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Leaders Liverpool continued their relentless march towards the Premier League title with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United on Wednesday, moving 13 points clear thanks to goals in each half from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.
Arne Slot’s side extended their gaping lead over second-placed Arsenal, who have a game in hand.
Newcastle slipped one spot to sixth, three points behind fourth-placed Manchester City.
Szoboszlai struck in the 11th minute when Luis Diaz worked the ball down the left before cutting it back for the unmarked Hungarian, who Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali had allowed to dart away into space.
The midfielder fired home a close-range shot that sailed through two sets of legs and past goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Newcastle were better after the break, but Mac Allister doubled the home side’s lead in the 63rd minute, when Mohamed Salah cut the ball back for the Argentinian, who punished the visitors for their sloppy defending with a blistering shot into the top corner.
“It is the desire, the desire to win trophies,” Mac Allister told TNT Sports.
“We know that this season we have maybe the opportunity to win some, so we are really happy working really hard, and hopefully we can keep on going.”
The Anfield faithful celebrated Mac Allister’s goal by breaking into a chorus of “We’re going to win the league,” while the television camera panned to Slot, forced to sit in the stands due to a touchline ban, jubilantly pumping his fists.
The manager served the first of a two-game suspension on Wednesday for a red card he was shown after the final whistle of the chaotic recent Merseyside derby and his assistant John Heitinga was in the dugout in Slot’s place.
Eddie Howe’s team suffered a huge blow before the game with Alexander Isak, who has scored 21 goals this season across all competitions, ruled out with a groin injury.
Callum Wilson was Newcastle’s biggest threat, and spurned a terrific chance in the first half when he got behind Liverpool’s defence.
He took a couple of touches before chipping the ball just wide, with his finishing rusty after playing just seven league games this season due to injuries.
Liverpool, who had 12 shots to Newcastle’s three, had several late chances to add to their lead with talisman Salah front and centre.
He sprinted down the right before sending a beautiful pass to the far post for Diaz, who stretched but poked the ball just wide.
Pope dived to push a Salah shot wide towards the end of normal time.
Ibrahima Konaté briefly celebrated when he outjumped Pope to head the ball home, but the Liverpool defender was adjudged to have fouled the keeper.
The Kop were in full voice as Liverpool cruised to their 32nd victory in 43 games across all competitions, the most in Europe’s top five leagues and two wins better than Real Madrid.