Wijnaldum stars as Newcastle get back to winning ways

CRISIS, what crisis? On a wacky weekend in the Premier League, this was surely the biggest surprise of the lot.

Not only did Newcastle United’s players claim their third league win of the season against a Liverpool side who have been sweeping all before them under Jurgen Klopp, but they also displayed a level of application and commitment that many believed to be beyond them.

Disorganised and seemingly disinterested as they were ripped apart at Crystal Palace, this was a Newcastle side beating Liverpool at their own high-energy game. That their players were able to perform so impressively was both an indictment of their performances to date this season and a welcome reminder of the level of quality that still exists within the squad.

Georginio Wijnaldum had a hand in both goals, producing the shot that Martin Skrtel diverted into his own net to open the scoring before deftly chipping home his side’s second goal in stoppage time.

As had been the case in Newcastle’s previous home win over Norwich, the Dutchman was the attacking star of the show, with his breaks into the box puncturing the Liverpool defence. He can infuriate on occasion, but on days like yesterday, Wijnaldum looks like £14.5m worth of talent.

Things were equally impressive at the other end of the field, with Fabricio Coloccini and Chancel Mbemba combining resolve with organisation to fashion an excellent defensive display.

Rob Elliot barely had a save to make, and while Newcastle’s players deserve considerable credit after successfully responding to much of the criticism they have faced in the last few weeks, Steve McClaren also merits a pat on the back for drilling some tactical nous into a group of players who had looked thoroughly bedraggled as they shipped five goals at Selhurst Park in their previous game.

This has been a difficult week for McClaren, with talk of more training-ground disharmony placing further question marks over his reign. A few more afternoons like this, however, and all talk of Mike Ashley changing his head coach will be well and truly shelved.

Much has been made of Liverpool’s furious high pressing under Klopp, and McClaren had clearly instructed his players to mimic their opponents’ energetic approach. The ploy worked a treat.

Less than a minute had elapsed when the former England boss made his first foray to the touchline to bark instructions at his midfielders, and he spent most of the afternoon urging his players to close down as quickly as possible, especially when Liverpool had the ball in their own half.

For all that his authority has been questioned in recent weeks, his pleas did not go unheeded. The result was a Newcastle performance that was unrecognisable from much of what had gone before.

The home side’s harrying prevented Liverpool’s more creative players from establishing any kind of a rhythm, and while Jordan Ibe threatened to break loose on a couple of occasions when he galloped down the left flank, the visitors perhaps missed the vision and technical excellence of the injured Phillipe Coutinho.

Liverpool struggled to break into Newcastle’s box all afternoon, although they might well have claimed the lead from the best opportunity before the interval.

Dejan Lovren nodded down Alberto Moreno’s corner, but while Christian Benteke reacted quickly enough to reach the ball on the edge of the six-yard box, he could only prod wastefully over the crossbar. In a game of few clear-cut chances, it was a costly miss.

Newcastle didn’t force a single save from Simon Mignolet before the break, but for once, their lack of threat could not be attributed to a lack of effort.

They worked hard enough in the final third, but rarely looked like finding a way through a well-drilled Liverpool defence.

Siem de Jong, who was handed a first league start of the season in preference to Ayoze Perez, was easily contained, but Papiss Cisse should have done better shortly before the break when he dawdled for what felt like an eternity in the final third.

Wijnaldum’s through ball left him one-on-one with Skrtel, but whether it was confidence or pace that Cisse was lacking, the end result was a failure to test Mignolet.

Four minutes later, and the Liverpool goalkeeper was a bystander again as Mbemba headed over at the back post after Cisse flicked on Jack Colback’s corner.

Wijnaldum stabbed Sissoko’s cross wide six minutes after the interval, and while they were hardly bombarding the Liverpool goal, Newcastle could claim to have been the more threatening team for the vast majority of the contest.

Roberto Firmino ripped Manchester City apart last month, but the Brazilian was well shackled throughout, with both Coloccini and Mbemba successfully maintaining their concentration, something that had appeared beyond them on occasion in the past.

Daniel Sturridge, a regular scorer against Newcastle, was introduced for the final half-hour, but wasted a glorious opportunity as he skewed a 75th-minute shot well wide after he had been released into the right-hand side of the area.

Liverpool were behind by that stage, and while the Magpies needed some assistance from Skrtel to break the deadlock, it could be argued that their commitment and diligence merited their luck.

Wijnaldum displayed commendable desire to burst into the area and win possession as Sissoko floated over a ball from the right, and while his shot appeared to be going wide after he beat Lovren, Skrtel stuck out a leg and diverted the ball past Mignolet.

Newcastle’s fortune did not end there, as 11 minutes later, Liverpool were denied an equaliser by an errant offside call.

Alberto Moreno was level with Newcastle’s backline as James Milner floated a cross into the area, but the flag was up by the time the full-back volleyed home.

That was a let off, and the Magpies made the most of it as they doubled their advantage with a fantastic goal in stoppage time.

Sissoko broke down the right-hand side and caressed a perfect through ball into Wijnaldum’s path. The Dutchman waited for the advancing Mignolet to go to ground, before chipping a deft finish over the Belgian goalkeeper.