Liverpool Suffers Defensive Criticism After Narrow Newcastle Win

Liverpool secured a dramatic 3-2 Premier League victory over Newcastle thanks to a 100th-minute winner from 16-year-old substitute Rio Ngumoha, marking a historic moment as the club's youngest-ever goalscorer. Despite the win, Jamie Carragher criticized Liverpool's overall performance, labeling it one of the worst from a winning team and praising Newcastle's resilience, especially given they played much of the match with 10 men. Carragher singled out Liverpool stars Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konate for particularly poor starts to the season, highlighting Konate's defensive errors that contributed to Newcastle's equalizing goals. Carragher and pundit Chris Sutton described Konate's performance as a 'stinker,' noting his struggles with positioning, aerial challenges, and possession under pressure. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe expressed pride in his team's energy and intensity despite the loss and the challenges of injuries and suspensions. With competition looming from recent signings Giovanni Leoni and potential arrival Marc Guehi, Konate's place in the Liverpool defense appears under threat if his form does not improve.