New Year’s Day xG Fireworks S5 E22

It’s January 4th. Happy New Year dear listener. We have now passed the halfway stage in the season’s Premier League.. Welcome to the latest edition of our show. I’m Paul and I am joined by Haitham and Daz. We’ll talk about the Newcastle game and we’ll look ahead to Arsenal in the FA Cup and Fulham in the League Cup.

Part One - Newcastle 4-2 (xG 6.9 v 0.6 Statsbomb):

• Best performance of the season from the Reds so far, in less than ideal conditions.

  
  





• Reds were a threat all the way through - in the first half alone chances in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 11th 17th (offside), 23rd, 25th (2)  and 35th minutes. Dropped off after a series of decisions went against them and they quite rightly appeared to be furious with Taylor.

  
  



• Missed penalty at 19 could have derailed them. Came out with real attitude in the second half.

  
  



• 48 -  first goal - great from Diaz and Nunez to set up Mo. 150th league goal for Liverpool. Followed by Dubravka saves from Nunez at 50 and 52.

  
  



• 53 - really should have done better with Gordon and Isak. 56 - VVD foul on Almiron. Worst we’ve seen from him this year?

  
  



• Diaz, Nunez, Salah. Best from Diaz in a while, Darwin? Salah’s 2nd half was great

  
  



• 64 - Jota, Gravenberch and Gakpo. That feels unfair. By 68 Liverpool are relentless again

  
  



• 73 - Jones goal from Salah and Jota. Passed it round him twice.

  
  



• 77 - Lesson for Darwin, don’t hit it so cleanly! Mo’s pass!

  
  



• 80 - No one blocked Botman from the corner (looks like an enforcer from a crime movie)

  
  



• 84 - Mac Allister pass to Jota; Jota never reestablishes his balance. Salah 151 - 

  
  



• 94 - Nearly scored again through Jota and Salah.

  
  



• Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez - could probably name the whole team

  
  





• Newcastle:

  
  





• Showed some threat on the break - 30, 36 (narrow offside)

  
  



• Went full Athletico at the end with some of the challenges

  
  



• Dubravka - 11 saves

  
  



• What happened to the rule on the technical area?

  
  



• The disingenuous Mr. Howe… the xG was made up of penalties. And claiming Longstaff was fouled at 72 (deflect, deflect, deflect)

  
  





• Officiating:

  
  





• I counted at least 10 situations where Anthony Taylor gave them the benefit of the doubt - I thought he helped them throughout the game to avoid even more pressure. Soft fouls, non-calls (Diaz shoved in the back, and he ends up with the yellow card). Joelinton - how many fouls for 1 card in the 66th minute?

  
  

Part Two - Wider narrative and other news:

• Reds are ‘flawed’. Losing Mo could be the end. 

  
  





• 18 games left - Arsenal, Villa and United away

  
  





• City will go on a run

  
  



• Anyone else?

  
  

Part Three - Arsenal and Fulham:

• Hard not to see them as linked and the latter more important right now

  
  



• Formation - solutions to the gaps?

  
  



• And predictions 

  
  

We will be back after the first leg against Fulham. Thanks to Haitham and Daz. And thank you dear listener for joining us. 
If you enjoyed the pod, please share it with a friend. Follow us @FirstStateKopites on Twitter  – we only tweet and retweet from sources we think are credible. Music is courtesy of Hypenotic – they are a Welsh electro-pop band – https://hyperfollow.com/hypenotic