FIVE-STAR REDS END THE YEAR ON TOP Liverpool will head into 2009 top of the Barclays Premier League after a double from Steven Gerrard and other goals from Sami Hyypia, Ryan Babel and Xabi Alonso (penalty) secured a 5-1 win at Newcastle United. The Reds dominated throughout a one-sided encounter and followed up their emphatic Boxing Day success over Bolton with another superb attacking display to clinch a second successive league victory at St James' Park for the first time in 21 years.
It means Rafael Benitez's men are now three points clear of second-placed Chelsea, who were held to a 2-2 draw at Fulham.
A lively contest saw the home side create the first real opportunity of the match when United centre back Fabricio Coloccini unleashed a fierce drive that flew just over on seven minutes.
It inspired an instant response from the visitors, with Dirk Kuyt forcing a smart save from Shay Given from a tight angle before Gerrard broke through the middle, only for the Newcastle stopper to block his shot with his feet.
The Republic of Ireland keeper is regarded as one of the best in the business and he proved his quality again on 11 minutes with a magnificent one-handed stop to keep out another stinging drive from the Reds skipper after good play by Babel down the left.
It was one-way traffic at this point and only Sami Hyypia will know how he failed to find the net when he guided a free header from Gerrard's left-wing free-kick inches wide.
Next it was Emiliano Insua's turn to stretch the Magpies defence with a driven cross that somehow evaded everyone in the six yard box before falling to Kuyt at the far post. The Dutchman showed good composure to steady himself and thread a low pass into Lucas who was somehow denied by the inspired-Given from point blank range.
Less than 20 minutes into the match and the Reds should have already had the three points in the bag. It was turning into a case of Liverpool versus Shay Given and he again denied Lucas with an agile dive to keep out the Brazilian's header while Hyypia's flicked volley was hacked off the line.
It was only a matter of time until Liverpool's dominance paid dividends and on 31 minutes they finally beat Newcastle's man of the match to break the deadlock.
A patient team move ended with Javier Mascherano feeding Yossi Benayoun on the right hand side of area and his cut back found our inspirational number eight, who made no mistake with a well placed strike that crashed in off the post.
 It was the skipper's 12th goal of the season and one that would provide the catalyst for another emphatic Reds triumph.
Given had single-handedly kept Rafael Benitez's side at bay for just over half an hour, but after such an impressive show of defiance, he soon find himself picking the ball out of the net again just five minutes later.
The Magpies had already shown vulnerability at set pieces and so it came as no surprise when Hyypia finally took full advantage of some sloppy defending to thump a bullet header into the top corner.
The giant Finn was having a quiet day at the back and seemed to be enjoying himself in the opposition penalty area. So much so, that he almost grabbed his second of the game on 40 minutes when he saw his header from Daniel Agger's flick-on beaten away by Given.
As the first-half entered stoppage time, the travelling Kop must have wondered how we hadn't run up a cricket score, and they will have been left hugely frustrated when the Reds switched off at a corner to allow David Edgar to reduce the arrears with a near post header.
"Game on" was the rallying cry from the home support who now felt a point was very much on the cards, particularly given Joe Kinnear's record against Liverpool.
The Magpies boss had only lost three of his 19 matches as a manager against Liverpool prior to the clash, and he would have hoped his side would respond in the second 45 and take advantage of their good fortune to maintain his proud run.
However, if the Geordie faithful were expecting a second-half revival they were to be disappointed, as Liverpool continued where they left off and restored their two-goal cushion within four minutes of the restart.
 Yet again, the hosts failed to clear a corner from the right and when the ball fell to Babel inside the six yard box, he was allowed the luxury of miscuing his attempted back-heel before sweeping it beyond Given and the five Newcastle defenders on the goal-line.
Substitute Geremi almost made it interesting on the hour mark when he crashed a 25 yard free-kick against the crossbar, but there was to be no stopping Liverpool, who added a fourth on 66 minutes.
Lucas picked up the ball in the centre circle and played a sublime through ball to Gerrard, who raced clear of his man to clip the ball over Given and claim his second of the match.
