**Liverpool returned to Premier League winning ways against Newcastle.**
Anthony Gordon broke the deadlock for the visitors against his boyhood club with a low sweeping effort past Alisson from the righthand side of the box.
But Hugo Ekitike drew the Reds level just a matter of moments later from a clinical stabbed finish after being teed up by Florian Wirtz on the left flank.
The former Magpies transfer target doubled his tally in just under two minutes by producing a sublime solo run and finish to beat Nick Pope a second time.
Wirtz extended the advantage midway through the second half courtesy of a low shot after he had been teed up by Mohamed Salah from a slick move.
Ibrahima Konate added a fourth deep in added time after Pope had fumbled a corner into the goalmouth, allowing the returning centre-back to pounce.
A first top flight win of 2026 for Arne Slot’s side racked moved them up to fifth in the table, just a point from the final Champions League qualification spot.
_Here were the key talking points from Anfield:_
Ekitike extends Magpie torment
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Liverpool and Newcastle’s shared transfer history largely centres on strikers.
The last time Anfield broke a British record for a player from the North East, the marksman who arrived shortly before him proved to be a superior signing.
Granted, Alexander Isak is hardly another Andy Carroll but he is undeniably overshadowed by Hugo Ekitike as the Gateshead native was by Luis Suarez.
On the 15th anniversary of that illogical £35 million deal, Ekitike showed what exactly Newcastle missed by failing to land him as the Swede’s replacement.
The forward insisted ahead of this meeting that he [‘didn’t care’ about any potential backlash](https://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc/63311-hugo-ekitike-reveals-close-newcastle-transfer/) from Eddie Howe’s side after last summer’s transfer saga.
If anything, the Magpies’ dissent only served to fuel his one-man comeback mission with two goals in as many minutes offering a perfect response.
Opposing defenders and fans were left exasperated as Ekitike continued to torment them – the latter quite literally during his 84th-minute withdrawal.
A supremely confident reminder of the score line with a cacophony of boos ringing in his ears added insult to injury from Newcastle’s one that got away.
Have Reds rattled Gordon’s cage?
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Anthony Gordon clearly hates returns to his former Merseyside parish.
The Kirkdale native has often struggled when facing erstwhile employers Everton and, seemingly, also has some unfinished business with Liverpool.
This season, Gordon has resembled a man possessed against the Reds; typified by his reckless sending off during August’s corresponding fixture.
In the opening stages, the boyhood Red appeared hellbent on continuing that theme by inflicting successive reducers on Alexis Mac Allister and Alisson.
Fulfilling a lifelong ambition of scoring in front of The Kop did little to soothe his temperament as he scowled in the famous terrace’s direction throughout.
Yet there is something unnerving about Gordon’s habit of trying to set down a marker against the club he could have conceivably joined not so long ago.
Whether it is frustration at [a dream move failing to materialise](https://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc/53373-liverpool-reject-chance-to-sign-anthony-gordon-jarell-quansah/) or muscle memory from his time at Goodison Park, something definitely rattled his cage.
Konate summons incredible strength
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This season is one which Ibrahima Konate will not remember fondly.
A series of haphazard displays in Liverpool’s unedifying Premier League title defence have underpinned a forgettable campaign for the centre-back.
But some things are more important than football, as Konate already knows.
The 26-year-old returned to the starting line-up on Saturday night after a two-week absence in which he attempted to process his father’s untimely death.
Playing through the pain of losing a parent is difficult at the best of times, let alone when enduring an uncharacteristically poor run of performances.
Konate, however, gave a consummate account of himself in defence alongside sparring partner Virgil van Dijk before scoring in stoppage time.
Summoning incredible strength is part and parcel of a footballer’s career but the France international took it to another level in very trying circumstances.