Liverpool extended their winning streak to Eight successive games in the premiership after beating Newcastle 2-0 at Anfield. Much of the build up to the game was based around Michael Owen’s return to Anfield, but he hardly got a look in all game.

Straight from the kick-off, Liverpool looked the better side, with Morientes coming close after beating two defenders early on. Harry Kewell was denied a goal after a top class save from Shay Given, after Crouch headed down a cross to Kewell who volleyed it goalwards only for Given to palm it away.

 14 minutes in, Crouch fed the ball to Gerrard who ran through the defence then sent a shot straight into the top corner. From then on, it was going to be the reds day. Liverpool’s second goal came from Peter Crouch, after Morientes sent the ball wide to Kewell, who put the ball into the box, Crouch headed it, Given knocked it onto the post before the ball only just crossed the line, with the Newcastle defenders claiming it had not crossed.

 In the second half, Liverpool should have had a penalty when Morientes headed a Gerrard corner, only for Nolberto Solano to block it with his arm. A few minutes later, Lee Bowyer was sent off for a tackle on Xabi Alonso, the melee afterwards got pretty much everyone involved, Peter Crouch coming away with a booking for flooring Bowyer. The final score should have been about 7-0 to the reds, but a win is a win, another clean sheet for Reina.

After the game Benitez said: "I thought we played really well in the first half and created a lot of chances and we didn’t give a chance to the opposition. "I am happy with the performance of the team but we should have scored more goals and their goalkeeper played very well. I told the players at half-time to finish the game off but we couldn’t get the third goal. "We have confidence and we are playing really well and creating a lot of chances. In defence Sami, Carra, Steve Finnan and John Arne Riise did a good job but we are thinking always about winning and not about clean sheets and records. If you keep a clean sheet then you always have a chance for winning the game."