Liverpool 4-2 Newcastle: Mohamed Salah nets brace as Reds go three points clear at top of Premier League

Liverpool moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League as they survived what threatened to be a frustrating night with a chaotic 4-2 win over Newcastle.

The Reds had 18 shots in the opening 45 minutes, one of those a Mohamed Salah penalty that was saved by Martin Dubravka, but failed to score with a single one of them, as Newcastle somehow made it to to the break with the match still goalless.

Six goals followed in the second-half, four of them for Liverpool as the hosts finally made their dominance count. Salah opened the scoring after the restart, faced with an empty net after Darwin Nunez squared the ball, but Alexander Isak equalised with a composed finish just five minutes later.

Frustration was growing at Anfield, as the home fans watched a succession of promising moments come to nothing, but eventually the lead was restored. Diogo Jota laid it on a plate for Curtis Jones to tap home, before Cody Gakpo swiftly added a third for Liverpool after a sensational pass from Salah.

That felt like game over but within minutes Newcastle were within touching distance again, as Sven Botman rose highest from a corner to leave the Magpies with ten minutes to find an equaliser.

But the deficit was quickly doubled, this time finishing the match for good. Alexis Mac Allister played Diogo Jota clean through, and the Portuguese forward went round Martin Dubravka, took a couple of steps and then threw himself to the floor.

The delay wasn't enough to save Newcastle, the referee pointing to the spot and VAR confirming the decision. Salah again stepped up and this time found the bottom corner, sealing the three points as a final gift before his departure to the Africa Cup of Nations.

It leaves Liverpool three points ahead of Aston Villa in second, and five clear of Arsenal and Manchester City, though Pep Guardiola's side do have a game in hand.