Newcastle 1-0 Liverpool: NUFC Player & Tactics Ratings

5. Sammy Ameobi - 7

Brilliantly committed to his first job of keeping close to Raheem Sterling, which helped nullify his threat, Ameobi then had to switch wings when Obertan went off and stuck to his task well for the rest of the first half. In the second he faded somewhat, looking a lot more leggy, and leaving a little too much space for Glen Johnson, who mostly failed to take advantage of it. But he's definitely getting a lot better.

4. Rolando Aarons - 7

Relatively quiet compared to the hype that will inevitably meet his every appearance, but asked to limit the impact of Raheem Sterling, as Sammy had for the first 25 minutes, he was busy and effective, and his pace helped when Newcastle did manage to break. He's going to be a big deal for Newcastle, but his fatigue at the end of the game perhaps suggests he's yet to hit top condition after his injury. Still, for a not-match-fit player, a very good performance.

3. Remy Cabella - 8

A later substitute after Sammy Ameobi started to flag and lose the ball a little more in the second half, Cabella came on and helped run the ball out of defence, including for the lead-up to Perez's goal and of course the break that almost resulted in a second goal. He's very useful on the ball, willing to run at and around players to look for forward opportunities and he changes the dynamic of the team. Hopefully he will be able to take advantage of this period on the bench. Still needs to get on the weights.