Liverpool breathed fresh life into their top-four ambitions with a ruthless 4-1 comeback victory over Newcastle United at Anfield, ending a five-game Premier League winless run and registering their first league success of 2026, Softfootball reports.
The contest began with Newcastle showing far more urgency, briefly threatening to rewrite their miserable Anfield history. Harvey Barnes came close to handing the visitors an early breakthrough when his set-piece crashed against the woodwork, setting the tone for an aggressive opening spell from Eddie Howe’s side.
That early pressure paid off when Newcastle struck first on the break. A rapid transition caught Liverpool cold, and Anthony Gordon capped it with a precise right-footed finish past Alisson, giving the Magpies a deserved lead and momentarily silencing the Kop.
However, Liverpool’s response was emphatic. Hugo Ekitike emerged as the catalyst, dragging his side level with a sharp first-time finish after Florian Wirtz’s clever cut-back. The French forward then completed the turnaround before the interval with a moment of individual brilliance, toe-poking home after sustained pressure to swing the momentum firmly in the hosts’ favour.
The Reds took full control after the restart and never looked back. Ekitike passed up the chance to seal a hat-trick when he fired wide, but Liverpool’s third soon arrived through Wirtz, who guided Mohamed Salah’s clever lay-off beyond Nick Pope. Salah’s assist further underlined his remarkable dominance against Newcastle, as Liverpool’s attacking fluency overwhelmed the visitors.
Newcastle offered little resistance in the latter stages, though Gordon briefly threatened from distance. Any lingering doubt was erased late on when Ibrahima Konaté reacted quickest to a spilled corner, rolling the ball into an empty net to round off a convincing Anfield night.
The win lifts Liverpool back into fifth place, just a point off the top four, and continues their remarkable dominance over Newcastle on Merseyside. It also builds on the confidence gained from a superb midweek European victory over Qarabag, which secured qualification for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 after the Reds finished inside the top eight of the league phase.
After the game ended, Liverpool shared via its official X handle, the full time image report of the team’s first league win in 2026. They posted:
For Newcastle, attention now turns away from league frustration to cup redemption. The Magpies travel to the Etihad Stadium this midweek for the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final against Manchester City, trailing 2-0 from the home leg and facing the daunting task of producing a famous comeback to keep their Wembley hopes alive.
