struck half-volley that was turned wide by Nick Pope and then, after the corner that followed, with a left-footed hit that struck the post.
Soon after, Mac Allister was cautioned – his fifth yellow card of the Premier League season, meaning he will miss Saturday’s Merseyside derby through suspension.
And, with 10 minutes of the half remaining, Newcastle took the lead as Isak collected Bruno Guimaraes’ pass and hammered home from just outside the area.
Newcastle sensed an opportunity to further their advantage before the break and only a crucial save from Kelleher, who thwarted Gordon, prevented them from doing so.
Second half
Liverpool took the chance to reset at the interval and came out with an urgency and intent that forced an equaliser five minutes after the restart.
Mac Allister’s pass from deep located Salah, who deftly delivered the ball into the path of Jones and the midfielder marked his 150th appearance for the club with a fine finish.
But, after Nunez had gone agonisingly close to sliding in from Cody Gakpo’s header back across goal, Newcastle retook the lead as Gordon cut inside from the left and beat Kelleher.
Slot responded by freshening his team up with a triple substitution, with Alexander-Arnold, Szoboszlai and Diaz the players introduced.
Alexander-Arnold’s impact was immediate, the No.66 teeing up Salah to haul the Reds level again by rolling the ball coolly beyond Pope.
The Egyptian then went into overdrive in search of the winner. First, he wriggled away from Lewis Hall and smashed the underside of the crossbar before, moments, later, he was again found by Alexander-Arnold in the area. This time, Salah spun and dispatched a low finish with his left foot.
But there was to be yet more drama as Schar took advantage of Kelleher’s misjudgement of a set-piece delivery to slide in a late equaliser at the back post.
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