Liverpool Extend Lead at the Top as Arsenal Falter
Liverpool cemented their position at the summit of the Premier League table with a convincing 2-0 victory over Newcastle United at Anfield on Wednesday. The Reds moved 13 points clear of second-placed Arsenal, who were held to a draw by Nottingham Forest, in a crucial weekend of Premier League action.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister were the goalscorers for Liverpool, as they continued their relentless march towards the title. The win came despite the absence of head coach Arne Slot and assistant Sipke Hulshoff, who were serving touchline bans, with Johnny Heitinga overseeing the dugout.
Szoboszlai Shines as Liverpool Overcome Newcastle
Liverpool’s breakthrough came in the 11th minute when Szoboszlai’s low effort found its way past Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope following a cutback from Luis Diaz. The visitors had their chances, with Callum Wilson missing a clear opportunity, but Liverpool’s dominance eventually told as Mac Allister doubled the lead in the 63rd minute, sweeping home Mohamed Salah’s pass.
Salah was unable to add to his recent goalscoring exploits, but the Liverpool talisman played a key role in the second goal. The Egyptian’s superb pass almost set up a third for Diaz, who prodded wide at full stretch, while Salah himself was denied by a low save from Pope.
The victory capped a grueling stretch of the season for Liverpool, who have played five league games in the past two weeks. However, rather than seeing their title tilt falter, the Reds have thrived, extending their lead at the top of the table.
Szoboszlai, who had looked exhausted following the Manchester City game, stepped up when his team needed him most, scoring and assisting in the pivotal win. With a week to regroup before their next Champions League clash, the Hungarian and his Liverpool teammates can now look forward to the run-in with renewed vigor.
For Newcastle, the defeat was another painful experience at Anfield, a venue that has proved a step too far for the Magpies. Despite a decent performance, Eddie Howe’s side were undone by the ruthlessness of the league leaders, with their full-backs caught out of position for both Liverpool goals.
- Liverpool have now scored two or more goals in 18 consecutive games at Anfield in all competitions – the longest run of home games with more than one goal scored in succession by an English top-flight club since Sunderland from February to December 1935 (19).
- Liverpool are unbeaten in 24 Premier League games (W17 D7), now the third-longest run in their top-flight history, behind runs of 31 matches from May 1987 to March 1988 and 44 from January 2019 to February 2020.
- Liverpool have kept more clean sheets in the Premier League this season than any other side (12), although they have kept successive shutouts in the competition for the first time since a run of four from May to September 2024.
- Only Thierry Henry in 2002/03 (20) has assisted more goals from open play in a single Premier League campaign than Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah this season (17).
With their next Premier League fixture against Southampton, Liverpool will be looking to maintain their momentum and further extend their lead at the top of the table. As for Newcastle, they will hope to bounce back and secure a positive result in their upcoming EFL Cup final against Liverpool, with the potential return of Alexander Isak providing a timely boost for the Magpies.
