Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League, and there was a clear pantomime villain and hero in the eyes of the home fans, as Liverpool moved up to fifth in the table
21:57, 31 Jan 2026Updated 22:52, 31 Jan 2026
Ibrahima Konate scored a poignant goal for Liverpool against Newcastle, following the death of his father(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool ended its five-game winless run in the Premier League as it beat Newcastle 4-1 in the Premier League.
After a drab start to the game, which included a very unpopular goalscorer in Anthony Gordon, who handed the Magpies the lead after 36 minutes, the Reds finally found some momentum.
A Hugo Ekitike brace ensured the Reds went in ahead at half-time, before Florian Wirtz added a third after the break to ensure the champions took a dominant position. Ibrahima Konate then scored a poignant goal in injury time, as he bundled home from a corner in his first game back after the passing of his father. Here are the main talking points from Anfield.
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The first half alone against Newcastle summed up Liverpool’s unfathomable season. For 30 minutes, the team was woeful. The Reds were flat, lacking inspiration and a clear plan of what to do in possession.
In simple terms, Newcastle looked hungrier. The supporters inside Anfield were not shy in expressing their frustrations, particularly when Alisson and Ibrahima Konate exchanged unimaginative passes back and forth in the 24th minute.
Yet, somehow, the champions went in ahead at the break. That was mainly down to the brilliance of Ekitike, but in the latter stages of the first period, a suddenly fired-up Liverpool may have felt disappointed to go in just one goal ahead.
Where the resurgence came from is hard to say, but out of nothing, the Reds found new life and belief, and Newcastle could simply not handle their attacking threat. That continued after the break, with Eddie Howe’s side struggling to lay a glove on the hosts.
Deadly duo
Where would Liverpool be without Ekitike and Florian Wirtz? That was certainly the question on the lips of supporters leaving Anfield on Saturday. It was the latter who wriggled free inside the box and picked out his fellow summer signing to give Liverpool the lead.
That’s the second time this week the pair have combined and their attacking returns are become imperative for the Reds. That’s six times the pair have combined this season, more than any Premier League duo.
Hugo Ekitike was among Liverpool’s star performers against Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Wirtz then got in on the action in the second period as he exquisitely diverted a Mohamed Salah pass into the back of the net to double the Reds’ advantage.
Fired up
Gordon made headlines in the reverse fixture when he was sent off for a needless tackle on Virgil van Dijk as the ex-Evertonian racked his studs down the defender’s calf.
Within the first 11 minutes at Anfield, he was involved in two potential red card incidents, when he shoved Alexis Mac Allister off the ball and then caught Alisson high on the leg with his studs.
Anthony Gordon was the pantomime villain as Liverpool beat Newcastle(Image: Getty Images)
The former went unpunished, but the robust tackle on the Liverpool goalkeeper rightly drew a yellow card. Unsurprisingly, the boyhood Red, who played as a No. 9, did not receive a warm reception from the Kop.
Of course, it just had to be Gordon who grabbed the game’s opening goal and the forward headed straight for the iconic Liverpool stand after the ball rippled the back of the net.
Ekitike bites back
In another universe, Ekitike could have been lining up in black and white tonight, following his near move to Newcastle last summer.
He chose Liverpool, of course, and said ahead of the game he was not concerned what sort of reception he would receive from the away fans. Unsurprisingly, that was not a positive one, and he was heckled as he made his way off the pitch late.
The striker responded by holding up a “3-1” on his fingers to indicate the score at the time, before pointing to the Liverpool fans, clearly to explain that he chose the Reds over Newcastle.
That drew a loud cheer from the home supporters and he emphatically banged his chest in response. As if goals alone weren’t enough to make him a firm fan favorite.
Poignant moments
Liverpool vs. Newcastle is, of course, an iconic Premier League fixture. The sight of Kevin Keegan slumped over the billboards in 1996 was one of the enduring early memories of the first years after the league’s rebranding.
Sadly, the former Liverpool and Newcastle hero is battling cancer, and there was a touching moment ahead of the game when his name was read aloud over the PA system, and both sets of fans stood to applaud.
In injury time, Konate added to the emotion as he scored in his first game back after the death of his father. The defender knocked the ball home from a corner and celebrated by running to the Kop.
Konate appeared to fight back tears and was surrounded by his teammates, including Alisson, before the home fans roared their appreciation for the Frenchman. That continued after the game, with Konate and Wirtz the last players to exit the pitch.