Liverpool 2 – Newcastle 0: Mohamed Salah scores again as Reds go above Man Utd

Former Reds manager Benitez had never lost in five meetings with Liverpool as an opposing manager before this encounter, winning twice with Valencia and drawing once with Chelsea and twice with Newcastle.

Benitez, who lives over the River Mersey on the Wirral, is still revered by the supporters of the club for the miracle of Istanbul’s Champions League triumph of 2005. However, with Liverpool in such a rich vein of form it was always going to be a challenge to maintain that statistic – particularly when Liverpool have Salah in their ranks.

The Egyptian took his tally to 32 goals in all competitions and with nine Premier League games left. However far Liverpool go in the Champions League he will surely now have one eye on Ian Rush’s record for goals in one season.

That stands at 47 set during 1983-84 but given Salah’s hot streak it should prove within his grasp provided he stays fit. Salah scored first and Sadio Mane added a second in what was ultimately a comfortable victory for Jurgen Klopp’s side and consolidated their position in the Premier League’s top four.

And with a 5-0 cushion heading into the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie against Porto on Tuesday, Klopp can even afford the luxury of resting key players during the week ahead of next Saturday’s clash with Manchester United.

There has been more than hint of the famed Newcastle entertainers managed by Kevin Keegan about Liverpool under Klopp. A Keegan team that famously played out arguably the greatest game of the Premier League era which Liverpool won 4-3 at Anfield as Newcastle imploded in the 1995-96 season.

In that campaign Keegan’s side blew a 12-point lead at the top of the table as they were hunted down by Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side. Liverpool have been prone to capitulations of their own this season, although slowly but surely under Klopp they have developed a tougher underbelly.

The signing of Virgil van Dijk has done much to address the defensive concerns and the £75million record signing was the embodiment of authority and assurance on Saturday evening.

Newcastle’s 2018 vintage are a pale imitation of that Keegan side which possessed the brutal finishing of Les Ferdinand, the enigmatic swagger of the likes of David Ginola and Faustino Asprilla alongside hard-as-nails homegrown players like Steve Watson and Lee Clark.

Survival is their priority and it will be forthcoming home fixtures against Southampton and Huddersfield which will define their hopes of beating the drop. Indeed, they had not won at Anfield since 1994 and never looked likely to stop Liverpool from making it 22 league games unbeaten against the Geordies.

‘Ta Rafa la’ said a banner held up on the Kop before kick-off and his name was given an hearty airing by the home fans early into the game. The visitors put men behind the ball and asked Liverpool to find a way past their two banks of four.

Salah struck the side netting with an audacious angled volley which had Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka nervously scrambling across goal. The Egyptian winger scored five minutes before the break, though, as Liverpool eventually breached Newcastle’s stubborn backline.

Jacob Murphy surrendered the ball in midfield and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, impressive throughout, picked it up and burst forwards towards goal before he slipped in Salah.

He effortlessly slipped the ball through the legs of Dubravka with a swing of his left foot. A goal behind, Newcastle finally showed some attacking purpose on the stroke of half-time as the impressive Mohamed Diame curled a shot towards the top-left corner which drew a fine save from Loris Karius.

It proved significant as 10 minutes into the second half Klopp’s side added a second. An intricate passing move culminated in Roberto Firmino threading the ball through for Mane and, from just inside the area, he fired home.

LIVERPOOL: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Milner 79), Henderson, Can, Salah, Firmino (Matip 88), Mane (Lallana 74).

NEWCASTLE: Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Dummett, Atsu, Merino (Hayden 73), Diame, Kenedy, Murphy (Perez 84) Gayle (Joselu 66). REFEREE: G Scott ATTENDANCE: 53,287.

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