‘Alisson was freezing but showed that he’s top class’ – Milner recognises reliability of Liverpool goalkeeper

James Milner has saluted the “top class” qualities of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, with the Brazilian there when required during a freezing night in Newcastle to help Jurgen Klopp’s side collect another point.

The Reds were rarely tested at St James’ Park, with the visitors controlling proceedings for the most part, but end product proved to be in short supply on Tyneside.

Liverpool squandered the chances that came there way, ensuring that Newcastle remained in the game throughout.

Steve Bruce’s side came close to snatching the spoils in the dying moments, but Alisson was switched on enough to overcome any frostbite that was setting in and produce a sprawling save to deny Ciaran Clark.

Such heroics are expected from the commanding South American, with Milner telling the Reds’ official website of the most reliable of No.1s: “We restricted them most of the game but Ali is top-class – everybody knows that.

“Especially on a night like tonight, it's going to be pretty cold for him I can imagine, standing at the back with not too much to do and then having to pull a save out like that towards the end. So that shows how good he is and what a big player he is for us.”

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Liverpool had been hoping to head home from the North East with much more than a share of the spoils to show for their efforts, but the defending champions remain at the top of the Premier League table – three points clear of Manchester United – and Milner expects them to kick on.

He added on a title race that has already delivered a number of twists and turns: “I think it's a positive but it seems to be at this moment in time that nobody wants to take it by the scruff of the neck.

“We've dropped points, everyone seems to be dropping points. United have had a good run and they're probably the only team who are putting a run together.

“It's important that we need to kick on now and try to get a few three-pointers. But the world is in a very strange place at the moment and it's the same in football. Everybody's lives are upside down, it's tough mentally for everybody and it's the same in football. Hopefully we can get out of this the other side and it's the same with football – we just need to keep plugging away.

“It is different, it's different times and that time where you maybe need the crowd to give you that lift and get it over the line. That might've happened on another day. But it's where we are and we need to keep working hard.

“As you can see, we've given absolutely everything. The boys are doing well. The amount of minutes some of the lads have played, it's nice to see a few of the boys getting back – obviously Thiago getting on and showing his quality.

“We'll stick together, we'll keep plugging away and we just need to get that final piece of the puzzle right. Like I say, I thought it was a good performance, we just needed that final bit to get the goals. If we keep playing like that, hopefully we can go on a run and put some more points on the board.”