Liverpool moved away from the top of the English Premier League, with a difference of 3 points from the pursuers of Aston Villa, after snatching a precious victory over the hosts Newcastle United 4-2 on Monday evening, within 20.
Egyptian star Mohamed Salah made a strong contribution to the victory of coach Jurgen Klopp's squad, scoring two goals in the 49th and 86th minutes from a penalty kick, while making another goal.
The other two goals for the Reds were scored by Curtis Jones and Cody jackbow in the 74th and 78th minutes, while Alexander Isaak (54) and Zven Putman (81) scored for Newcastle.
Liverpool took the lead with 45 points, 3 points ahead of its pursuer Aston Villa, while Newcastle's balance remained 29 points in ninth place.
Liverpool started attacking, and the ball outside the Newcastle penalty area reached Trent Alexander-Arnold, who hit it straight to bounce off a defender and pass by the goal in the second minute.
Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka saved his goal from a goal in the 12th minute, when he blocked Darwin Nunez's close-range attempt, following a smart pass from the Egyptian star Mohamed Salah.
Alexander-Arnold took a free kick, which Nunez followed with a header over the Newcastle goal in the 17th minute, and moments later video technology canceled a goal scored by the Liverpool winger for having sneaked on his teammate Nunez.
The referee awarded a penalty kick in favor of Liverpool, after Diaz was blocked by Zven Putman, and Salah executed the kick, but Dubravka saved it in the 23rd minute.
Dubravka returned in the 24th minute to block a low shot from Liverpool player Curtis Jones.
Two minutes later, Diaz put his teammate Jones in front of the goal, but the defense put the ball away from him before the shot.
Dubravka deprived Nunez of scoring in the 32nd minute, when he blocked his solo, before the ball bounced to the Uruguayan striker, who shot into the goalkeeper's parking spot.
It was Newcastle's turn when video technology cancelled out a goal in the 37th minute scored by Dan Bourne, for an offside on teammate Alexander Isaak.
The 40th minute saw a spectacular move from Alexander-Arnold, who hit a powerful ball "on the fly" near the corner flag to bounce off the crossbar.
Salah was able to compensate for the missed penalty kick by opening the scoring in the 49th minute, when he followed up from close range, an elaborate cross from his teammate Nunez.
Liverpool became more dangerous after the goal, and Salah wanted to repay Nunez in the same way, when he passed the ball to him in front of the goal, but the goalkeeper Dubravka brilliantly returned the ball in the 53rd minute.
Newcastle quickly equalized in the 54th minute, when Anthony Gordon passed an inter-ball to Isaak, who singled out goalkeeper Alison Baker, to shoot into the net.
Liverpool almost regained their lead in the 60th minute, when Alexander-Arnold sent a tricky ball into the penalty area, which Diaz followed up before bouncing off a defender.
Diaz received a pass from Wataru Endo, breaking into the penalty area and shooting, but Dubravaka was on a new date of brilliance in the 62nd minute.
Nunez continued to give away easy chances, when he followed up with an Indu cross from a comfortable position, next to the far post in the 63rd minute.
Cody jackbow and Diego Jota entered the Liverpool formation in place of Diaz and Nunez.
Salah broke through from the right before Dubravka blocked a shot that bounced back to Jones, who followed it up with a one-touch shot before the Defense sent it away in the 66th minute.
A corner kick caused confusion inside the Newcastle penalty area, reaching a ball to jackpo, who shot from the heart of the penalty area, but Dubravka blocked his creeping shot in the 69th minute.
Liverpool's pressure resulted in a goal in the 74th minute, when Salah sent a short cross in the right to Jota, and the latter passed instead of shooting to Jones, who shot into the empty net.
Jacepo scored the equalizer in the 79th minute, when Salah put him in front of the goal with a low cross with the outside of his foot, completing the ball easily into the net.
But Newcastle brought the difference back to one goal in the 81st minute, when Sean Longstaff saved a corner kick, which Putman followed with an easy header into the goal.
However, Liverpool managed to score the fourth goal in the 86th minute, after the referee awarded him a penalty kick as a result of Jota falling when trying to dodge Dubravka.
This time Salah successfully kicked the kick, so that the Egyptian pharaoh strongly revealed his fangs at the beginning of the new year, before leaving the team to compete in the African Cup of nations with the Egyptian national team.
