EPL 2017/18: Newcastle United 1-1 Liverpool, 5 talking points

#1 Newcastle United defend Liverpool's aimless crosses pretty well

Lascelles and co. dealt with the Liverpool crossing threat quite well

Liverpool have often come undone against a packed defence. Earlier today, with Newcastle's double midfield pivot, the openings mostly came from the wide areas with Joe Gomez and Alberto Moreno making the forward forays.

The duo of Jamaal Lascelles and Ciaran Clark did fairly well in clearing the crosses, and out of the 27 crosses Liverpool attempted, 14 were cleared by the defensive duo. The rest? Well, either Gomez or Moreno over hit them, or Liverpool failed to muster any sort of a chance.

Liverpool's story of running into a Cul-de-Sac has been well-documented so far this season and Benitez, thorough as he is, devised the game plan to push most of the away side's attacks out wide.