Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe felt the flow of the game was interrupted when Liverpool went down to 10 men

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe did not need to be told that his side had failed to kill the game off against

Liverpool when they were on top.

It was yet another stoppage time defeat against Liverpool to go with last season’s last gasp loss at Anfield and the

infamous 4-3 defeats at the hands of the Reds. This one hurt more because of the nature of a game that should have

been wrapped up long before Darwin Nunez entered the pitch.

Howe said: “That’s as painful as the game at Anfield last year for me and for us. I thought we played really well today.

The opening stages of the game can’t be forgotten by me in regards to the team’s performance and reflection on how

the game went. I thought we were excellent, individual performances were really strong.

Howe felt that Virgil van Dijk’s red card affected the flow of the game in a negative way. After it, Liverpool became

more rigid and stayed in the game until the crucial closing stages.

Howe said: “The sending-off almost harms us, really, in the match, although the chances were there for us to kill the

game and I think the second goal changes everything.

“We didn’t get it and when Nunez comes on, they’re looking for one moment and they didn’t just get one, they get

two and they took them.”

Howe was then asked if it was his lowest point as Toon boss and replied: “It’s difficult to scale them, but whenever

you lose in those circumstances very late, it’s hugely painful, it’s difficult to take and accept, but you have.

“The deflection off Sven Botman back and then his heel into Nunez’s path, that’s not something you can describe or

think is going to happen in the game.

“It’s a great finish, I have to say, but in that moment, we should maybe accept that we’re not going to win the game,

but definitely don’t lose it and we make a mistake and they score again.”