LFC stretch league lead to six points: Liverpool 4-0 Newcastle

Premier League
Wednesday 26 December 2018 - 3:00 pm
Anfield
Liverpool4
0Newcastle
Show Match Events
⚽️ Lovren11'
⚽️ Salah47'
Wijnaldum off, Fabinho on ↔️62'
Firmino off, Sturridge on ↔️68'
72'↔️ Kenedy off, Longstaff on
⚽️ Shaqiri79'
81'↔️ Ritchie off, Murphy on
Robertson off, Clyne on ↔️82'
⚽️ Fabinho85'
Possession %
7525
Total Shots
145
Shots on Target
71
Shots Blocked
3
Offside
11
Hide Match Events

Liverpool stretched their Premier League lead to six points with victory over Newcastle United.

The Anfield giants moved past the half century and on to an astonishing 51 points, having now completed half of the league campaign.  Elsewhere Man City faltered again, losing to Leicester City - with Tottenham Hotspur now the reds closest challengers.

It marks an abrupt turn at the top, the reds were 2 points behind City earlier this month and are now seven points ahead of the current champions.

Rafa Benitez was afforded a typically warm welcome at the home of his former club, but his Newcastle side were sent home on the receiving end of another Anfield demolition, and of course, clean sheet.

Team changes

The reds do have tough games on the horizon.  Arsenal at home followed by the trip to Man City.  However, Klopp could put out another strong side, and welcomed back Trent Alexander-Arnold to the side.

Xherdan Shaqiri got another Anfield start as he was the outlet for the midfield pairing of Gini Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson.

Newcastle arguably had the best early chance when they Joselu didn't get accuracy on a great cross in from Matt Ritchie.

Soon, Liverpool made them pay.  Liverpool's defenders have now got an eye for goal and after Virgil van Dijk's delicious goal in the reds last game, today Dejan Lovren half-volleyed a strike perfectly into the roof of the net. 1-0.

There were no further goals in the first half as the reds came out second half to, unusually, kick towards the Anfield Road end.

When teams make Liverpool kick towards the Kop in the first half it routinely works out badly for them, and so it was to be proved again as the reds fired in three second half goals.

Firstly Salah from the spot.  He was dragged back by the arm of Paul Dummett.  It was a soft penalty, but he was held back, and there can be no qualms that it was an unnecessary foul.

He stroked his penalty past the impressive Dubravka.

Shaqiri continued his rich vein of scoring when he dispatched a Alexander-Arnold cross into the box and finally substitute Fabinho scored his first Liverpool goal.  He headed in from a Mo Salah corner with five minutes to go.

By this time news of Leicester's winning goal against Man City had filtered through the ground.  With a game left of the year the reds are guaranteed to start 2019 in top spot.  There is now a six point gap to new second placed Spurs, with Man City a point further back.

But Arsenal (H) and Man City (A) are up next with intentions of their own to dent Liverpool's excellent run.

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