Reds lock down top spot in PL after penalty drama in bonkers six-goal thriller

Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool stretched Newcastle’s miserable run with a 4-2 victory at Anfield to open up a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Monday.

Jurgen Klopp’s team should have run out even more convincing winners as Martin Dubravka saved Salah’s first-half penalty among 10 stops.

But Salah made amends from the spot after he, Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo had netted in the second half to inflict a seventh defeat in eight games on Newcastle.

Liverpool head into the Premier League’s winter break five points clear of title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal, with Aston Villa posing an unexpected challenge in second place.

Newcastle, by contrast, remain down in ninth and 11 points off the top four as the spotlight grows on Eddie Howe.

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“We’re battling to get our best levels back. The effort and determination was there. As long as we continue to see that we’ll be fine,” said Howe.

“We’re missing a lot of players and we’ve had a lot of tough fixtures in a congested December.”

The Magpies have the second worst away record in the Premier League this season and were fortunate not to be blown away by an embarrassing scoreline in stormy conditions at Anfield.

Liverpool finished with an expected goals tally of 7.27, the highest in Premier League history.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold had sent the first warning shot just wide inside two minutes as Liverpool flew out of the blocks.

Dubravka has