Liverpool missed the chance to close in on the Premier League’s top four when they suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to lowly Newcastle United at St James’ Park yesterday.
Dutchman Georginio Wijnaldum, signed from PSV Eindhoven in the close-season, forced Martin Skrtel into an own goal in the 69th minute and then added a second himself in added time.
That gave Newcastle only a second home win of the season and took them above neighbours and relegation rivals Sunderland in the bottom three.
All that Liverpool could point to after a disappointing display was a wrongly-disallowed goal by full-back Alberto Moreno that would have brought them an equaliser 10 minutes from the end.
Juergen Klopp’s side remain seventh, six points behind the Champions League places, after only their second defeat in the 12 games since the German took over from Brendan Rodgers in October.
Newcastle manager Steve McClaren had wanted his team to “get back to the basics of work-rate and organisation” and they did so to good effect in matching Liverpool’s pressing game.
With the home side content to sit back and Liverpool unable to break them down, the game took a long while to warm up and threatened to become the first goalless draw between the sides for 41 years.
The visitors made nothing of a crop of early corners and until Jordon Ibe swung one over in the 22nd minute there was not a sniff of a scoring chance.
Centre-half Dejan Lovren headed it down invitingly but Christian Benteke lifted the bouncing ball over the bar from barely three metres out.
Newcastle’s only threatening moment in the first half-hour predictably came in a swift counter when Papiss Cisse broke away and was briefly one-on-one with Martin Skrtel but delayed and allowed covering defenders to get back and dispossess him.
McClaren’s team had a better moment just before the interval when Cisse flicked on a corner and Congolese defender Chancel Mbwemba headed over the bar.
Newcastle took the lead after 69 minutes when Moussa Sissoko’s cross was slightly mis-controlled by Wijnaldum but he still managed to fire in a shot that Skrtel deflected in.
Klopp had been dissatisfied enough to make a double change with an hour played, sending on Daniel Sturridge and fellow England international Adam Lallana for Benteke and the equally ineffective Roberto Firmino.
The two substitutes were involved in a rare scoring opportunity but Sturridge pulled his shot carelessly wide.
And Wijnaldum made sure of the points when he clipped Sissoko’s perfect through ball over keeper Simon Mignolet.
Premier League
Newcastle 2
Skrtel 69og; Wijnaldum 90;
Liverpool 0
HT: 0-0. Att: 51,273.
Playing today
Everton vs Crystal Palace - 21.00
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Leicester | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 32 | 21 | 32 |
| Arsenal | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 13 | 30 |
| Man. City | 15 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 30 | 16 | 29 |
| Man. United | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 20 | 10 | 29 |
| Tottenham | 15 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 25 | 12 | 26 |
| West Ham | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 25 | 21 | 23 |
| Liverpool | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 17 | 23 |
| C. Palace | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 19 | 14 | 22 |
| Watford | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 16 | 22 |
| Stoke City | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 14 | 22 |
| Everton | 14 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 27 | 19 | 21 |
| S’hampton | 15 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 18 | 21 |
| West Brom | 15 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 19 | 19 |
| Chelsea | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 24 | 15 |
| Swansea | 15 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 22 | 14 |
| Norwich City | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 27 | 13 |
| B’nemouth | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 30 | 13 |
| Newcastle | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 30 | 13 |
| Sunderland | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 29 | 12 |
| Aston Villa | 15 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 28 | 6 |
The Championship
Sheffield Wed.-Derby - 0-0
Standings: Brighton 41; M’boro 39; Derby 37; Hull 35; Burnley 34; Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday 29; Birmingham, Ipswich Town, Brentford 28; Reading 27; QPR 26; Blackburn, Wolves 24; Nottm Forest 23; Fulham, Leeds United 22; Preston NE 21; Huddersfield Town 18; MK Dons, Bristol City, Charlton Athletic 16; Rotherham 15; Bolton 12.
FA Cup – Second Round
Bradford-Chesham - 4-0
Cambridge-Doncaster - 1-3
Colchester-Altrincham - 3-2
Dagenham-Whitehawk - 1-1
Exeter-Port Vale - 2-0
Oxford-Forest Green - 1-0
Peterborough-Luton Town - 2-0
Rochdale-Bury - 0-1
Welling United-Carlisle - 0-5
Playing today
Grimsby-Shrewsbury - 20.45