In a thrilling 3-3 draw between Liverpool and Newcastle on Wednesday night, Jamie Carragher was left stunned by a crucial error from Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. The Reds were leading 3-2 in the dying moments of the match, but a late equalizer from Newcastle left Liverpool fans in disbelief.
The incident came in the 90th minute when Bruno Guimarães delivered a free-kick that seemed destined for Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Kelleher. The ball appeared to be within reach of the Irishman, who opted not to catch it. Instead, he seemingly expected the ball to drift out for a goal-kick, possibly misjudging the flight or assuming that no Newcastle player was in position to challenge him. However, Newcastle’s Fabian Schär, lurking at the far post, seized the opportunity, running in to score with a first-time finish at a sharp angle, much to Kelleher’s and Liverpool’s dismay.
Carragher, who was watching the game on The Overlap, was visibly shocked by Kelleher’s decision. He expressed disbelief, stating, “As a goalie you just catch it, you don’t leave it,” and questioned what Kelleher was thinking by not catching the ball. Fellow pundit Ian Wright also joined in the critique, saying that the goalkeeper “has had a mare” and suggested Kelleher may have wrongly thought the ball was going out of play.
This error came as a rare blip in an otherwise solid run for Kelleher, who had been performing well in recent matches. Notably, the 25-year-old had saved penalties in back-to-back matches against Southampton and Real Madrid, and had also made crucial stops, including a one-on-one save against Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne. Kelleher had been filling in for the injured Alisson Becker, who is expected to return soon. Once Alisson regains full fitness, Kelleher is set to return to his backup role as Liverpool’s No. 2 goalkeeper.
Despite this rare mistake, Kelleher’s overall performances this season have been solid, and it is clear that his time as a starter has been a valuable opportunity for growth. However, the late equalizer at St. James’ Park will certainly stick in his mind as a costly moment in Liverpool’s bid for the Premier League title.