Arne Slot came into this game making jokes for the first time as Liverpool boss. He did not know whether to laugh or cry come the end.
This was a throwback to the mid-Nineties ding-dongs between these two clubs. It was not quite 4-3 this time, but there was all the drama, intrigue and energy of those battles.
If there was an advertising board in front of the dugout, Slot would have no doubt felt like ducking behind it on full-time, a la Kevin Keegan.
The Dutchman’s team had come from behind to lead 3-2 entering the 90th minute, thanks to the genius of Mo Salah.
But when those at the other end of the pitch switched off – not for the first time – Fabian Schar stole in to slide an equaliser that was very much deserved for Eddie Howe’s men. In fact, neither side deserved to lose this game.
St James’ Park always rallies for nights like this, with its team in need of support and inspiration. They circle the black and white wagons and 11 becomes 12.
Mohamed Salah provided yet another reminder of his class with two goals and an assist
Fabian Schar provided a late sting in the tail by sliding in for a last-minute equaliser
Arne Slot came into this game making jokes for the first time as Liverpool boss
And so it was that those wagons managed to slow the locomotive that is Liverpool, the Premier League leaders searching for an eighth straight win in all competitions.
This will not send them off track, but it is a reminder that their journey to the title for which they are clear favourites will not be without resistance.
A tribute to Keegan had been planned by Newcastle supporter group Wor Flags before kick-off. Sensing their team was in need of a display that talked to today and not yesterday, they scrapped that idea.
Instead, a simple message: ‘Get into them’. And so they did. They stopped short of throwing punches, but Newcastle threw everything else at Liverpool.
Howe had asked for a fast start. What he got was very fast, too fast for the visitors. From zero shots on, or off, target at Crystal Palace on Saturday, Sandro Tonali drew a save from Caoimhin Kelleher inside 90 seconds here.
It came after Bruno Guimaraes had bullied Liverpool’s midfield out of possession – now there was a recurring theme.
In theory, Newcastle’s £130million midfield trio of Guimaraes, Tonali and Joelinton is the dream ticket for Howe. In practice, it has been a nightmare for the head coach trying to make it work.
He abandoned the combination after a particularly bad afternoon at Chelsea in October, and the team responded with three straight wins. For the first time since, the Latin triumvirate were back together.
Eddie Howe had asked for a fast start. What he got was very fast, too fast for the visitors
Newcastle started the brighter, as Alexander Isak rifled home from outside the area
Anthony Gordon left Joe Gomez on the floor to give Newcastle the lead once again
It was they who set the tone for a first half that ranked as Newcastle’s best half of the season. By contrast, it was Liverpool’s worst.
A pair of Alexis Mac Allister shots aside – one hit the post and the other was saved by Nick Pope – the Reds spent the entire half defending. And given Joe Gomez was struggling to defend, that wasn’t a great place to be. Even Virgil van Dijk, so cool of late, was given a roasting by Alexander Isak.
By the time the Swede broke the deadlock in the 35th minute – or rather, detonated it – Newcastle could have been at least two in front. For a team who have made the creation of chances look like an attempt to split the atom of late, they were splitting Liverpool’s defence with ease.
There were seven shots come half-time, including a Jacob Murphy drive that clipped the post, a Guimaraes shuffler that was saved on the line and a chance for Anthony Gordon at 1-0 that, when missed, felt like it could come back to haunt his side.
But first, the goal. Guimaraes stepped away from Mac Allister on halfway and slipped a pass forward to Isak.
There was much to be done, with Van Dijk and 25 yards between him and the goal to be negotiated. He made easy work of the former with a drop of his shoulder and even lighter work of the latter, slamming into the top corner from the full distance.
Three minutes later and Gordon was sent clear on goal, by Gomez. The defender’s backpass was poor but so too was Gordon’s finish, straight at Kelleher.
Liverpool were never likely to be as generous after half-time, and so this felt like a big moment. So it proved within five minutes of the second half.
Salah rolled into the path of Curtis Jones, who snapped first time into the roof the net
He then scored sweeping home from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s delivery for his 14th of the season
Salah, for the first time, got in behind left back Lewis Hall and rolled into the path of Curtis Jones, who snapped first time into the roof the net. It was Liverpool landing the blows now – a sliding Darwin Nunez was a stud’s length away from giving them the lead – so when Newcastle went up the other end and scored, it was against the run of play.
Isak found Gordon and, faced only with Gomez, he backed himself to beat the centre-back. That he did, chopping inside before firing through Kelleher from 10 yards.
The home advantage lasted just six minutes. Salah was the scorer this time, sweeping home from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s delivery for his 14th of the season.
He made it 15 when accepting another pass from Alexander-Arnold before spinning and finding the bottom corner in the 83rd minute.
Game over? No chance. This was game on from the first minute, and so it proved until the last.