The 18 match curse: Why Newcastle's historic early goal spells disaster for Liverpool

23.08.26 FT English Premier League

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Liverpool

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Liverpool suffered a nightmare start to their Premier League campaign, conceding a historic early goal to Newcastle United’s Anthony Elanga just five minutes into their opening clash.

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A historic defensive lapse

The match at St. James' Park exploded into life almost immediately. Swedish forward Anthony Elanga found the back of the net in the 5th minute, catching the Liverpool defense completely off guard.

According to sports analytics network Opta, this lightning fast strike marks an unwanted piece of history for the Merseyside club.

It is officially the fastest goal Liverpool has ever conceded in the opening match of a Premier League season.

The away comeback curse

Conceding first on the road has become a severe Achilles' heel for Liverpool in recent times. Going down 1-0 away from home triggers a daunting statistical mountain for the Reds to climb.

Remarkably, Liverpool has failed to secure a single victory in their last 18 away Premier League matches when conceding the opening goal.

Liverpool's Last 18 Away Matches (when conceding first):

• Wins: 0
• Draws: 6
• Losses: 12

The last time Liverpool successfully overturned a 1-0 away deficit to win a Premier League fixture was nearly three years ago, securing a hard fought 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace in December 2023.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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