kopscontingent

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Sunday September 3rd, 2023

Liverpool FC vs Aston Villa FC

Coming off the miraculous win against Newcastle last weekend, the Reds were in dreamland. Going down a man and a goal behind early on in the match would've knocked the confidence of a lot of teams, but not the mentality monsters of Jurgen Klopp. Seeking a third win on the bounce heading into the international break would do wonders for the squad and everyone associated with the club. Liverpool host visitors Aston Villa, where under the guidance of ex-Arsenal manager Unai Emery, looked to continue their form from the end of last season. Villa also unbeaten in their last two premier league fixtures look to get a hattrick of success before the break. Would it be heavy metal football or Emery ball that prevails at Anfield?

"You'll Never Walk Alone" has just finished reverberating around Anfield. Chills running down everyones spine within the stadium. The players shake hands prior to kick off with the Kop End bouncing as they do. Barely three minutes into the game and Liverpool get their first corner. Trent Alexander-Arnold a local lad from Liverpool, wearing the captains armband in absence of Virgil van Dijk, stands proudly awaiting to take the set piece. Alexander-Arnold delivers his out-swinging corner which somehow evades those in red and white shirts in the box. Dominik Szoboszlai was on the edge of the box anticipating the bounce of the ball. A lovely timed half-volley with the Hungarians weaker left foot sent the ball arrowing into Emiliano Martinez 's goal like a rocket. The Villa keeper was rooted to the spot as Szoboszlai wheeled away to the delight of his new adoring faithful. Liverpool 1 Aston Villa 0.

The Liverbird's tail was up and were looking for more. Aston Villa were chasing shadows, they simply could't keep up with this Liverpool side. Alexander-Arnold was commanding his midfield like a general at war. Dictating where everyone should be with the passes he played. A lovely ball over the top from the skipper found a fleet-footed Mohammad Salah who played a delicate outside of the boot pass to Darwin Nunez on his inside. The inform Uruguayans first time effort ricocheted off the near post and flew back at Villa's Matty Cash. Unlucky for the Polish international as the ball then deflected into the back of his own net. 22 minutes gone and Liverpool were two to the good. A deflated Villa were trying to make it to half time before more damage was done.

The second half started just as brightly for Liverpool as an out-swinging corner was flicked on by Nunez onto the foot of Salah who turned home Liverpool's third. Liverpool 3 Aston Villa 0. This Villa team were in fine form heading into todays match with two consecutive wins however taking away all three points from Anfield was always going to need a special kind of performance. Heavy metal football was back at Anfield with a subtle touch of classical music in the midfield. The midfield conductors Mac Allister and Szoboszlai were having the players on the pitch dance to their melody, true maestros of the modern game.

Final whist blows and it's all over after 90 minutes. Liverpool 3 Aston Villa 0, a respectable scoreline from the display of both sides. Unai Emery couldn't feel disheartened after his teams performance. Klopps men were simply too good from kickoff. Liverpool head into the international break with three straight wins while Villa two wins out of the last three. After the break Liverpool play Wolverhampton Wanderers, another tricky away fixture.

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Sunday August 27th, 2023

Magpie vs Liverbird

Three weeks into the 2023/2024 season of the English Premier saw Newcastle FC host Liverpool FC on Tyneside. Newcastle, falling just short in their previous match against last seasons champions Manchester City, now find themselves in another top flight match against Liverpool. A potential two losses from the first three games would already put Eddie Howe's men chasing the Premier Leagues heavy weights. The Reds from Merseyside on the other hand were finding a spring in their step as they traveled to the NorthEast of England. New summer signing Alexis MacAllister's red card from their previous fixture has been withdrawn, a much added boost to Jurgen Klopp's midfield. An uplifting feeling encompassing the Scousers as the hunt for another league title commences. Will the Magpies triumph over the Liverbird at St. James Park?

A noon kick off was greeted unusually by a sunny day in the NorthEast. Both sets of fans marching towards the stadium, ready to do battle with their heroes. The black and white flags of Newcastle dancing in the wind to the tune of " Local Hero" , the red and white scarves of Liverpool bouncing in the afternoon sunshine, the stage was set. Both teams emerged from the tunnel to a sudden uproar from the 52,300 + packed into this magnificent arena. The feeling of pride and honor emanating from the players like gladiators, as they prepare to fight for the badge on their jersey.

