Newcastle Defeat Struggling Liverpool as Balotelli’s Woes Continue
By BBC News
Liverpool’s difficult season continued on Saturday as they fell to a 1–0 defeat away to Newcastle United in the Premier League, with Mario Balotelli once again unable to make an impact for the Reds.
Ayoze Pérez was the hero at St James’ Park, scoring the decisive goal in the 73rd minute to seal an impressive win for the Magpies — their second major scalp in just three days, following their midweek League Cup triumph over Manchester City.
The result lifts Newcastle to ninth place in the Premier League table, just one point behind Liverpool, and continues their recent resurgence under manager Alan Pardew. The mood on Tyneside has shifted dramatically in recent weeks, as Newcastle follow up a poor start to the season with three consecutive wins in all competitions.
For Liverpool, however, the pressure continues to mount. Brendan Rodgers’ side have now lost four of their last six league matches, and their lack of cutting edge in the final third remains a concern. Italian forward Mario Balotelli, brought in during the summer to help fill the void left by Luis Suárez, endured another frustrating outing and failed to register a significant threat throughout the 90 minutes.
Balotelli, who is yet to score in the Premier League this season, cut a frustrated figure as Liverpool struggled to create clear chances against a disciplined Newcastle defence. The Italian’s form has come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks, with questions growing over his role and fit within Rodgers’ system.
The match was largely balanced for much of the contest, with both sides having periods of possession but few clear-cut opportunities. It was Newcastle who seized their moment late in the second half when Pérez pounced on a loose ball in the box to fire past Simon Mignolet and send the home crowd into raptures.
Liverpool pushed forward in search of an equaliser but were unable to break through, with Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul making several important interventions. The final whistle confirmed a well-earned win for the hosts and another setback for a Liverpool side looking to rediscover last season’s attacking verve.
While Newcastle’s fortunes appear to be on the rise, Liverpool face a crucial period ahead — both domestically and in Europe — and will need to find answers quickly if they hope to regain momentum.
With the defeat, the Reds remain in seventh place, but their hold on a top-four position appears increasingly tenuous. For Mario Balotelli and his teammates, the road back to form is proving to be a challenging one.
