Report and highlights as Fabinho scores first Liverpool goal
Thursday 27 December 2018 06:05, UK
Mohamed Salah scored one and made another as Liverpool moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 4-0 rout of Newcastle at Anfield on Boxing Day.
Dejan Lovren's stunning 11th-minute half-volley gave Liverpool a half-time lead with one of the few first-half chances mustered against a stubborn Newcastle defence.
But after the break the hosts turned their dominance into more goals, with Salah converting a penalty he won after Paul Dummett was harshly judged to have brought him to ground (47).
Xherdan Shaqiri put the result beyond doubt by slotting home Trent Alexander-Arnold's low cross 11 minutes from time, and then, seconds after title rivals Manchester City had fallen behind in their game at Leicester, Fabinho headed in Salah's corner (85) to put Liverpool in firm control of the race for the Premier League trophy.
Had Joselu netted a fine early chance from Ritchie's cross it could have been a very different afternoon, but he headed into the ground and wide - and soon, normal Anfield service was resumed.
A corner taken short to Andrew Robertson was whipped into the back post where Jamal Lascelles' weak header fell perfectly for Lovren, who smashed in his first goal of the season with a peach of a strike from 12 yards.
Newcastle held out until the break as Jurgen Klopp's side failed to create clear chances, but after half-time it was one-way traffic and Liverpool found their clinical edge.
Salah netted a penalty within three minutes of the re-start after ref Graham Scott judged Dummett's tug on the Egyptian's arm enough to award a spot kick.
Newcastle survived several scares, with Sadio Mane and Shaqiri both going close before the latter ended a spell of relentless Liverpool pressure in the final third by turning in Alexander-Arnold's cross from a lovely first-time Jordan Henderson through ball.
And with news filtering through that Manchester City were on the verge of a second shock defeat in four days, Fabinho turned in Salah's whipped corner to complete the scoring on a perfect afternoon for Klopp's side.
The self-styled best defender in the world has had a tough time at Liverpool for much of his four years at Anfield, but his goal was the high point of another excellent performance from the World Cup runner-up since he came back into the starting line-up against Manchester United before Christmas.
He took on more aerial duels than anyone else on the Liverpool team (9), winning six of them (also a Liverpool high), and made three clearances too.
Jurgen Klopp: "[The gap] means nothing. It's important how many points we have, not the others, because what is six points? It's nothing. We have to play them still, they are all strong, we have to play all of them again.
"The first part of the season is over, and the second starts again in three days against Arsenal. It's a tough season, but so far a good season for us. We just have to keep on going."
Rafa Benitez: "The soft penalty in the game made the difference, we were in the game at 1-0 at half-time, but when we conceded the second goal it was more difficult for us to react against a very good team.
"The second goal was crucial, it gave them more confidence and was more difficult for us, you have to take more risks, be more open then you make more mistakes and pay for that."
Liverpool host Arsenal at Anfield on Saturday, in the 5.30pm late kick-off. Newcastle travel to Watford earlier in the day at 3pm.
