Saturday 24 November 2007 12:45 FA Barclays Premier League
"Newcastle United"	0 - 3	"Liverpool"
	(0-1)
GOAL
		Gerrard 27, Kuyt 46, Babel 67
Team: 1. Shay Given, 21. Habib Beye, 3. Jose Sanchez Enrique, 4. David Rozehnal, 22. Nicky Butt, 5. Belozoglu Emre, 20. Njitap Geremi, 14. Charles N'Zogbia, 9. Obafemi Martins, 17. Alan Smith, 36. Mark Viduka. Subs: 13. Steve Harper, 2. Stephen Carr, 30. David Edgar, 7. Joey Barton, 16. James Milner.		Team: 25. Jose Reina, 3. Steve Finnan, 4. Sami Hyypia, 23. Jamie Carragher, 17. Alvaro Arbeloa, 7. Harry Kewell, 8. Steven Gerrard (c), 21. Lucas Leiva, 22. Mohamed Sissoko, 9. Fernando Torres, 18. Dirk Kuyt. Subs: 30. Charles Itandje, 6. John Arne Riise, 20. Javier Mascherano, 19. Ryan Babel, 15. Peter Crouch.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Emre (Barton 50), N'Zogbia (Milner 58, )Enrique (Carr 77),		Kewell (Babel 58), Kuyt (Riise 76), Gerrard (Crouch 80)
OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)
Booked: Butt 61, Beye 86, Smith 90		Booked: Sissoko 79
VENUE		MANAGERS
St James' Park (capacity 52,387) Attendance: 52,307		Graeme Souness (Newcastle U) Rafael Benitez (Liverpool)

  Price: J3,00

  GERRARD INSPIRES EMPHATIC WIN

  Anyone who questioned how Steven Gerrard would respond to the disappointment of England's Euro 2008 exit should have known better.

  The skipper's sixth goal in seven games set Liverpool on their way to a thoroughly deserved 3-0 win in Newcastle on Saturday lunchtime.

  His first-half thunderbolt was as good as anything we've seen from the number eight in recent years.

  Add to that two assists for Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel in the second half, and you've got yourself an emphatic full stop on a week Gerrard and many of his club colleagues would rather forget.

  The result was rarely in doubt. Liverpool dominated possession from start to finish. It was almost as if they were playing at home, with the hosts resorting to the kind of counter-attacking football we're used to seeing from the likes of Birmingham and Portsmouth at Anfield.

  The game's first real opportunity came on eight minutes when Fernando Torres was fouled on the edge of the box. It was the same spot from which Gerrard bulged the net against Arsenal a few weeks ago but, though he hit the target, the skipper's effort never seriously troubled Shay Given's goal.

  Minutes later Torres skipped past a defender as he does, only to be thwarted by a last-gasp tackle from Habib Beye.

  Gerrard gave another indication of what was to come when he stung Given's hands on 20 minutes after cutting inside and launching a fierce effort from 30 yards. Inspired, Carragher tried his luck from distance. The outcome was predictable.

  Then came the opener. We've seen some special goals from men in red this season, and many of them from the captain, but Gerrard's 27th minute free-kick was a match for any of them. The ball was rolled sideways by the impressive Lucas, who was making his first league start since arriving from Gremio in the summer. Then, smack. Given needn't have bothered moving.

  You'd think the goal would rouse Sam Allardyce's men, but no. The increasingly restless Toon Army had to wait 37 minutes for a decent attempt at Pepe Reina's goal. Alan Smith was the protagonist with a driving volley which went narrowly wide.

  Torres should then have made it 2-0 to the visitors when Given went AWOL, but, confronted with an open goal 25 yards out, the Spaniard hit the post.

  Replays showed the Newcastle stopper deserved to see red for handling outside the box seconds earlier, yet there were still 22 men on the pitch as the second half got underway.

