Liverpool - 2 Newcastle United - 2 From the riotous to the ridiculous, Liverpool will awake this morning perplexed that they are not top of the Premiership.
Newcastle United's stunning late comeback here last night, in keeping with the legendary status this fixture has generated in recent years, left the Kop stunned and bewildered.
Gary Speed's first goal from Craig Bellamy's pull-back appeared to be nothing more than a consolation the visitors barely deserved.
Then, eight minutes later, Alan Shearer leapt to nod Laurent Robert's corner beyond a shell-shocked home defence.
A draw grasped from the jaws of victory, Liverpool will be cursing today.
The din at kick-off clearly rekindled nightmarish memories among the visiting defence, with the apprehensive shivers all too evident from the start.
It is only four months since Titus Bramble presented Michael Owen with the easiest of his Anfield goals as Ipswich were bulldozed 5-0 and sank into Division One.
The 21-year-old defender - alarmingly unsure whenever in possession - duly floundered again, though any hopes that his defensive partner would offer him the calming encouragement of experience proved highly optimistic.
Owen may stand only 5ft 8in, but his shadow looms large over Nikos Dabizas. The England striker had scored 12 times against Newcastle in his last eight appearances, but it is in the Greek in particular that he induces wide-eyed terror.
It took 13 minutes for the traumas to come flooding back, Dabizas inexplicably allowing the forward to turn and run.
Owen darted away, left his marker in a mess and skimmed a shot beyond Shay Given only for Aaron Hughes to dive in and hack off the line.
No lesson was learned. Four minutes later, the outstanding Djimi Traore strode out of defence and sent Owen scurrying towards the edge of the area.
Dabizas and the increasingly forlorn Bramble attempted to suffocate the threat, but only succeeded in squirting the ball out of the muddle of bodies and away from the onrushing Given.
Owen briefly spotted an open goal, but the Irish keeper recovered to choke his finish.
Liverpool were irrepressible, the livewire Vladimir Smicer revelling in a free role behind Owen and Heskey strutting up and down the left flank with rare purpose.
Owen, without a goal this season as this match approached, flicked a header wide from Traore's cross before missing the best chance of the first half 60 seconds later.
True to his slapdash form, Bramble slipped just inside his own half with Steven Gerrard powering away with Smicer and Owen in support.
The pass eased to Owen was simple, but, with Dabizas turned inside out and almost pleading for the torment to end, the striker cut inside and skied his shot.
Given's hurried clearance nine minutes from the restart was too awkward for Nolberto Solano to gather with Dietmar Hamann - just booked but increasingly influential - dispossessing the Peruvian and gliding to the edge of the area.
The angle was narrowing as the goalkeeper advanced, but the German international merely slid the ball low, true and in.
Perhaps encouraged that their deficit was so slim, the visitors briefly stirred.
A trio of substitutes perked up an anaemic forward line, with Robert - recovered from back problems - slamming a shot against a post with Shearer seeing his attempt to slide in the rebound wrecked by Sami Hyypia's presence on the line.
But then Dabizas' foul on Hyypia as Gerrard's corner zipped into the area was spotted and, to complete the Greek's miserable night. Owen dispatched the resulting penalty.
But it was to signal the start of a spirited comeback by the visitors.
LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Xavier, Henchoz, Hyypia, Traore, Murphy, Hamann, Gerrard (Cheyrou 83), Smicer (Diouf 67), Owen, Heskey. Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Riise, Carragher. Booked: Hamann. Goals: Hamann 53, Owen 73 pen.
NEWCASTLE UNITED: Given, Hughes, Bramble, Dabizas, Bernard, Solano (Jenas 63), Dyer, Speed, Viana (Robert 63), LuaLua (Bellamy 63), Shearer. Subs Not Used: Harper, O'Brien. Booked: Bernard, Speed. Goals: Speed 80, Shearer 88.
Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire).
