Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle United: Premier League leaders go 13 points clear

Liverpool moved 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a 2-0 win over Newcastle United at a jubilant Anfield on Wednesday.

Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister gave Liverpool their latest victory, while second-placed Arsenal could only draw at Nottingham Forest and fell further off the pace.

Overseen in the dugout by Johnny Heitinga, with head coach Arne Slot and assistant Sipke Hulshoff serving touchline bans, the league leaders took another significant step towards a much-anticipated title with only 10 matches to play.

While Szoboszlai was perhaps the star of the show, Mohamed Salah was again influential, this time without scoring as he teed up Mac Allister’s clinching strike.

18 – Liverpool have now scored 2+ 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-December 1935 (19). Powerhouse. pic.twitter.com/4B81pitfcM

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 26, 2025

Liverpool did not have it all their own way before then, but Newcastle’s hopes of dealing a blow to their upcoming EFL Cup final opponents were hampered by the absence of top goalscorer Alexander Isak due to a groin issue.

Eddie Howe’s men are left sixth, three points off the top four in a Champions League chase that now looks rather tighter than Liverpool’s title fight.

Data debrief: Fast-starting Dom and title-winning defence

Szoboszlai followed up his goal against Manchester City with another here, scoring in consecutive Premier League games for the first time.

When he has netted, the goals have often come early. After scoring in the 11th minute against Newcastle, Szoboszlai has Liverpool’s three earliest goals at Anfield in the Premier League since joining the club.

That was a vital platform as Newcastle threatened before the second goal, although they ultimately could not muster a single shot on target.

It meant Liverpool recorded a league-leading 12th clean sheet of the campaign and a second in a row for the first time since September, their defence coming to the fore as the finish line nears.