  Unfortunately for the majority of St James's Park, 11 of them had their heads in their hands within a minute. Gerrard's corner was nothing to write home about, but a lack of any sort of marking allowed Sami Hyypia to flick on before Kuyt shinned home his third league goal of the campaign.

  Torres hit narrowly wide on 60 minutes after more calamitous defending, and the Spanish hitman wriggled his way into another goalscoring position shortly after. This time he was denied by the feet of Given.

  Rafa Benitez swapped Harry Kewell for Babel on 58 minutes, and it was the Dutchman who made it game, set and match by finishing a superb 17-pass move in which Gerrard was again instrumental.

  All that was missing was a Torres goal. It wasn't for want of trying: three times he found himself through after Liverpool's third, but it just wasn't his day.

  Kuyt could have bagged his second before making way for John Arne Riise with a quarter of an hour remaining.

  Benitez shuffled his pack once more on 80 minutes by introducing Peter Crouch. The departing Gerrard was roundly booed by the home faithful. You'd think they'd have better things to worry about after their side's abject display.

  As for Liverpool, it's now 13 league games unbeaten this season - something the Merseysiders have not achieved since 1990-91.

  Teams

  Newcastle United: Given, Jose Enrique, Beye, Rozehnal, (c), N'Zogbia, Smith, , Butt, Martins, Viduka. Subs - Barton, Carr, Edgar, Harper, Milner.

  Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Finnan, Kewell, Leiva, Sissoko, Gerrard (c), Kuyt, Torres. Subs - Babel, Crouch, Itandje, Mascherano, Riise.

  Referee: Alan Wiley

  Conditions: Unavailable

  Attendance: Unavailable

  Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Steven Gerrard

  Breakdown

12:47 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Liverpool get the game underway.
2 mins : The Geordies are playing three centre backs.
3 mins : The travelling Kop are in good voice.
4 mins : Some crunching tackles early on.
6 mins : Gerrard and Kewell combine to set up first corner of the match.
6 mins : And another corner but Shay Given claims.
7 mins : Looks like Momo is on the right!
8 mins : First shot of the match but Gerrard blocks Martins.
9 mins : Torres goes down free-kick to the Reds just outside the area.
10 mins : Gerrard fizzes an effort on goal but Given saves comfortably.
11 mins : Neither side in control as of yet.
12 mins : Kewell and Kuyt combine to set up Torres but just as it seems he will score Newcastle get a block in.
13 mins : Short corner sees Gerrard flash a dangerous effort just over the bar.
14 mins : It's all a bit scrappy out there.
15 mins : Anyone remember the last time Kewell started for Liverpool?
18 mins : .Kewell's cross finds Torres but he cannot direct his header.
20 mins : Liverpool are playing some good stuff now.
21 mins : Chris Waddle and Peter Beardsley are here Jim.
22 mins : We are camped in Newcastle's half at the moment.
23 mins : 30 yard drive from Gerrard beaten away by Given.
23 mins : A rare sight. Carra breaks up the play and lashes a long range effort wide.
24 mins : Good interception by Sami.
25 mins : Our man Steve Hunter reckons HK last started in the 2006 FA Cup final.
27 mins : Sami halts another through ball towards Martins.
27 mins : Another free-kick in a dangerous position for LFC.
28 mins : GOAL: Steven Gerrard. A wonderful 25-yard belter.
30 mins : The Liverpool fans are in good voice. We've got the best midfield in the world don't you know!
33 mins : Liverpool look dangerous on the break.
34 mins : The home support are getting frustrated. Music to Rafa's ears.
35 mins : He's got flowing blond locks and a Brazilian touch but Lucas isn't afraid to get stuck in.
36 mins : Two great tackles by Arbeloa.
37 mins : Newcastle have their first corner.
37 mins : Tell a lie, it was a long throw. The Reds clear the danger though.
38 mins : Alan Smith hammers a great volley just wide with Reina beaten.
39 mins : Stev e Finnan gets clear down the right but his cross misses everyone.
40 mins : Torres wins a corner off Enrique.
41 mins : But Gerrard's cross is claimed by Given.
42 mins : Lucas puts the ball out for a throw under no pressure and the home side push forward.
43 mins : The Reds have slowed the game down and look in control as we apporach the break.
44 mins : Gerrard gets set to take a corner form the right.
44 mins : Newcastle clear but Liverpool are still in possession.
45 mins : Torres hits the post!
45 mins : It should be 2-0. Given came out of his goal and after a mad scramble Torres hit a shot against the post.
45 mins : There will be a minimum of one minute added time.
13:33 GMT : Half Time Reached

