Liverpool 3 - 1 Newcastle

Returning skipper Steven Gerrard sealed victory over Newcastle following two Craig Bellamy goals as Liverpool rose to fifth in the Premier League.
Gerrard, who made his second appearance since returning from injury, capped a fine cameo when he tucked in late on.
Bellamy had earlier fired in a low shot to level after Daniel Agger diverted Ryan Taylor's cross past Pepe Reina.
And the former Magpie gave Liverpool the lead from a free-kick before Gerrard scored from a tight angle.
His goal was fully merited after a performance which invigorated Kenny Dalglish's side just as Newcastle were beginning to claw their way back into the contest.
The defeat for Newcastle means they have won once in their last eight league outings and perhaps it was a surprise that Liverpool had not added a third goal sooner, such was the quality of Gerrard's deliveries into the box.
But unfortunately for them, Andy Carroll had another night in which he failed to find the target despite crashing a header against the bar from a superb Gerrard centre as he extended his run without a goal to nine matches.
After a period in which Liverpool struggled to turn chances into goals and drew six of their nine games at Anfield, Gerrard's return following an ankle problem that had kept him out since October will have given them a huge lift as they embark on their quest for a Champions League spot.
And it will also give them hope that they can sustain that challenge should leading goalscorer Luis Suarez's eight-match ban for alleged racist comments towards Manchester United's Patrice Evra be upheld.
With the Uruguayan banned for making a gesture towards Fulham's fans in a separate incident, Bellamy took his place in the side and the Welshman was a constant threat down Liverpool's left as he looked to support lone striker Carroll, who was also up against his previous club.
Gerrard has scored seven goals in his last nine Premier League games against Newcastle United.
While the two former Magpies were full of endeavour, their willingness to be involved in the build-up meant there were several occasions when there was no-one in the box to finish their good work.
And in keeping with their promising season thus far, Newcastle withstood the early pressure to pounce from an isolated attack on 25 minutes.
Top scorer Demba Ba has lit up the Premier League this season with 14 goals in his last 13 games and his presence had a hand in the goal as Ryan Taylor's cross from the left was nodded on by Yohan Cabaye and with Ba in close quarters the ball diverted off Agger past Reina.
Having been on top up until that point, Liverpool were stung into life by that goal, although the visitors almost looked like they had cleared the danger.
Cheick Tiote cleared Charlie Adam's low cross from the right, but with men lined in front of goal, Bellamy found the bottom corner.
Dalglish's side pressed further after that and Martin Skrtel went close with a near-post header from a corner, with Adam also inches away from diverting it into the net.
That was enough for Dalglish to bring on Gerrard, and the Liverpool skipper was involved straight away on his 15th outing of 2011, twice picking out Carroll, with the striker being let down by a poor first touch on the second occasion when he was unmarked in the box.
Fortunately for him and Liverpool, they took the lead on 76 minutes though they were a tad lucky to be given a free-kick when Tiote challenged Agger.
Bellamy stepped up to curl a delicious free-kick in, but Danny Simpson made a real hash of defending the line by deflecting the ball past Tim Krul.
Newcastle came close to equalising soon after when Ba somehow clipped the ball past Reina from Cabaye's cute pass, with the French midfielder perhaps fortunate not to be punished for an earlier tackle on Jay Spearing, but Skrtel's goal-line clearance was equally impressive.
Carroll then smashed a header against the bar from Gerrard's cross, but the returning talisman showed his team-mate how to finish when he collected Jordan Henderson's through ball to finish from a tight angle.

Liverpool 3 - 0 Newcastle

Liverpool are up to fifth in the Premier League table after recording a comfortable victory over Newcastle.
The Reds dominated the early exchanges and took a 10th-minute lead through Maxi Rodriguez's deflected volley.
United competed until the 59th minute when Mike Williamson fouled Luis Suarez for a penalty that Dirk Kuyt converted.
Suarez's neat close-range finish sealed the win for the hosts, for whom former Newcastle striker Andy Carroll came off the bench for the final 20 minutes.
Inevitably, the build-up to the game was dominated by talk of Carroll, who the Reds recycled £35m of the £50m fee they received from Chelsea for Fernando Torres on, when they purchased him from Newcastle late in the January transfer window.
Having spent the last few weeks sidelined with a knee injury, the big number nine was an ominous presence for his former side on the Liverpool bench and sparked an entertaining vocal war of attrition between opposing fans every time he appeared on the touchline for a warm-up and during his late cameo.
Newcastle, though, had enough to worry about prior to that, having to cope with a Liverpool attack that has given the Reds a very realistic chance of qualification for the Europa League following a run that has seen them take 30 points from their last 14 games.
Suarez again demonstrated the predatory instincts and creativity that persuaded the Reds to part with £22.7m to sign him from Ajax in January, while Dirk Kuyt extended the richest goalscoring form of his Liverpool career by scoring in his fourth successive game.
In Liverpool's previous game, eight days ago, winger Rodriguez scored three of his side's five goals in a hammering of struggling Birmingham and it was the Argentine winger who again gave his side the lead on Sunday.
The home side had already threatened through Raul Meireles's miscued sixth-minute shot before going ahead in the 10th.
Teenage full-back John Flanagan provided a testing cross from the right which Mike Williamson only partially headed clear, allowing Rodriguez to volley a shot from 12 yards that took a crucial deflection off Danny Simpson past keeper Tim Krul.
It was the high-point of a 25-minute opening period in which Liverpool dominated possession but created few real goalscoring chances.
Impressive teenage midfielder Jay Spearing was involved in their two other best attacking moves of the half, firstly forcing keeper Krul into a low save with a 25-yard shot and then later provided a superb pin-point cross from the right which Lucas headed straight at the United keeper from 10 yards out.
As the half wore on the visitors grew as a presence, but barring some well-delivered Joey Barton free-kicks, they only had Kevin Nolan's miscued effort from a corner to show for their efforts.
However, they did fashion the first opportunity of the second half when Nolan crossed for Barton, but his shot flew past the post and with it went their best chance of forging a first away win since February.
Instead, Liverpool reasserted their authority and extended their lead just before the hour.
Williamson misjudged an attempt to shepherd the ball out at the byline, allowing Suarez to nip and knock it past him. Realising the threat the Uruguayan now posed, the defender dragged him down for a penalty that Kuyt stroked home for his eighth goal in seven games.
The Dutchman should have added another minutes later when Meireles's cross found him unmarked six yards out, but he failed to connect properly with his header and put it wide.
However, he did play a pivotal role in his side's third goal, flicking a superb short pass through a crowd of defenders to find Suarez, who neatly finished from eight yards out.
To rub salt into Newcastle wounds, Liverpool used the final 20 minutes to parade Carroll.
The 11 goals he scored for his former side earlier in the season have played a major part in securing them a second successive season in the Premier League and he may well yet play a significant role in helping his new side into Europe next campaign.