So often this season, the Reds have failed to score the goals their performances have deserved, but not on this occasion, as substitute Alonso capped a five-star display with a well struck penalty 14 minutes from time to equal our biggest ever victory at St James' Park. Teams Liverpool: Reina, Insua, Hyypia, Agger, Carragher, Babel, Mascherano, Leiva, Benayoun, Gerrard (captain), Kuyt. Subs - Alonso, Keane, Ngog, Riera, Cavalieri, Skrtel, El Zhar
Newcastle United: Given, Enrique, Taylor, Coloccini, Edgar, N'Zogbia, Butt, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Owen (captain), Duff. Subs - Ameobi, Carroll, Kadar, , Lua Lua, , Harper
Referee: Mark Halsey
Conditions: Cold
Attendance: Unknown
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Steven Gerrard
Breakdown 12:03 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : The game is underway at St James Park
1 min : N'Zogbia wins a throw on the left hand side after good play by ex-Red Guthrie
4 mins : Babel gets round the back of the Newcastle defence but his low cross is cleared
7 mins : First shot of the game is from Gerrard who sends a right footed effort well over the goal
8 mins : Newcastle respond at the other end as Collocini fires a rasping drive just wide of target
11 mins : Great chance for Gerrard to open the scoring but he delays his shot and Newcastle get the ball away
12 mins : Bad challenge from Carragher on Owen leads to a free kick to the home side on the left
14 mins : It's Gerrard v Given again and once more the Newcastle stopper comes out on top to palm away a fierce effort from our skipper
16 mins : Insua is down after a late tackle from Gutierrez. Free kick on the left for Liverpool
17 mins : Gerrard floats the ball in towards Hyypia and the big Finn glances a header just wide when perhaps he should have done better
20 mins : How hasn't Lucas scored? The ball is squared into his path but Given denies him from one yard out
21 mins : Another close shave as Lucas' header is flying towards the far corner until Given fists the ball to safety.
22 mins : How is this game still goalless? We could be five or six goals up already
27 mins : The ball falls for Gerrard outside the box but his first time shot drifts well wide
31 mins : GOAL! Steven Gerrard: Gerrard breaks the deadlock with a deserved goal after shooting into the top corner from Benayoun's pass
36 mins : GOAL! Sami Hyypia: The lead is doubled as Hyypia heads home Gerrard's corner from 12 yards
42 mins : Given makes another save from another Hyypia header
45 mins : GOAL! David Edgar: Edgar heads home in first half stoppage time to give the home side hope
12:50 GMT : Half Time Reached
13:07 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Liverpool get the second period underway
46 mins : Substitution: Shola Ameobi for Jose Enrique:
47 mins : Ameobi gets in behind Insua but his cross is too strong and Liverpool can clear
48 mins : Gerrard wins a corner on the far side after good play by Benayoun
50 mins : GOAL! Ryan Babel: Babel turns the ball home from close range after Newcastle fail to deal with a corner
54 mins : Agger is penalised for a foul as Newcastle win a free kick in a dangerous area on the right
54 mins : Substitution: Geremi for Nicky Butt:
57 mins : First Booking: Javier Mascherano:
59 mins : Geremi almost makes an instant impact but his free kick crashes back off the bar
60 mins : Substitution: Xabi Alonso for Yossi Benayoun:
66 mins : GOAL! Steven Gerrard: Gerrard latches onto Lucas' defence splitting pass to clip the ball over Given
68 mins : Decent stop from Reina to keep out a well struck shot from Duff
69 mins : Substitution: David Ngog for Steven Gerrard:
71 mins : Reina collides with the post after dealing with a long ball into the area
74 mins : First Booking: Steven Taylor:
76 mins : Penalty Scored! Xabi Alonso: Alonso slots home from the spot after Ngog is felled in the area
79 mins : Substitution: Martin Skrtel for Dirk Kuyt:
79 mins : Substitution: Kazenga Lua Lua for Michael Owen:
80 mins : Lua Lua tries his luck from long range but it's a tame effort and easily saved
89 mins : Given saves from Lucas and Ngog heads wide of an open goal
90 mins : First Booking: Shay Given:
13:55 GMT : Match Over
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