40 mins: An unfortunate rebound off Jacob Murphy in the centre circle made a gift of the ball to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who pushed forward and laid the ball off to Salah. He was able to find the back of the net, despite it hitting Dubravka on the way in. 0-1

Half time: Reds 1 Magpies 0

55 mins: Firmino picked up a loose ball in the centre of the pitch before finding Sadio Mane inside the box. The Senegal striker's finish in front of the Kop was emphatic. 0-2

Full time: Reds 2 Magpies 0

Rafa:

 
"We were playing against a dangerous team. We know they have the pace up front. We managed to 40 minutes then it was a mistake.

"We had to go for it in the second half and were then more open. You have to keep the balance to be stronger in the defence and create chances in attack.

"We are learning but we are still making mistakes against teams. We are improving but this team has to get points.

"Three (shots) on target (for Liverpool), I was surprised. We wanted to be strong in defence and create more in counter-attack. We couldn’t do it, why? Because we have a very good team in front of us. 

"We got into some good positions, and we were running full pace, but still we couldn’t beat them. 

"When you pay money, you pay money not just because of their technical ability. It’s the quality, the decisions and the physicality. Everything that is the difference between teams.

"Every game is important, so if you win now everyone says fantastic and we have more confidence. Maybe you can approach the next games with more confidence and you win more. 

"But if you can’t win, you can still win at the end. You can win the last game and be safe. Every game is an opportunity and nothing else. 

"We have the Tottenham game postponed, so it’s one less game. We have to go against Southampton, take three points, and if not, stay calm and carry on until the end.”

On the Liverpool penalty claim:

"Watching from the bench, maybe Watching the replay, it was not very clear. The referee maybe had the same opinion, that it wasn’t very clear. Watching the replay, both situations was not very clear." 

On his reception from home followers:

"I am pleased with the fans. The Liverpool fans were really good for me."
 

Jurgen Klopp:

"I very often forget the result during the game so even though we were 2-0 up, I did feel we had to control the game better.

"But then when you step out on the pitch, you realise the wind, so it was difficult to do the right thing in the right moment. We scored two wonderful goals and for sure should have had a penalty but didn't.

"They defended really well and are a good team with quality. We lost a few balls we don't usually lose and Roberto Firmino didn't have much support. It caused a few problems but not too many.

On the importance of the save from Mo Diame at 0-1:

"Very, very. I wouldn’t say that we would have had no chance afterwards to win the game, but if the ball is in it changes the game, for sure. What was it, the 45th minute roundabout? 

"So Newcastle would have said ‘perfect moment’, but for us it would have been exactly the opposite. It is exactly the life of a top-class goalkeeper; if you are at a top team, you have not a lot to do but when you have something to do you need to be there – and he was there, so it’s a good thing. 

"It’s better that they had the finish and he could make the save than if they couldn’t have shot the ball at the goal because then nobody speaks about the goalkeeper, so it’s good. It was fantastic – it was like scoring, to be honest."

On Mo Salah:

"I love the goals he's scored, I love his assists. I love this player.

"He's doing so well, but all the others have exactly the same importance and he knows that."

On the late Lascelles incident:

"....a clear red card, I’m afraid to say".

With hope in our hearts - and a shovel in the boot - we set off across the frozen wastelands, or Northumberland as it's more commonly known.

Save for the glorious exception of Steve Watson's golden moment to win a League Cup tie, the journey to the red side of Stanley Park has been a fruitless one for almost a quarter of a century - and there was little to suggest that winless sequence would come to an end today. 

Jonjo Shelvey's long-range effort in the opening seconds of the Manchester City home game was widely interpreted as notice of the negative stance we'd taken that day, and a similar but less obvious passage of play here saw Florian Lejeune mindlessly batter a free kick in the centre circle goalwards, rather than risk moving players forward from their defensive positions.

That expected rearguard action kept the home side at bay until the 40th minute, when a bad bounce set Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain away on goal and his ball to Mo Salah allowed the Beast from the Middle East the chance to score his 32nd club goal this season - equal to our entire league and cup total.

The main excitement for those of a black and white disposition came before the interval, with a smart passing move culminating in Mo Diame's first-time shot looping promisingly towards the top corner of the goal, only for goalkeeper Loris Karius to palm it away.

Had that gone in things may have been slightly different, but within ten minutes of the resumption an easy finish from Sadio Mane made it pretty much game over: unlike our most recent visit here in April 2016, recovering from a two goal deficit never looked on the cards.

As was the case against Manchester City in another teatime trek, solace in what was a familiar and predictable outcome came from the minimal damage to the goal difference. 

And here there was the added relief that we finished with eleven players, Jamaal Lascelles escaping a certain red card and consequent suspension for his ill-advised shove on Mo Salah late on.

That starting lineup had seen Mikel Merino, Jacob Murphy and Christian Atsu brought in for Shelvey, Ayoze Perez and Matt Ritchie, while Islam Slimani remained sidelined with a thigh issue. 

The Shelvey change was enforced due to injury and without the ex-Anfield inhabitant our passing and general ball control left much to be desired, Merino unsurprisingly off the pace after his layoff.

Surrendering possession cheaply would provide the foundation for both home goals, but also leave us almost continually under pressure, that discomfort on the ball almost universal save for Kenedy. 

The safety-first approach also meant that United never tested the rookie full back duo of Andrew Robertson or Trent Alexander Arnold, each yet to make 20 career league starts.   

The final quarter of the game saw Joselu, Isaac Hayden and Perez arrive from the bench in what became a damage-limitation exercise for United - aided by Liverpool's apparent contentment with a comparatively modest margin of victory, perhaps with one eye on Tuesday's Champions League tie.

While we slipped a place to sixteenth to sit a slender two points above the relegation zone, the home side temporarily assumed second place and moved a game nearer to posting an season-long unbeaten home league record - in no small part due to their two £34m goalscorers.    

Such matters are of no concern to us though, as focus turns to the curious situation of just two competitive games over the next month - both of which are at home and both of which now look absolutely pivotal to our Premier League survival hopes. 

The visits of fellow relegation strugglers Southampton and Huddersfield come three weeks apart but provide opportunities to keep our heads above water, ahead of what promises to be a frantic finale.

For the moment, Tyneside holds its breath and discordant thoughts remain unvoiced as the season unfolds in almost exactly the fashion that the manager predicted. It was never going to be pretty, it needs to be effective. If we avoid the drop though, what lies ahead remains anything but clear.

Biffa