Liverpool took another step towards a second Premier League title in five years as a 2-0 victory over Newcastle extended their lead to 13 points.
Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister in either half ensured Arne Slot’s side capitalised on another slip-up by second-placed Arsenal to leave few inside Anfield in any doubt May – or maybe sooner – will bring a record-equalling 20th championship trophy to Merseyside.
Slot, sat in the stands at the start of his two-match touchline ban for his Merseyside derby red card, and his senior players will not countenance such thinking but it is difficult to imagine a team which has lost just one league match this season letting their lead slip.
Certainly not playing the type of fluid football which a Newcastle side shorn of the considerable talents of Alexander Isak, nursing a groin problem, struggled to contain in a match billed as a dress rehearsal for next month’s Carabao Cup final.
There was no goal for the in-form Mohamed Salah, but he did provide the assist for Mac Allister to claim his 52nd goal involvement of the campaign.
Szoboszlai’s 11th-minute goal was Liverpool’s 100th of the season in all competitions and Mac Allister’s a league-leading 66th in 28 league matches.
Salah felt he should have had an early penalty when he was brought down by Lewis Hall but referee Stuart Atwell ruled the Egypt international had fouled the left-back on his run towards the area.
The respite was short-lived as when Luis Diaz cut back a cross from the left Szoboszlai’s left-footed shot went through the legs of both Sandro Tonali and Dan Burn to give visiting goalkeeper Nick Pope little time to react.
Isak’s replacement Callum Wilson beat the high offside line but failed to hit the target with only Alisson Becker to beat.
If the visitors had any aspirations of ending a winless run at Anfield dating back to 1994 those were the type of chances they had to take.
By the time they got another they were already 2-0 down with their opponents in complete control.
Szoboszlai should have doubled his tally when Diogo Jota dispossessed Hall but curled a shot just wide of the far post.
When news filtered through of Arsenal’s goalless draw at Nottingham Forest less than 10 minutes into the second half the mood became celebratory, with the ground echoing to a loud rendition of ‘We’re going to win the league’.
The nervousness of Liverpool’s last home match against Wolves was non-existent, thanks mainly to the Gunners’ defeat at the weekend opening up an 11-point gap.
They had even more to cheer when Mac Allister clipped home Salah’s pass, reward for the Argentina international launching the counter-attack from just inside his own half by intercepting Tonali’s pass.
When Diaz failed to turn in Salah’s cross to the far post the Egyptian decided he was better off going it alone in his quest for a ninth successive game with a goal but such was the comfort of the situation he was indulged one or two moments of selfishness.
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