Slot hails Reds’ 'mentality to fight'

Ngumoha in dream debut with late goal

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Liverpool manager Arne Slot praised his players’ mental fortitude after their 3-2 victory at Newcastle United on Monday, saying his team had shown the kind of mentality needed to get results in difficult places.

With the match unfolding in the shadow of Newcastle's dispute with striker Alexander Isak, who was reportedly the subject of a £110 million bid from Liverpool this month, the Premier League champions endured a roller-coaster evening at a white-hot St James’ Park.

Liverpool squandered a two-goal lead against a Newcastle side reduced to 10 men following Anthony Gordon's first-halfred card but were rescued by a 100th-minute winner from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who became the club's youngest ever scorer.

“Winning away at Newcastle then you definitely need to have quality, especially in an atmosphere like this)” the Dutchman told reporters. “Not football quality because that’s not what we showed today — apart from the last goal we scored.