Match reportHugo Ekitike scores twice as Liverpool come from behind to beat Newcastle 4-1

A clinical, quickfire brace by Hugo Ekitike - scored in minutes 41 and 43 - saw the Reds swiftly overturn Anthony Gordon’s opener for the visitors.

And, midway through the second half, Florian Wirtz continued his rich vein of goalscoring form by slotting home the hosts’ third, before the returning Ibrahima Konate added a fourth in stoppage time.

The impressive victory moves Arne Slot’s side one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League.

Team

Konate and Milos Kerkez were back in place of Jeremie Frimpong and Andy Robertson as Liverpool made two changes to their starting XI from the midweek win over Qarabag.

Curtis Jones was named on the bench following illness.

Liverpool: Alisson, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Wirtz (Endo, 87), Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah (Chiesa, 84), Gakpo, Ekitike (Jones, 84), Gravenberch.

Unused subs: Mamardashvili, Robertson Nyoni, Ramsay, Nallo, Ngumoha.

First half

Transitions were the order of the day from the off, with both sides willing to commit players forward in search of the opening goal.

The noise level inside Anfield, already high, rose further in response to Cody Gakpo driving deep into Newcastle territory after turning adeptly inside his own half, before Mohamed Salah was thwarted by Kieran Trippier as he tried to cut back inside having sprung in behind the visitors’ back line.

Newcastle went within a whisker of opening the scoring midway through the first half as Harvey Barnes rattled the post with a free-kick. Their best spell of the game followed and concluded with Gordon scoring.

There was an element of fortune in how the chance presented itself to Gordon – the ball rolling to him after Alexis Mac Allister had tackled Barnes – but his finish was hard and true into the bottom corner.

That goal arrived in minute 36 but such was the strength of Liverpool’s response, it was the home team that went in ahead at half-time.

Ekitike’s double was netted in the space of two minutes. His first was another example of his easy understanding with Wirtz, as the No.7 glided his way into space in a packed penalty area then picked his teammate out via a cutback that was dispatched with a firm, first-time hit.

The France forward’s second goal was all about him, though, as he surged down the inside-left channel with too much pace and power to handle, prior to impudently toe-poking the ball into the far corner for his 15th goal of the season.

Second half

Ekitike spurned a presentable chance to record his first Liverpool hat-trick in the early stages of the second half, the No.22 side-footing wide after he’d nicked the ball away from Dan Burn.

On the hour, Alisson Becker made a superb reaction save to palm away Barnes’ low drive – though the offside flag was up anyway – and soon after, Wirtz afforded Liverpool some welcome breathing space.

Salah was the creator, the No.11 feeding the ball back into the path of the oncoming Wirtz, who coolly rolled a precise, low finish into the Kop-end corner.

And there was more to come, too, as Konate crowned his return with a stoppage-time goal to round off an excellent night’s work.

Attendance: 60,416