Liverpool 3-0 Newcastle

Liverpool eased past Newcastle at Anfield to boost their chances of finishing fourth and leave the visitors fighting for Premier League survival.
The Reds went ahead with a bizarre goal, Jose Enrique's clearance hitting Jermaine Pennant and looping in.
Fernando Torres struck his 25th goal of the season by slotting home from a Gerrard pass, before he sent Gerrard through for the captain to wrap it up.
Newcastle's best effort saw Obafemi Martins hit the bar from 40 yards.
The defeat means Magpies boss Kevin Keegan is still waiting for his first win on his return as manager - after eight failed attempts.
Liverpool, like so many of Newcastle's recent opponents, ended up winning at a canter - but for 43 minutes it appeared as though Keegan's team may have turned the corner.
Their two banks of four gave Liverpool little space to attack in and the home team - and their fans - were becoming frustrated as they struggled to create clear-cut chances.
Torres did force an early save from Steve Harper, but the angle was such that it would have taken a mistake from the keeper to concede.
After 20 minutes the home side produced a fabulous move, John Arne Riise picking out Pennant with a raking 70-yard pass and his cross finding Yossi Benayoun, who saw his first-time shot blocked eight yards out.
But just as Keegan would have been preparing his half-time team-talk, Newcastle went behind - in farcical circumstances.
Enrique got back well to cover Pennant's run into the box, but his attempted clearance cannoned off the winger's shin and looped agonisingly over Harper and into the net.
Two minutes later and it was game over as Gerrard tore at the Newcastle defence and sent Torres clean through, the Spaniard gliding effortlessly past Harper and slotting into an empty net.
Having been in the game for so long, Newcastle's task in the second half was to keep the score down - but within six minutes, they were 3-0 down.
The Magpies simply could not contain Gerrard and Torres, who played in his captain to impudently lift the ball over the advancing Harper for a third.
The pair were running riot and moments later Gerrard was denied a second by a stunning save from Harper from just inside the box.
With their Champions League last-16 second leg tie away at Inter Milan on Tuesday in mind, Rafael Benitez had the luxury of taking off both Gerrard and Torres.
Newcastle brought on Martins to try and get on the scoresheet - and he nearly produced one of the great Premier League goals.
Controlling a throw-in on his chest, the Nigerian turned smartly into space and slammed in an audacious volley from fully 40 yards that crashed against the crossbar.
But it was a single moment of genius that punctured yet another Newcastle defeat, keeping them only three points above the drop zone.
· Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez:"It was more or less the perfect day - we got the points and we could take players off ahead of the Champions League in Italy on Tuesday.
"The first goal was a bit lucky but the second was a fantastic piece of play and that one was the big difference.
"The understanding between Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard is good and they can kill off any team those two."
· Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan:"The opening goal was a freak one and that's the sort of luck we need going for us at the moment.
"But the second goal killed us, it was bad to concede straight away and 2-0 down here at half-time, it's difficult.
"Prior to that I was relatively pleased but we were blown to bits in the space of three crazy minutes. Were we unlucky to lose? No. They were better than us."
Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Riise, Alonso, Lucas, Pennant (Hyypia 78), Gerrard (Kuyt 66), Benayoun, Torres (Crouch 72).Subs Not Used: Itandje, Babel.
Booked: Riise.
Goals: Pennant 43, Torres 45, Gerrard 51.
Newcastle: Harper, Beye, Faye, Taylor, Jose Enrique, Milner (Geremi 44), Butt, N'Zogbia, Duff (Martins 58), Owen, Smith.Subs Not Used: Forster, Cacapa, Carroll.
Att: 44,031.
Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).