Eddie Howe has expressed disappointment at the scoreline after Newcastle United were comfortably beaten 4-1 by Liverpool in Saturday’s Premier League clash.
The Magpies were without several of their regulars for the match, but it was a missed transfer target last summer that rubbed salts on their wounds.
Hugo Ekitike, who was also linked with a move to Tyneside before Liverpool wrapped up his signing was the star of the show with a brace in the match.
Anthony Gordon had earlier given the visitors the lead, before the Frenchman scored twice to give the Premier League champions a 2-1 lead into the break, the first set up brilliantly by another summer arrival Florian Wirtz.
“We’re really disappointed. 4-1 is hard on us. We scored a great goal and started really well, but I wouldn’t expect us to concede these type of goals. Got to give Hugo Ekitike credit, but our organisation is usually good, we haven’t covered ourselves in glory. Key moments in the game let us down and we’re kicking ourselves”, Howe said after the defeat.
“Our athleticism was strong. Set plays we maybe didn’t execute as well as we could have done. 4-1 looks comfortable and I don’t think it was for Liverpool.”
Wirtz joined in on the act in the second half with his side’s third, before Ibrahim’s Konate, making his first appearance since the death of his father scored a late fourth.
Liverpool claimed their first league win of the year and moved to fifth on the standings above Manchester United who are now sixth, but face Fulham on Sunday.
Howe also expressed concerns on the Magpies poor away record this season.
“It’s been a problem all season. We can’t hide from that. Ideally we would have played differently but we had limited choice because of injuries. We saw positive signs that could help us in the future.”
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