Only a display of vindictive saves by Martin Dúbravka kept a Newcastle in free fall at Anfield, conceding their seventh defeat in their last eight games, the third in a row in a Premier League that Liverpool once again commands led by Salah, who said goodbye to big in his last match in the competition before leaving for the Africa Cup.
Under the incessant rain, with one of those football spectacles of rhythm and continuous arrivals (up to 33 shots by Liverpool) that turn the Premier into a great spectacle, the football year started. With a physical duel full of rhythm. A continuous search for victory until it is achieved to return to the leadership. The perfect farewell to Salah, whom Jürgen Klopp will miss during the time that the Egyptian adventure lasted.
Author of two goals after missing a penalty, assistant and inventor of the action that broke down Newcastle's resistance due to Dúbravka's stops. He made up to twelve to delay the victory of an unleashed Liverpool. It overwhelms you from the physical. With a continuous rhythm of play with which he touches so many rival areas, he generates so many chances that he can even allow himself a fateful day in Darwin Núñez's shot or Luis Díaz's disallowed goal.
The reward for the siege was slow to arrive. Newcastle were canceled from the start, unable to overcome the midfield in the face of high pressure. With Alexander-Arnold hovering around the goal and Dúbravka's first reflex save from Darwin's point-blank shot. Salah's pass that appeared in everything with a special desire to shine and leave leaving his team at the top of the standings.
A goal was annulled by the VAR for each team due to offside, to Luis Díaz in the 18th minute, to Burn's header in the 36th due to Isak's illegal position in the wake of Newcastle. On their feet thanks to the penalty saved by their goalkeeper for Salah and for the one-on-one taken against Darwin. Helped by the wood when Alexander-Arnold invented something crazy, hitting the baseline with a threaded shot in the purest Roberto Carlos style.
The only thing missing in the game was the goals and they came in a fast-paced second half. It seemed impossible but Liverpool increased the speed of the game and punished any step forward by Newcastle. As soon as he could run he added the goal. The first after Luis Díaz's run at 48 minutes, two cuts, the opening to Darwin's unmarking that put the goal on a plate for Salah.
Under the inspiration of the rival goalkeeper, the goals came with passes of death because Dúbravka once again showed off against Darwin on two occasions, the last with a stretch that gave way to what no one at Anfield expected. Newcastle had not given any sense of danger but Isak cannot be given meters to run. From a deep pass from Gordon, after a great maneuver moving away from two rivals close to the left side, came a good finish in the race and the tie.
The proud reaction of a team at its worst, could not withstand Liverpool's avalanche no matter how hard their goalkeeper tried. He avoided the goal with four saving interventions in five minutes and could do nothing against Salah's imagination in a pass filtered into Diego Jota's movement. Again pass of death and goal into an empty goal by Jones.
Klopp's triple change gave immediate results. His coup in the game with the change of forwards came with the assist from Diego Jota and Gapko's goal from a pass, of course, from Salah, with the outside of his foot in a high-school gesture.
Anfield was celebrating the great start to the year and not even Botman's header after a corner kick made them fear the victory of a Liverpool that was expanded with Salah's penalty revenge, who was sent off with honors and with the hope of not miss him much.
