Late Origi Header Sends Liverpool Top

By Max Wise

The destination of the 2018/2019 Premier League trophy will be decided on the final day of the season after Liverpool earned a hard-fought 3-2 away win at Newcastle United on Saturday evening.

Liverpool are thus back on top on 94 points, two points ahead of Manchester City, who play at home to Leicester City on Monday.

Professional Footballers Association(PFA) Player of the Year, Virgil Van Dijk was the first to open the scoring as he headed in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s 13th minute corner to give Liverpool the lead.

Liverpool’s lead lasted just six minutes when Christian Atsu’s first Premier League goal in 40 appearances pulled the home side level after the Ghanaian lashed in the rebound following Alexander-Arnold’s block on the line from a Solomon Rondon shot.

Ayoze Perez nearly put the home side in front in the 26th minute when the Spaniard rattled the Liverpool crossbar with a powerful volley with Alisson well beaten.

Moments after nearly taking the lead, Newcastle went behind. A neat exchange of play involving Daniel Sturridge and Trent-Alexander Arnold ended up with the English right back crossing for Salah to steer home with a deft flick from six yards out for his 22nd league goal of the season in the 28th minute.

Nine minutes after recess Newcastle once again pulled level through Salomon Rondon, who smashed in a loose ball in the Liverpool penalty area after the visitors failed to clear a corner.

Liverpool were dealt a huge injury blow as Mohamed Salah got stretched off following a collision with Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka but the visitors had the last laugh with four minutes to play when substitute Divock Origi headed in Xherdan Shaqiri’s free-kick for the winner.