13:49 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Newcastle kick-off the second half.
46 mins : GOAL: Dirk Kuyt. Gerrard's corner from the left is flicked on by Hyypia and Kuyt was there to make it 2-0.
47 mins : Free-kick to Liverpool but Kewell's effort is blocked.
51 mins : Substitution: Joey Barton for Emre :
53 mins : The Reds are looking dangerous every time they go forward.
54 mins : Butt plays in Martins but Sami is there to block his path.
55 mins : Torres cuts the ball back to Kewell but his goalbound effort is brilliantly blocked.
56 mins : Alan Smith blazes well over from the edge of the box.
57 mins : Steve Finnan is down injured.
58 mins : The game restarts with a Newcastle throw in the Liverpool half.
58 mins : Steve finnan is okay.
59 mins : Substitution: James Milner for Charles N'Zogbia:
60 mins : Torres causes havoc in the Newcastle defence and curls a cute effort just wide of the far post.
61 mins : First Booking: Nicky Butt: A blatant foul on Steven Gerrard.
61 mins : Rafa's out the dugout giving some advice to Momo.
62 mins : Torres teases the defender once again but his effort is superbly saved by Given.
63 mins : Substitute Babel earns the Reds a corner.
64 mins : Given punches clear but the Reds maintain possession.
65 mins : Butt trips Sissoko. He's already been booked so he had best be careful!
66 mins : GOAL! Ryan Babel: Gerrard and Babel combine down the left with the Dutchman on hand to cooly place the ball past Given. 3-0.
68 mins : Torres is through but again he just misses the target.
69 mins : Torres is clean through but again Given denies him. It's not Fernando's day in front of goal.
72 mins : It's very quiet here. The home fans seem resigned to defeat as Torres once again misses a great chance to make it four.
73 mins : Babel fires a sizzling drive just wide from a tight angle.
74 mins : This is so one-sided. Torres could have had a hat-trick.
74 mins : A rare Newcastle chance but Martins just fails to control the long ball down the middle.
75 mins : The attendance here is 52,307.
76 mins : Babel surges down the left and cuts the ball back to Kuyt but Dirk hits his shot straight at Given.
76 mins : Substitution: John Arne Riise for Dirk Kuyt:
77 mins : Newcastle are enjoying their best spell of the second half.
78 mins : But Liverpool still look the more likely to score!
78 mins : Substitution: Stephen Carr for Sanchez Jose Enrique:
79 mins : First Booking: Momo Sissoko: Momo brings down James Milner.
80 mins : Substitution: Peter Crouch for Steven Gerrard:
80 mins : Stevie is booed but he's been superb today.
82 mins : Ironic cheers from the home support as Newcastle play keep ball.
83 mins : Chance for Viduka but Reina makes a great save.
84 mins : Great challenge by Geremi to prevent Babel from running in on goal.
85 mins : Our superb away form looks set to continue.
86 mins : Anyone got a cigar?
87 mins : The home support are making their way to the exits with 'Best midfield in the world' ringing in their ears.
87 mins : First Booking: Habib Beye: Thunders into the back of Torres.
88 mins : I feel sorry for Fernando. He's been SO dangerous but he just hasn't had his shooting boots on today.
89 mins : Looks like we will go third in the table for the time being.
90 mins : There will be a minimum of two minutes added time.
14:36 GMT : Match Over

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