Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane both on target as Liverpool grind down Newcastle in composed victory

Liverpool 2 Newcastle United 0: The hosts saw out victory in spite of Rafa Benitez's textbook defensive strategy and his team's organisation and commitment

Sadio Mane celebrates after adding Liverpool's second (Getty)

Rafael Benítez’s corduroy collared mac was long but it was also thin, inadequate in this weather; a garment the Spaniard had introduced to the story in the 20th minute. He needed it because he was in his technical area so much, exposed to the elements, relentlessly hollering positional instructions at his players, particularly DeAndre Yedlin, the wing-back who was closest to him.

Newcastle had got just about everything right. Liverpool were not really threatening. Only five minutes of the first half remained. But any manager, no how much he plots and schemes – and no matter to what level he tries to influence – can legislate for an unfortunate break. It was when Mikel Merino entered a midfield challenge only to see possession spill to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain that the mood of the evening changed. From there, Liverpool were on the attack. From there, Mohamed Salah was released. From there, Salah scored for the seventh game in succession. It was his 32nd of a wonderful season.

Benítez reacted by turning to his bench, cursing in in his native tongue. In the second half he would be further away from his defence and even though he tried, his voice would not carry that far. From this position, Newcastle were weaker. They had no chance.

This was an important victory for Liverpool because it means they are ahead of Chelsea by seven points and Chelsea go to Manchester City tomorrow, a ground no visiting team has won at in the league since December 2016, though that visiting team was, indeed, Chelsea.

Mohamed Salah scored his 32nd goal of the season to put Liverpool ahead (Getty)

It also ended up being the sort of win that will surely delight Liverpool’s manager Jürgen Klopp because it proved to be convincing in spite of Benítez textbook defensive strategy and his team’s organisation and commitment.

The relegation candidates around Newcastle had gained points earlier in the day. Just above them Bournemouth moved a little further away while Swansea, previously below, overtook Newcastle with a resounding victory over West Ham. Elsewhere, Southampton and Stoke’s draw, though not ideal for the teams concerned, drew them closer to the safety line, a line which at kick off here, Newcastle lay just two points above. Their fate will not be determined at grounds like Anfield but Newcastle were under more pressure at 5.30pm than they were at 3pm.

Benítez’s tactical plan had worked in October in the north-east. He was always going to try and find a way to close the half-spaces Klopp targets so much between the midfield and defence of whichever opponent he happens to be facing. Newcastle played with five defenders and two deep-lying midfielders. It resulted in Liverpool playing more fast and longer passes than they were a couple of months ago in an attempt to get Newcastle’s players facing their own goal.

Dwight Gayle brings a high ball under control as Virgil van Dijk pressurises (Getty)

Klopp had clarified in his programme column a comment made last weekend after victory over West Ham in relation to his desire for aggression. He was concerned that the message had been lost somewhere, that it had been received as a request to tackle harder when “the only person you should ever be willing to hurt on a football pitch is yourself”. He wanted his players instead to remain focused, to never be satisfied – to be frustrated that although progress has been made, it is not enough.

Newcastle operating this way was linked because Liverpool would need to be patient but equally not believe that just because their domination of possession was almost total, an inevitable lead would be established. Their task was illustrated when Emre Can displayed the type of aggression Klopp wants by dispossessing Yedlin. The ball eventually arrived at Salah’s feet and from there a goal felt inevitable. Salah wanted too much time however and in a flash, the sentries deployed by Benítez’s defence had surrounded him.

Salah would have to be sharper. He would eventually get a second opportunity as half-time approached and on this occasion, he did not fail; reacting to Oxlade-Chamberlain’s surge from midfield by releasing a quick shot. Goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka did not have time to adjust his legs and with that, Liverpool were ahead.

Benitez was unable to engineer a shock result on his return to Anfield (Getty)

Arguably the first half’s most crucial moment would follow – and it was a huge moment, perhaps, in Loris Karius’s Liverpool career. For much of his first eighteen months at the club, the German has been as convincing as a sandcastle at high-tide. Since Christmas – knowing he is now Klopp’s No 1 until the end of the season at least, his performances have improved. Mohamed Diamé shot had taken a ricochet and so, it was more difficult to judge. But judge it Karius did, using the finger tips on his right hand to maintain Liverpool’s advantage.

That advantage would extend early in the second half when Sadio Mané was freed by Roberto Firmino and it became 2-0. There would have been an opportunity to make it three had Graham Scott awarded a penalty in injury time when Jamaal Lascalles, as last man, brought down Salah. The Newcastle captain – such an influential figure in Benítez’s team – would also have been sent off had Scott judged differently and thus missed home crucial fixtures to come. Benítez reacted to that by turning to his bench again, blowing out his cheeks in relief. At least he had left Merseyside with something to cling on to.