Newcastle, who last won at Anfield in 1994, led through Anthony Gordon in the first half but a Hugo Ekitike double and second half goals from Florian Wirtz and Ibrahima Konate secured the points for the reigning Premier League champions.
Here are the game's main talking points:
HOWE'S BIG CALL
It was a bold call from Eddie Howe to start with £125m worth of strikers on the bench and Anthony Gordon leading the line, but for 40 minutes it looked like a masterstroke.
Gordon’s finish to give the Magpies a deserved a lead in the 36th minute would have delighted any Premier League marksman, a clinical and instinctive low drive to Alisson’s right.
Howe clearly felt Gordon’s pace would trouble Liverpool and he was quickly proved right. Less than two minutes were on the clock when Gordon first broke behind the home defence but saw his low cross cut out. The forward – who might have been wearing red in this fixture had Liverpool been successful in their previous pursuit – looked bang up for it from the off, charging to cut out an Alisson pass and picking up a yellow card for his troubles.
It was Gordon that started the move that led to the free-kick which saw Harvey Barnes’ effort crash off the left post, the forward dropping deep to collect the ball before spraying it out to the left.
Gordon was bizarrely booed by the home fans – yes, he played for Everton but he’s a Liverpool fan – and wasn’t extravagant with his goal celebration. But he didn’t have to be, he was letting his game do the talking.
EKITIKE GIVES REMINDER NEWCASTLE DON’T NEED
For all Gordon was excellent in the first half at Anfield, he wouldn’t have been leading the line for Newcastle had the Magpies succeeded in their summer pursuit of Hugo Ekitike.
Instead, the Frenchman headed for Anfield, one of several summer transfer blows for Newcastle. And in a game-changing three-minute spell, he showed why Newcastle were twice so keen to sign him in the past.
Liverpool’s equaliser on 41 minutes was as much about Florian Wirtz as it was Ekitike, the German creating something from nothing as he beat two men and teed up the striker. Ekitike of course deserves credit for his second goal, but Howe will have been furious that Liverpool were allowed to work it from their own box into the visiting net with just five touches of the ball. Milos Kerkez set Ekitike away down the left and Malick Thiaw, exceptional up to that point, backed off and gave Ekitike the encouragement he hardly required. Nick Pope should have done better.
Dan Burn should have done better when he made a mess of an attempted clearance early in the second half, presenting Ekitike with a glorious chance to keep the match ball, but this time the striker got it wrong and dragged his effort well wide.
But Ekitike had already done the damage. And he rubbed salt into the wounds when he was replaced late on and taunted Newcastle's fans, pointing to the scoreboard.
How different this season could have been for Newcastle had they won the battle for Ekitike in the summer.
NEWCASTLE FRUSTRATIONS
The frustration for Newcastle is the fact they had Liverpool where they wanted them after going in front.
Liverpool thumped Newcastle’s next Champions League opponents Qarabag in midweek but their recent Premier League results have been poor and their performances even worse.
It took just 13 minutes for the first groans to be heard inside Anfield, a hopeful punt forward easily cleared by Newcastle’s defence. It wasn’t until the 33rd minute that Liverpool created their first clear cut opening, and had Newcastle got to half-time in front, anxiety in the stands would have very quickly increased. But game-management, so often Newcastle’s problem this season, again cost the Magpies, control lost in an instant and never regained.
THIAW’S BRILLIANCE – UNTIL….
For 40 minutes on Saturday night, Thiaw was immense. The centre-half made one brilliant interception on the edge of his own box to rob the ball off Ryan Gravenberch and another excellent block soon after.
The German was undoubtedly Newcastle’s best signing of the summer, and is now Howe’s first choice centre-half. But he won’t enjoy watching back Liverpool’s second and third goals. Thiaw backed off Ekitike for the second and was punished and it was the defender’s slack pass that led to Liverpool’s third through Wirtz at the midway point of the second half.
That wrapped up the points for Liverpool, though they added a fourth in the final minute through Ibrahima Konaté when Pope dropped a clanger.
With this second successive Premier League defeat, the Magpies have lost the momentum Howe had craved and that his side had gained with wins over Burnley, Crystal Palace and Leeds.
It’s now one point from nine for Newcastle, which leaves them trailing the top five by six points, a gap which will increase if Manchester United beat Fulham on Sunday.