Fabio Carvalho Scores Dramatic Late Winner For Liverpool Against Newcastle

Amid calls for Liverpool FC to make new signings in midfield, it was one of their new signings, playing in midfield, who grabbed the most last-minute of last-minute winners against Newcastle United at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Fabio Carvalho, who turned 20 on Tuesday, enjoyed a moment he will never forget, scoring his second goal in as many games for the club he joined his summer.

That this one was a game-winner coming in the 98th minute made it all the more memorable as it sparked wild celebrations around Anfield. It was a release of emotion after a frustrating night during which they came up against a well-organised Newcastle side.

The ongoing narrative around Liverpool this summer has been for them to use the transfer window, which closes on Thursday, to sign a difference-maker in midfield to help them challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title.

New signings have arrived, most notably the Uruguayan Darwin Núñez who became the club’s most expensive centre-forward when he joined at the beginning of the transfer window.

The rest have been youngsters. Youngsters for the senior team, but inexperienced players no less.

Right-back Calvin Ramsey, 19, arrived from Aberdeen to provide backup to Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Carvalho joined from Fulham for $6 million as a versatile player who can play in numerous attacking positions.

But no senior midfielder has arrived in the transfer window… yet.

For most of this game against Newcastle, it looked like Liverpool would be dropping more points at the start of this new campaign.

Prior to this midweek fixture, they had won just one of their opening four games of the 2022/23 season, albeit very emphatically via a 9-0 defeat of Bournemouth last weekend.

A 1-1 draw, which this game looked like it would be as the game approached 90 minutes, would have put Liverpool back into semi-crisis mode. A 2-1 win, regardless of how it came—perhaps especially in the manner it eventually came—makes things look a lot rosier.

Liverpool ended the game with two young players in the attacking midfield positions as Carvalho took his place alongside 19-year-old Harvey Elliott, who had to that point been Liverpool’s best player.

But it was substitute Carvalho who stole the headlines at Anfield.

“He’s scored twice this week—in the last two games—and yesterday was his birthday, so no better week,” Klopp said of Carvalho in his post-match press conference.

“He’s an outstanding player and talent. I’m really, really happy for him.

“Harvey [Elliott] was the best player on the pitch and Fabio decided the game. That shows the talent of the boys.”

Liverpool now go into a Merseyside derby against Everton on Saturday, five points ahead of their local rivals rather than three.

Klopp also said that this game was good preparation for the type of fight they will expect in a derby match, and his young midfielder Carvalho must now be pushing for a place in the starting XI.