In the first half, Salah failed to score a penalty, but he managed to give Jurgen Klopp’s team the lead before Isak equalised. Liverpool went 3-1 up with goals from Jones and Gakpo, but Botman scored for Lille before Salah sealed the victory with a penalty. We have compared our player ratings with those of the Liverpool Echo, Goal, FotMob, and This Is Anfield’s readers.
Salah (8.3) was the standout player for Liverpool against Newcastle, demonstrating just how much the Reds will miss him for the rest of January. The 31-year-old scored twice and provided an assist, constantly troubling Newcastle’s defenders with his dribbling and movement. Ian Doyle of the Echo praised Salah’s creativity over his goals, highlighting his contribution to Gakpo’s third goal. James Nalton of TIA felt that Salah made up for his early miss and wastefulness, enjoying a great outing in his final match before heading off for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Luis Diaz (7.6) came in second place, delivering one of his best performances in several months. Wataru Endo (7.5) shone once again at the base of midfield, keeping things ticking over nicely. According to FotMob, the 30-year-old completed 91 percent of his passes and made two interceptions and three recoveries.
However, not every Liverpool player performed well on the night, with Alisson (6.4) and Darwin Nunez (6.4) sharing the lowest score. Although Alisson could do little about either goal, Doyle criticised Nunez for being a “real mixed bag” at Anfield.
