Liverpool is in good form, so winning against Newcastle and maintaining the top position is understandable. Both teams opted for an offensive style of play, but Newcastle seemed to be weaker, making them susceptible to goals in Liverpool's counter-attacks. This early New Year's win is hopefully a stroke of luck for them.
However, Liverpool should look at the examples of Arsenal and Mancity, as they are teams that have also lost their top spots due to complacent matches and consistently dropping points regrettably in recent times. It's essential to remember that Aston Villa is closely trailing them, and with a few missteps, the top spot could slip away from their grasp.
Liverpool were actually dominant throughout the game and they deserved to win. The amount of goals Newcastle is conceding recently is setting up a bad record for the team especially in away matches. The goalie deserves a very applaud for his excellent performance yesterday otherwise Newcastle would have conceded more than five goals or even more. The players need to work on their ball control and retention as well because the way they lose control of the ball cheaply and giving erroneous passes is getting too much. It's time for Newcastle to upgrade if they truly have the ambitions to be a regular top four and ready to win trophies.
Nevertheless, Newcastle showed a good fighting spirit yesterday at Anfield but the odds was not on their side and the officiating ruined everything in the end. Despite playing defensively, Liverpool were too strong to withstand and they force their way to penetrate in and maintain the lead on the table. It's a great and stylish way to begin the new year.