Sexy football met the club that put the `X' into Xmas Party as this fixture continued to live up to its reputation for high entertainment. It may have fallen a goal short of the 4-3 scoreline produced twice in the past three seasons by these teams at Anfield but this was an incident-packed, breathtaking match.
Ultimately, with the high jinx of their much publicised Christmas party behind them, Liverpool rallied from 2-0 down to score four times in 18 minutes, with Karlheinz Riedle and Michael Owen sharing the goals to beat Newcastle with the type of `sexy' football Ruud Gullit has been demanding of his team.
With 18 seconds gone, David James produced a fine save to deny Duncan Ferguson and Liverpool's manager Gerard Houllier later pointed out that "it could have been a very different match if that had gone in".
Newcastle will correctly claim that the harsh dismissal of Dietmar Hamann in the 30th minute was the pivotal moment of the game. The German was booked twice in 10 minutes, first for a clumsy trip that forced Steve McManaman to limp off and then after bringing down Patrik Berger.
Ruud Gullit was so incensed he refused to discuss the incident and Newcastle's main complaint surrounded the fact that Jamie Redknapp had escaped sanction for an equally bad challenge on Gary Speed moments earlier.
Redknapp's foul did not go completely unpunished, though, because Liverpool failed to clear Steve Glass's free-kick and the Peruvian Nolbert Solano sent a venomous shot into the roof of the net from the edge of the area.
The sending-off inevitably forced Newcastle to defend doggedly, with Alan Shearer dropping deep into a midfield role. When the substitute Andreas Andersson put United 2-0 in front, capitalising on a comical mix-up between Phil Babb and Steve Staunton to round James seven minutes into the second half, it appeared hard work would be rewarded, especially with their goalkeeper Shay Given performing heroically.
"He was outstanding," said Houllier. "But I knew if we scored once they would be a bit shaky. When we made it 2-2 I said `we are going to win this game'. I felt we were like waves rolling relentlessly forward."
It was an accurate assessment but Houllier still had to sweat. Three times within 60 seconds Given denied Owen, David Thompson and Berger but moments later he was powerless to prevent Owen starting the home side's goal rush.
Jamie Carragher shot powerfully from outside the area and Owen, demonstrating lightning reflexes, diverted the ball into the net. Five minutes later Vegard Heggem, enjoying a stunning afternoon on the right, sent over a cross which Aaron Hughes failed to clear and Riedle forced the ball home after his first attempt had been blocked by Given.
It took eight more minutes for Owen to put Liverpool ahead and kill off Newcastle's increasingly exhausted rearguard action. Redknapp's long-range shot was deflected by Owen's chest and, although Given did well to push the ball on to the post, the striker converted the rebound.
Owen's double took his tally for the season to 15, five of them against Gullit who started his reign at St James' Park with a 4-1 defeat by Liverpool. Riedle added the fourth when, from Stig Bjornebye's well-timed pass, he rounded Given.
Afterwards, Gullit would not be drawn on the sending off, or Redknapp's escape. "My team played very well, after one day's rest, and they worked very hard to get a result out of here," he said. "But just to protect myself, I don't want to say anything else about what happened.
"Certain things spoilt the rest of the day after we had worked so hard, so good luck to everyone," he added. "I think Liverpool took full advantage and did well, my compliments to them."
Gullit, though, did confirm that Ronald de Boer may soon be moving to Tyneside. Gullit, who tried to take the Dutch international on loan until the season, admitted that he may be close to signing de Boer from Ajax. "I hope to announce something very soon, but it is now down to a medical," he said. Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier later revealed that his side will lose Steve McManaman for at least a fortnight. "It is a bad injury for Steve, it was a bad blow for us to lose our captain," he said. "It is nothing to do with his previous injury, but his ankle is twisted and swollen and he will be out for at least a fortnight."
Liverpool: James, Staunton, Babb (McAteer 59), McManaman (Gerrard 25), Owen, Redknapp, Riedle, Heggem, Berger, Bjornebye, Carragher, Gerrard (Thompson 46). Subs Not Used: Friedel, Harkness. Goals: Owen 67, Riedle 71, Owen 80, Riedle 84.
Newcastle: Given, Pearce, Howey, Shearer, Speed, Hamann, Charvet, Glass (Georgiadis 67), Ferguson (Andersson 50), Solano (Dabizas 74), Hughes. Subs Not Used: Barnes, Harper. Sent Off: Hamann (30). Booked: Hamann, Shearer. Goals: Solano 29, Andersson 56. Att: 44,605.
Referee: S Lodge (Barnsley).
