Captain Steven Gerrard orchestrated Liverpool's 5-1 demolition of Newcastle on yesterday, scoring twice and setting up another in a stylish display for the Premier League leaders.
The emphatic victory at Newcastle provided further evidence that Liverpool's 19-year hiatus without winning the title may be drawing to a close, while sending out a statement of intent to second-place Chelsea, which was at Fulham later.
The victory was all the sweeter for manager Rafa Benitez, coming two days after a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Bolton and while star striker Fernando Torres continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
But it was the first time Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear had experienced back-to-back league defeats since being hired in September by owner Mike Ashley as he tried to offload the club in the wake of Kevin Keegan's resignation. Ashley conceded defeat in yesterday's matchday magazine, announcing that he had failed to attract a buyer and was taking the club off the market.
It was only Shay Given's agility in the Newcastle goal with a string of crucial saves that thwarted the Reds until the 31st minute when Gerrard blasted the ball in off the inside of the upright.
Yossi Benayoun had run onto Javier Mascherano's pass down the right flank and cut the ball back to an unmarked Gerrard in a prime central position.
Gerrard turned provider five minutes later, with Sami Hyypia unopposed as he leapt to head his captain's corner home.
But the Reds briefly switched off in first-half stoppage time, allowing David Edgar to pull one back by meeting Danny Guthrie's cross with a powerful header.
The lifeline for injury-ravaged Newcastle didn't last long. The visitors stormed out after the break at St James' Park and took just five minutes to restore their two-goal cushion. Ryan Babel's backheel was initially blocked by Given, but he couldn't protect the ball and the Dutch winger scrambled it over the line.
Gerrard's final contribution before being substituted was to make it 4-1 in the 66th by latching onto Lucas Leiva's pass, skipping around Fabricio Coloccini and chipping over the onrushing Given.
The rout was completed in the 70th when Gerrard's replacement, David Ngog, was tripped by Edgar. Xabi Alonso, another substitute, converted from the penalty spot.
The scoreline vindicated the decision by Benitez, who again stayed in the stands while recovering from surgery to remove kidney stones, to make three changes from the team that beat Bolton.
Striker Robbie Keane never emerged from the bench despite scoring three times in the last two matches.
Meanwhile, Ashley has given up trying to sell the Premier League club after failing to find a suitable buyer.
The sportswear tycoon has spent three months trying to offload the Premier League club after saying he couldn't afford to match the fans' ambitions or cope with the threats to his safety following Kevin Keegan's resignation as manager.
Disgruntled supporters staged mass protests at St James' Park in September after Keegan said his power was being eroded by interference from club directors.
Despite initial interest from at least eight investment groups, the worsening global financial crisis ultimately stymied a sale.
"I am happy to end the uncertainty the fans may have had about the future direction of Newcastle United. I know just how important that is to you," Ashley said in the matchday magazine. "I have withdrawn Newcastle United from the market, and for me 2009 will be the year in which we drive the club forward together.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily December 29, 2008)
