Newcastle United 1 - 5 Liverpool

Five-goal Liverpool humble hapless Newcastle

Updated: December 28, 2008, 2:08 PM UK

Steven Gerrard claimed a fine double as Liverpool tightened their grip at the top of the Premier League with a superb 5-1 win at Newcastle.

• Lee: Liverpool well-equipped for title challenge

The England midfielder got the ball rolling with a 31st-minute opener and then after Sami Hyypia and Ryan Babel had struck either side of David Edgar's header, he completed the job with a 66th-minute second.

There was still time for substitute Xabi Alonso to convert a 76th-minute penalty after fellow newcomer David Ngog had been tripped by Edgar to complete a miserable afternoon for Joe Kinnear's injury-ravaged side, for whom goalkeeper Shay Given made seven remarkable saves.

Rafael Benitez, sitting in the stands at St James' Park, was even able to leave striker Robbie Keane on the bench and withdraw Gerrard to warm applause from both sets of fans as a crowd of 52,114, the biggest of the season, gained an insight into the Reds' title credentials.

The win sent them four points clear at the top, for a few hours at least, and left the Magpies in some disarray on the day owner Mike Ashley announced he would not be selling the club after all and is ready to press ahead with his masterplan once again.

On a day earmarked by the Newcastle supporters to pay tribute to former manager Sir Bobby Robson, the gulf between the side he created and the one on show could hardly have been wider.

Writing in the match programme, Ashley said: ''With the January transfer window approaching, we will be working closely with Joe to see what can be done to strengthen the squad.''

Kinnear's list of potential targets will have grown significantly by half-time after his side were torn apart by the visitors in a breathtaking first 45 minutes which demonstrated once again just how important Given is to the club.

The Irishman was one of three Magpies, along with Steven Taylor and Charles N'Zogbia, to be linked with a January move to Arsenal by one newspaper this morning, but had it not been for him, his side could have conceded at least eight by the time they headed back into the dressing room.

In the space of four minutes, he parried Dirk Kuyt's drive at the near post, blocked Gerrard's audacious flick and then pulled off a stunning one-handed save to deny the Reds skipper.

But his work was not done and he had twice thwarted Lucas by the time the clock ticked around to the 20-minute mark before keeping out Hyypia's 42nd-minute header with the help of N'Zogbia on the line.

However, by that point, he had been beaten twice as the rampant visitors finally made the pressure tell, Gerrard sweeping the ball home from Yossi Benayoun's 31st-minute cut-back before Hyypia headed home his captain's corner five minutes later.

Liverpool were simply irresistible, and a rout seemed on the cards.

But the Magpies rallied and after Taylor had headed a Danny Guthrie corner wide, Edgar proved the man for the big occasion once again.

Just short of two years ago, the Canadian marked his home debut with a stunning equaliser against Manchester United, and when he headed another Guthrie set-piece home in injury time his side at least had hope.

Jose Enrique, who had passed a fitness test on a calf injury just before kick-off, failed to re-appear after the break and Shola Ameobi's arrival prompted a reshuffle which saw N'Zogbia drop into the back four and Damien Duff move into midfield.

Ameobi almost made an immediate impact when Michael Owen only just failed to meet his 48th-minute cross with a diving header, but Liverpool's advantage was restored within two minutes.

Referee Mark Halsey was simply not interested in the home side's appeals for handball after Hyypia and then Lucas had helped on Gerrard's corner, and Babel stabbed the loose ball home to make it 3-1.

Kinnear's resources were stretched further with 56 minutes gone when Nicky Butt limped off to be replaced by Geremi, although the Cameroon international almost dragged his side back into the game on the hour.

After Owen had been cynically tripped by Javier Mascherano, he drove the resulting free-kick against the bar with goalkeeper Jose Reina beaten.

But if the game was not already over, the result was put beyond doubt with 24 minutes remaining when Gerrard ran on to Lucas' pass and lifted the ball nonchalantly over Given to make it 4-1.

Alonso made it five from the penalty spot after Edgar had tripped Ngog with 76 minutes gone, and although Guthrie and Taylor both went close, Given had to make a superb double stop to deny Lucas and then Babel at the death.

Lee: Liverpool well-equipped for title challenge

Liverpool assistant boss Sammy Lee believes confidence is growing in the Reds camp that they can win the Barclays Premier League title after strengthening their case with a 5-1 demolition of Newcastle.

The Reds carried a one-point lead over closest rivals Chelsea into the game at St James' Park and emerged from the day's early kick-off having plundered three more with an awesome display on Tyneside.

Manager Rafael Benitez watched from the stands as he continued his recovery, but number two Lee was delighted enough for both men as he conducted the post-match press conference.

Asked if Liverpool have it in them to win the title this year, Lee, who did just that with the club as a player, said: ''We feel we have.

''The sides I played in - it seems such a long time ago, it was in black and white when I played.

''All I will say to you is we feel this is a very strong, very focused, very determined bunch of players, and the joy from my point of view is that they are all willing to work hard and improve on their game.

''That as a coach and a manager is all you can ask from players.

''We have got a belief. It's not an arrogance - hopefully it doesn't sound conceited, but we prepare to succeed, we don't prepare to fail.

''These lads are working very, very hard to make sure they get out the game what we feel as a club they deserve.

''But over the course of the season, only time will tell.''

It is a measure of how well Liverpool played that Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given was the best player on the pitch even though he was beaten on five occasions.

But for his heroics - he made six superb saves before the break and an equally good double stop at the death - the visitors could have made double figures.

As it was, they cruised to victory at St James' Park with inspirational skipper Steven Gerrard once again leading by example.

With striker Robbie Keane cooling his heels on the bench, Gerrard finally beat Given 14 minutes before the break with a sweet strike, and Sami Hyypia made it 2-0 five minutes later with a regulation header.

David Edgar, three days short of two years to the day since he marked his home debut with a fine equaliser against Manchester United, pulled one back in injury time, but the respite was short-lived.

Ryan Babel struck within five minutes of the restart and Gerrard claimed his second with 66 minutes gone before substitute Xabi Alonso converted a penalty 10 minutes later.

Asked how pleased Benitez was, Lee said: ''We plan for wins - that's what this team is set out to do in each and every game.

''It doesn't always work out like that, but yes, he was pleased.

''But Rafa being Rafa, I can assure you he will be looking at the DVD now and analysing the performance and seeing where we can improve.

''That's our responsibility as managers and coaches, to not rest on our laurels, but to try to make sure we improve because we have got another hectic schedule coming up.''

Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear admitted his depleted side had been completely outplayed by Liverpool on the day owner Mike Ashley announced his decision to take the club off the market.

The Magpies' deficiencies were cruelly exposed as a squad lacking the likes of Sebastien Bassong, Habib Beye, Joey Barton, Obafemi Martins and Mark Viduka struggled to compete.

Asked about Ashley's announcement, Kinnear said: ''We need to draw a line under it, we need to get him back on board and we need to sit down and discuss the future of the club first and foremost, and the strength of the team and what direction we are going in.

''Now he has drawn a line under that and made that statement, it's the next statement that's going to be the most important one, and that is (a) the future of the club and (b) more players.

''More players is a must at the moment, a must. We just need to get players in to strengthen the squad to make sure we stay in the league first and foremost.''