Liverpool reignited their push for a top-four finish with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Newcastle United at Anfield, claiming their first Premier League win of 2026 and ending a five-match winless run in the competition.

This historic fixture has long been associated with drama and emotion, with memories of Kevin Keegan’s despair and Stan Collymore’s iconic celebrations emblematic of Newcastle’s enduring struggles on Merseyside — a trend that continued on this occasion.

Despite their poor away form this season, the visitors began brightly and came close to breaking the pattern when Harvey Barnes struck the post from a cleverly worked free-kick.

Eddie Howe’s side looked sharper in the early exchanges and were rewarded for their ambition when Anthony Gordon opened the scoring. The former Everton winger capped a rapid counter-attack with a precise right-footed finish past Alisson, registering his first open-play league goal in over a year.

However, Liverpool responded impressively and turned the match on its head before half-time, inspired by a superb brace from Hugo Ekitike.

The Frenchman’s first came via an instinctive first-time finish from Florian Wirtz’s low cut-back, before he doubled his tally with a sublime toe-poked effort to cap a pulsating first-half display.

Buoyed by their momentum, the hosts pressed for a third after the restart. Ekitike went close to completing his first senior hat-trick, bursting past Dan Burn down the right before firing narrowly wide.

Liverpool’s pressure eventually told when Wirtz added a third, guiding a composed finish beyond Nick Pope after Mohamed Salah’s clever first-time pass. The assist marked a historic milestone for Salah, who became the first player in Premier League history to both score and assist 10 goals against the same opponent.

Moments later, the Egyptian nearly added to his tally, but dragged his effort wide when through on goal.

Newcastle struggled to regain a foothold in a sobering second half, though Gordon threatened briefly with a long-range effort that flashed past the post.

Ekitike’s influential performance drew warm applause from the Anfield faithful, underlining his impressive debut campaign on Merseyside.

There was still time for Ibrahima Konate to seal the rout late on. After Pope spilled a corner, the defender calmly rolled the ball into an empty net in an emotional moment following the recent passing of his father.

The victory marked Liverpool’s 12th Premier League double over Newcastle — more than against any other opponent — and lifted Arne Slot’s side to fifth, just one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

For Newcastle, the defeat extended their winless run at Anfield to 30 top-flight matches (five draws, 25 losses), the longest such streak in their league history, leaving them 10th in the table.