The match began fiercely as expected. Liverpool were on the back foot early as Newcastle harnessed the energy from the "12th man". Sweden international Alexsander Isak raising alarms to the Liverpool back line as his runs from deep were not being tracked. Exploiting the space in behind would cause Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahim Konate problems due to his sheer pace. Fifteen minutes into the match and Liverpool seemed to have weathered the first storm of many. Colombian superstar Luis Diaz was on the attacking end, slaloming through the Newcastle defense on the left hand side, getting his shot away before Nick Pope made an acrobatic save to deny Diaz. A routine pass from Mohammad Salah back to Trent Alexander-Arnold seemed harmless enough until the ball surprisingly rolled underneath the foot of Alexander-Arnold. Anthony Gordon did not need a second invitation as he reacted as quick as lighting to the loose ball. It was a race to goal which Gordon would ultimately win. Face to face with Alisson Becker, Gordon held his composure and slotted home a tidy finish into the far post sending St. James Park into ecstasy, Newcastle 1 Liverpool 0.

The sunny disposition around Tyneside soon grew darker as the clouds had begun to roll in and Liverpool was about to be caught in the rain. Things went from bad to worse as Liverpool's captain Van Dijk made a last ditch tackle to strip the ball away from the on rushing Isak. A tackle that was fair enough to the naked eye was now being reviewed by VAR. Referee John Brooks was quick to rush back and reach for his back pocket, red card. Van Dijk in disbelief, Klopp furious while the fifty odd thousand home fans greeted the red card as a match winner. Thirty minutes played, a goal behind and now a man down. The ten men of Liverpool found themselves to be fighting an uphill battle for the second week in a row. Joe Gomez came in to replace Diaz as Gomez slotted into the captains vacant spot. Halftime couldn't come fast enough for the Merseysiders.

The second half couldn't come faster for the Magpies, as Howe's men smelled blood in the water. Substitutions were made as Diogo Jota and Harvey Elliot came on for Cody Gakpo and Wataru Endo respectfully. A more balanced midfield would give the Reds enough to stay in this fight and take it to 12 rounds while Newcastle wanted a knockout blow. Miguel Almiron turned Mac Allister inside out as the flamboyant Paraguayan darted towards the Liverpool goal. His mazy run created a half yard of space on the right side of the penalty area allowing him to produce his trademark shot. Liverpool fans high up in the away end collectively held their breathes as they saw Almirons shot deflect off the post. Just under fifteen minutes to go in normal time saw the final roll of the dice from Jurgen Klopp as Darwin Nunez came in for Mac Allister. The Uruguayan striker had a difficult start in his first season as a Red where Nunez scored 17 goals in 46 appearances in all competitions. Nonetheless, Liverpool's number nine was greeted with roars of " Nunez! Nunez! Nunez!" as he stepped onto the field.

With 10 minutes to go, a tidy string of passes from Salah to Jota found the Portuguese international in some space. The in-to-out bending run from Nunez was inviting for Jota to slip the ball inbetween the Newcastle lines. Through all the bad luck Liverpool had encountered during this clash, their luck was about to change. A defensive error from a sure footed Sven Botman allowed the ball to squirm past him into the path of the Uruguayan. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Nunez took a delicate first touch into space followed by a second to smash the ball into the far corner of Popes goal. Newcastle 1 Liverpool 1 . A split second of silence was all that was heard until an eruption of cheers from the Leazes away end. An encore of "Nunez! Nunez! Nunez!" was heard cascading down from the away section. Suddenly Liverpool had another spring in their step but Newcastle were not to be undone. A draw at home against a 10 men side would feel like utter defeat. Blow after blow from Howe's men was pushing the Reds against the ropes. With each punch the Magpie tried to land, the Liverbird parried. Both teams seemed to accept the result as a draw following the final five minutes of the match. However a careless pass from Bruno Guimaraes in midfield found the chest of Harvey Elliot which then ricocheted to Salah. An almost carbon copy run from Nunez once again opened up space for a ball to pierce the Newcastle backline. Threading the needle with such precision led to Nunez finding himself unmarked with Pope at his mercy. Nunez fired home a second goal to give Liverpool a 2-1 lead. Newcastle fans shell shocked, the Red army louder than ever as they know this match is all but finished. The emotion on the Uruguayans face palpable. Could this be the result he needed to kickstart his season? The final whistle was greeted by an emphatic roar from the away end. Jurgen Klopp did not miss the opportunity to acknowledge the loyal fans as his trademark fist bumps were received by a chorus of "Yes! Yes! Yes!", the sound of a triumphant victory.

Full time at St. James park sees Liverpool FC take home a massive three points towards their pursuit of another league title. Darwin Nunez the hero as the substitute came off the bench to fire home two goals for his side. Jurgen Klopp will be delighted with the result going into their final fixture against Aston Villa before the international break. Eddie Howe's men would seem to feel unlucky they couldn't put this game to bed when they had the chance. A tricky away game to Brighton and Hove Albion will yet again prove to be a difficult fixture before heading into the break.