HUGO EKITIKE was the scourge of Eddie Howe again as Liverpool’s big-money stars saved Arne Slot’s bacon.
Anthony Gordon’s first top-flight goal in open play for 33 GAMES looked set to pile more pressure on the under-fire Reds boss.
But £69m Ekitike, who snubbed Newcastle for Anfield, produced a rapid double-whammy before £100m Florian Wirtz struck.
And Ibrahima Konate, back from compassionate leave after the death of his father, added the fourth to end Slot’s five-game Premier League winless run.
The result lifted the champions within a point of fourth-placed Chelsea, though for Howe and Toon, their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League were severely dented.
The rivalry between these two is one of the most explosive in the Prem. It all began with the famous 4-3 thrillers in the late 90s and that “you-score-three, we’ll-score-four” philosophy has remained the gold standard for this matchup since.
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That was the case the last time they met in August. Eddie Howe’s side fought back from 2-0 down after Gordon’s red card, only for Liverpool to snatch it in the 100th minute through 16-year-old debutant Rio Ngumoha to win it.
But while those 90s classics forged a mutual respect for each other’s attacking flair, the modern rivalry has become deeply personal.
Other recent meetings have involved touchline flare-ups between coaching staff and time-wasting accusations.
But the intensity of hate reached a peak last summer following Liverpool’s £130m swoop for Alexander Isak, who spent pre-season on strike and training alone to force his Newcastle exit.
That night back at St. James’ in late produced a cauldron of excitement, noise and more bad blood. And it did not take long for tensions to rise at Anfield.
Only eight minutes had gone when Geordie gladiator Dan Burn and Liverpool goalie Alisson Becker squared off following a coming together at a corner.
Then ex-Everton ace Gordon, still struggling after having his head turned by Liverpool 18 months ago, became public enemy No1.
He reacted to a push from Alexis Mac Allister by shoving the Argentine to the ground right and then caught the dawdling Becker – earning him a booking right in front of the Kop.
The Liverpool boss cut a concerned figure as his side continued to lose every duel, gave away a host of fouls and struggled to contain the aggressive Mags from set-pieces.
Nerves were jangling even more when Harvey Barnes met Lewis Hall’s backheel off a free-kick and smashed one past Becker only to see his strike cannon off the post.
Finally, in the 36th minute, Toon got their reward. And no-one would have begrudged Howe a wry smile as boyhood red Gordon ended a year-long wait for a goal from open play.
Joe Willock’s charge down the left and pass into Barnes was diverted straight into the England star’s path, and he took a touch before rifling low through Milos Kerkez’s legs and into Becker’s far post.
His 33-game barren run was over and, with confidence high in his role as false nine, he almost had another only for Becker to deny him from a tight angle.
But Isak was not the only reason Newcastle felt bitter towards the Reds in August. Just weeks earlier, Ekitike had delivered his snub.
He could not resist stoking the fire, stating he has “no regrets” over his decision. And he will not have any now after this.
And with Isak, sidelined by a broken leg, clapping his approval from behind the Liverpool bench, the Frenchman rubbed more salt in Howe’s wounds with a quickfire double.
In a move started by the forward 45 yards out, Florian Wirtz skipped past three defenders into the left of the area. He squared for the hotshot to get in front of Sandro Tonali and prod home.
Two of Slot’s big-money buys had combined to get them level. But it was a quick-thinking ball boy who helped them go ahead moments later.
The youngster handed the ball to Becker instantly to take a goal-kick as Newcastle were caught napping. The Brazilian goalie played it fast to Kerkez at left-back, and his long pass forward found Ekitike deep in the opposition half.
He still had it all to do as Malick Thiaw hung off him. But he oozed a mixture of class and arrogance to spark pandemonium by driving forward to toe-poke past Pope.
Newcastle were stunned. It had been 29 visits without a win at Anfield, and after all their good work had gone out the window, they needed some magic of their own to end that miserable record here.
And Ekitike could, and should, have put them out of their misery by sealing his hat-trick shortly after the break. He got the better of Burn, latching on to a long ball, to go clear but, as the Kop held its breath, he got it all wrong and sent an effort five yards wide of the far post.
But fortunately Wirtz was on hand to settle it.
He continues to show signs of justifying his fee with his sixth goal in ten after being teed up by Mohamed Salah before the emotional sight of Konate being congratulated by every team-mate after his strike in stoppage time.
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