Liverpool shrug off Covid outbreak to beat Newcastle

Liverpool shrugged off a coronavirus outbreak to keep their Premier League title challenge on track with a 3-1 win over Newcastle that was lit up by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s wonder goal.

The Reds lost Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho to positive cases of Covid before kick-off as a surge of infections across Britain threatens to bring the season to a temporary halt.

Liverpool were further rocked when Jonjo Shelvey opened the scoring against his old club after just seven minutes.

But Newcastle remained mired in the bottom three for a reason as goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah turned the game around before half-time.

Alexander-Arnold’s thunderbolt four minutes from time rounded off an eighth consecutive win for Jurgen Klopp’s men as they close to within one point of leaders Manchester City.

Before kick-off Klopp spoke out to encourage people to ignore the “lies and misinformation” around vaccination from coronavirus and get their jabs or boosters.

But Klopp confirmed on Wednesday that his squad are fully vaccinated and therefore did not lose any other players due to being close contacts of those with the virus.

Anfield hosted the final top-level game in England in front of a full crowd before the pandemic shut football down for three months in March 2020.

History could be repeating itself as five of the 10 Premier League games scheduled for this weekend have already been called off.

Covid-hit Chelsea frustrated

Thomas Tuchel admitted Chelsea’s coronavirus outbreak had taken a toll on his Premier League title chasers as Everton snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw on Thursday.

Tuchel’s side were without Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi after the latest Covid-19 blow to rock the Premier League. Ben Chilwell, currently injured, also tested positive, while Kai Havertz was unable to play after feeling ill before the match.

The Blues were already without Mateo Kovacic as the Croatia midfielder recovers having contracted the virus earlier in December.

Shorn of so many key players, Chelsea laboured to break down stubborn Everton until Mason Mount netted midway through the second half at Stamford Bridge.

Despite dominating from start to finish, Chelsea were punished for switching off at the back when teenage defender Jarrad Branthwaite grabbed his first Everton goal with 16 minutes left.

Failing to beat a struggling Everton side decimated by injuries and illness was a hammer blow on a difficult day for Chelsea.

“It is hard to swallow. We missed big chances to get the result in the first half and second half we did not find the rhythm,” Tuchel said.

“One big reason is for sure the chances we missed. We could have been two or three up and were playing with fire. 

Having led the table for several weeks, Tuchel’s third placed team are now four points behind leaders Manchester City.