Thiago’s return can rejuvenate Liverpool back to their best

The wait was 74 days, but on 73 minutes, Thiago Alcantara was introduced for his third Liverpool appearance since his headline-spinning summer switch from Bayern Munich.

The scene was St. James' Park and the match against Newcastle produced an age-old narrative: champions creating enough chances for victory only to be shutout by a herculean goalkeeping effort.

Karl Darlow was deservedly man of the match for his performance between the sticks for the hosts, but it was Thiago’s cameo that most mesmerised the eyes.

The midfielder’s ease in playing the game mentally in advance of the others on the pitch is astounding. Every pass, every adjustment of his positioning, every attempt to manipulate space is measured.

One of Thiago’s first acts on Wednesday night was a gorgeous, no-look supply to Georginio Wijnaldum. He then cottoned on to a loose ball around 25 yards out, swivelling his body to direct a rocket goalwards that was blocked.

When Fabian Schar produced the fixture’s standout moment of defending - beating Sadio Mane to a ball that ricocheted off the Senegal forward, before clearing it off the line - it ended another move that had been sparked by Thiago.

Liverpool’s most threatening and creative stretch at Newcastle came with him as the heartbeat of their play, which was not surprising but offered a reminder of what an achievement it is for Jurgen Klopp’s side to enter 2021 at the summit given the scale of talent they’ve been without.

Due to injury, Thiago has been restricted to one start for the Merseysiders. They have been and will be without Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez for the longest spell. Diogo Jota, the league’s in-form player, suffered a knee problem earlier this month that is expected to keep him sidelined until February.

Joel Matip, only having recently shrugged off his niggles, faces a three-week layoff. It is difficult to keep up with Naby Keita’s injury woes, while Xherdan Shaqiri is finally available for selection again.

Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson have also missed spells of the season and yet Liverpool are still the team to beat.

Thiago’s limited minutes offered a glimpse into the mountain of quality they’ve been without and underscored their resilience in continuing to be the pacesetters.

“We signed Thiago actually because we thought he was a good player, so you can imagine we would like to have him in the team - that’s clear,” Klopp said.

“What the other boys did in the time he was not available is absolutely incredible. It’s good he is back, he is a super player. I think of the 20 minutes, 12 round about were brilliant and then he felt the intensity, but that’s normal.

“He trained exactly twice with the team. There is still some physical work to do, still some rhythm to get.

“Shaq is back and that’s, by the way, the best news tonight – the boys are back and, as far as I know in the moment, nobody got injured tonight, which is a very important thing.

“That means we can probably go with the same squad to Southampton.”

Liverpool have dropped 15 points in 16 league games, the same as they ceded in 38 last season, but comparisons with the previous campaign are pointless.

This is a schedule like no other, with demands and setbacks like no other, which has required grit more than guile.

Liverpool may not be their best selves yet, but they’re still the division’s best side - and that’s without regularly being able to start several of their best players.