Jürgen Klopp’s side – who move back up to second in the table with victory – were, in truth, comfortable for the most part, with in-form Egyptian Salah opening the scoring five minutes before the break.
United’s only real opportunity of the evening came on the stroke of half time, when Mohamed Diamé’s rasping left-footed strike was brilliantly kept out by the Reds’ Loris Karius.
But, from the moment Mané swept home another early into the second period, there was no way back for Newcastle, who sit 16th in the Premier League ahead of next week’s visit of Southampton – the side immediately below them in the standings.
The Reds – fresh from scoring four in their last outing at Anfield, against West Ham United a week ago – made the more purposeful start and enjoyed considerably more of the ball early on. Mané had a sight of goal just five minutes in, but failed to get Trent Alexander-Arnold’s well-weighted cross under control. The prolific Salah then fired into the side-netting after latching onto Emre Can’s ball down the channel, before the German himself nodded a free kick from the right over the top.
After weathering something of a storm early on, the Magpies looked reasonably solid as the first half progressed. But, with 40 minutes on the clock, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was given the freedom to roam after Liverpool cut out Florian Lejeune’s lofted pass, and the England international unselfishly played in Salah, who just about got the better of the advancing Martin Dúbravka.
Having mustered just a single shot at goal beforehand, Newcastle nearly equalised with the final action before the interval. With bodies in and around the penalty area, Mikel Merino teed up Diamé 20 yards out, and the powerful midfielder’s sweetly-struck effort was superbly tipped past the post by Karius.
It was to prove a key moment, as the Reds duly doubled their lead ten minutes into the second half. Again, United were guilty of allowing a Liverpool player – Roberto Firmino, on this occasion – far too much space in the middle of the park, and the Brazilian threaded the ball through for Mané, who coolly found the net.
That just about killed the game off as a contest, with the Reds cruising and the Magpies struggling to get a foothold in the opposing half. Kenedy did see a deflected strike roll wide with 15 minutes remaining, and after the Brazilian played the resultant corner short, Christian Atsu’s in-swinging cross was nodded wide by Isaac Hayden.
Salah saw fervent appeals for a spot kick waved away two minutes into added time, but referee Graham Scott’s decision not to penalise United skipper Jamaal Lascelles for an alleged foul was to make little difference to the overall outcome.
