Liverpool 2 Newcastle 0 History repeated itself on Merseyside last night when, to a chorus of "shoot" bellowed from the Kop, Liverpool's season ignited.
Some eight months since Xabi Alonso scored from inside his own half in an FA Cup third-round tie at Luton Town, the Spaniard repeated the feat, gathering possession on the edge of the centre-circle and looping a magnificent shot over a despairing Steve Harper and into the net.
Newcastle's goalkeeper had done little wrong up to then on a rare appearance in the first-team due to a freak injury to Shay Given sustained against West Ham at Upton Park last Sunday, almost single-handedly checking Liverpool's threat, but his stumble and slip as he back-tracked, eyes fixed on Alonso's shot, left him humiliated.
Liverpool, having spluttered their way through the opening weeks of the season, have new-found momentum born of their midfielder's opportunism.
This match had bristled to reflect the urgency lacing these sides' intent and by the interval the simmering mood had hinted at something more sinister.
If Alonso's tumble and tussle with Scott Parker was little more than handbags, the palm to the face served up by Celestine Babayaro on Dirk Kuyt as the Dutchman attempted to wrestle his way through to Steven Gerrard's free-kick would normally demand sanction.
The officials were nonplussed but by half-time the visitors had been scarred by Kuyt nonetheless.
Newcastle should have feared as much. Amid Rafael Benitez's pre-match comments had been a pledge. "He's done it in Holland and he can do it in England," the manager offered. "He will score, I promise you."
The comments had been designed to ease the pressure on the £9 million arrival from Feyenoord, goalless in his first four appearances for the club, and Kuyt took his frustration out on the club who had initially hoped he would choose Tyneside over Merseyside this summer.
It was a stunning way to break his duck. Alonso, so off-colour this season, produced one of his glorious passes to split the left side of Newcastle's defence. Steve Finnan, galloping down the flank, collected and slid the ball invitingly across goal where Kuyt, stretching to connect ahead of Craig Moore, poked it beyond the exposed Harper.
It was the 150th goal of his professional career but more significantly the first Liverpool had scored in 344 minutes of competitive football.
It was reward for their bustle, the tone set early when Kuyt's reverse pass had sent Gerrard marauding through the centre with Harper doing well to smother on the edge of the area.
Harper was making only his 32nd league start in 13 years as a United player and Given had offered, cheekily and by text message, to check himself prematurely out of hospital - he is recovering from a perforated bowel sustained after a tussle with Marlon Harewood - to return to the side.
Harper had done well to stifle a low shot by Craig Bellamy, verbally abused throughout by the away support, after the Welshman had scurried on to Luis Garcia's clever pass.
Harper later was well positioned when Fabio Aurelio's free-kick, choked by the wall, fell for Garcia who collected, spun and belted it goalwards, the goalkeeper calmly catching the attempt with his defenders spared their hesitancy.
By then Newcastle's energy had dwindled in the face of incessant home pressure, the memory of Parker's 10th-minute volley - thrashed goalwards after Mohamed Sissoko's awkward headed clearance - which troubled Jose Reina fading fast.
They might have had a penalty in the early exchanges of the second period, Daniel Agger appearing to plant his foot on Shola Ameobi's leg, with Glenn Roeder just as incensed when the striker's subsequent shot appeared to strike Jamie Carragher's hand.
Those chances were enough to unsettle Liverpool's jittery defence, the need for the Reds to score a second goal clear.
Kuyt should have supplied it only to squirt Garcia's fine cut-back wide of the far post, the Spaniard later repeating the feat with roles reverse, though Bellamy was just as profligate. A kind ricochet spun the ball free of the Newcastle back-line, the striker bursting clear to hone in on Harper only to lift the ball wide while unsighted. The supporters bellowed in the assumption that he simply should not have missed.
The fluffed opportunity offered United brief hope, even if theirs was a midfield overrun and utterly unable to check the Liverpool's runners.
The sight of Garcia gathering Gerrard's lofted pass as the ball fell over the Spaniard's shoulder and guiding a shot over Harper and on to a post took the breath away, even if the gasps of appreciation were drowned by howled derision when the referee failed to award a penalty as Babayaro as good as caught the ball in his six-yard box.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio, Luis Garcia, Alonso, Sissoko, Gerrard (Gonzalez 85), Bellamy, Kuyt (Crouch 82). Subs not used: Dudek, Hyypia, Warnock. Booked: Luis Garcia. Goals: Kuyt 29, Alonso 79.
NEWCASTLE: Harper, Carr, Ramage, Moore, Babayaro, Milner (N'Zogbia 68), Parker, Emre, Duff, Martins (Rossi 76), Ameobi (Sibierski 82). Subs not used: Krul, Butt. Booked: Moore. Att: 43,754
Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).
