By Dan King - Newcastle United Digital EditorAt St. James' Park
Newcastle United 2 (Wijnaldum 69, 90+2)Liverpool 0
Georginio Wijnaldum struck twice as Newcastle United answered some of their critics with a deserved victory over in-form Liverpool.
This was a display of character and no little ability from a much-maligned Magpies team in front of the Sky Sports cameras at St. James' Park, and Wijnaldum's second-half brace was enough to give them three points against a Reds side who had won three of their previous four league games.
There were echoes of last season's triumph against the same opponents 13 months earlier; United had gone into that fixture with just two wins and ten points, just as they did this time around, but this was arguably a more comfortable victory for United.
Steve McClaren made one change to the XI which lost at Crystal Palace as Siem de Jong came in for Ayoze Perez, while Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp resisted the temptation to start with Divock Origi and Daniel Sturridge, who had been so clinical in their midweek Capital One Cup quarter-final success at Southampton.
The Reds certainly looked like a side full of confidence as they forced three corners inside the opening two minutes, but Newcastle withstood that early pressure and began to grow into the game.
Indeed, it took until the 21st minute for Liverpool to create an opening as Alberto Moreno's right-wing corner fell for Christian Benteke, but the Belgian could only fire over the bar.
At the other end, Vurnon Anita picked out Papiss Cisse in the 32nd minute but referee Andre Marriner had already spotted an infringement before the Senegalese striker dragged his shot wide from eight yards.
Then in the 40th minute, Wijnaldum played a wonderful through ball for Cisse but Nathaniel Clyne and Martin Skrtel did well to prevent the frontman from getting a shot at goal after he had reached the box.The best chance of the half came in the 44th minute when Cisse flicked on Jack Colback's right-wing corner and Chancel Mbemba arrived to meet it at the far post, but could not guide his header on target.
And just before the break, after De Jong was pulled back by Lucas Leiva, Wijnaldum sent a free kick over the bar.
United came out of the blocks quickly at the beginning of the second period, too. In the 51st minute, Moussa Sissoko cut the ball back from the right and Wijnaldum stabbed the ball the wrong side of the post.
Joe Allen screwed a shot wide for the visitors after Jordan Ibe had hurdled a clumsy Fabricio Coloccini challenge but Newcastle continued to press as Wijnaldum's 20-yard drive was deflected behind.
Klopp introduced Sturridge, along with fellow England international Adam Lallana, just after the hour mark, but if that was intended to engineer a breakthrough for the away side it instead had the opposite effect.
Sissoko drove the ball in the from the right and Wijnaldum was able to fire in a low shot which took a big deflection off Skrtel on its way past Simon Mignolet.
Sturridge twice threatened to respond, first shooting wide from outside the box and then scuffing a much simpler chance across goal.
Then Moreno did get the ball in the back of Rob Elliot's net with a smart finish but was - perhaps wrongly - flagged offside.
That was a stroke of good fortune for the Magpies but their display warranted such luck and they made sure of the win in stoppage time when, following a strong run and great ball from Sissoko, Wijnaldum dinked the ball over Mignolet.
Newcastle United (4-4-1-1): Rob Elliot; Daryl Janmaat, Chancel Mbemba, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Paul Dummett; Moussa Sissoko, Vurnon Anita, Jack Colback (Yoan Gouffran 77), Georginio Wijnaldum; Siem de Jong (Ayoze Perez 68); Papiss Cisse (Florian Thauvin 82)
Subs not used: Karl Darlow, Jamie Sterry, Kevin Mbabu, Aleksandar Mitrovic
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Simon Mignolet; Nathaniel Clyne, Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren, Alberto Moreno; Lucas Leiva, Joe Allen; Jordan Ibe (Divock Origi 75), Roberto Firmino (Daniel Sturridge 62), James Milner (c); Christian Benteke (Adam Lallana 62)
Subs not used: Adam Bogdan, Kolo Toure, Jordan Henderson, Connor Randall
Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands)
Bookings: Newcastle United - Colback (34), Anita (60), Cisse (63); Liverpool - Lucas Leiva (45)
Attendance: 51,273 (3,200 Liverpool)
