LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp said he made "two things clear" to his players at half-time at St James' Park on Sunday - they couldn't afford to concede a second goal and Trent Alexander-Arnold had to avoid a red card.

If those two factors went Liverpool's way, Klopp sensed a way back into the game for his side - and so it proved.

The Liverpool boss said the "super special" feeling of seeing his side hit a late double to stun the Magpies is unmatched by any other experience in his 1,000 games as a manager.

And Klopp hit back at suggestions Alexander-Arnold should have been sent off in the first half.

The full-back was fortunate to escape a second yellow card on seven minutes after being booked for throwing the ball away 60 seconds earlier, but Klopp believes his defender was fouled in the build-up to his first offence.

He said: “First and foremost, I think when Trent gets a yellow card, it’s a clear foul on him. The fourth official said so."

Liverpool did go down to 10 men before the half-hour mark when Virgil van Dijk was sent off for a foul on Alexander Isak.

Klopp said: "I don’t think it is a red card, there's pretty much no contact but what can I say, the decision is made and I cannot change it. Would I whistle it in a training game? Definitely not but there is a reason I am not a referee."

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Despite that setback, Anthony Gordon's opener and Newcastle having several opportunities to secure all three points, Liverpool hung in the game and snatched the win thanks to Darwin Nunez's late double.

Klopp said: "In more than 1,000 games as a coach, I never had a game like this, that is the truth, with 10 men in an atmosphere like this against an opponent like this. I am pretty sure it never happened

"These moments are rare and super special. I thought the boys deserved it. With 10 men we played better. It was obviously wild.

"At half time we showed the boys one situation where Trent passed the ball behind the line to Cody Gakpo where he comes behind the line and has a finishing situation.

"Two things were clear at half time, we cannot concede a second and Trent cannot get another yellow card and if that happens we have a chance. I can imagine what Eddie is feeling. My boys kept believing."