Goodness knows what the man who was not there made of it all. Might Alexander Isak have felt the tiniest bit guilty at the sight of his understudy, Anthony Gordon, missing a couple of extremely presentable chances before becoming so overwrought he was sent off for a ridiculous first-half tackle on Virgil Van Dijk?
How did Newcastle’s currently striking star striker assess Hugo Ekitiké’s performance? And, even as he continues to endeavour to engineer a move to Anfield where he hopes to partner Ekitiké in Liverpool’s team, did Isak at least half-celebrate Will Osula’s unexpected late Newcastle leveller to make it 2-2 before 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha won it for the champions in the 100th minute?
Given that the Sweden striker was watching from elsewhere in the north-east we will never know. What was abundantly clear though was that the emotions engendered by the summer’s longest and most acrimonious transfer saga provoked a night of compelling, wild drama.
Arne Slot has said he is closer to Eddie Howe than any other Premier League coach but, if Liverpool and Newcastle’s managers are on friendly texting terms, relations between their teams remain somewhat frostier.
Sure enough Ryan Gravenberch’s early booking for a wince-inducing tackle on Bruno Guimarães set the tone as this rerun of last season’s Carabao Cup final opened at an almost anarchic 100mph.
