JOHN BRADLEY: Back from being spread far and wide across the world,
Liverpool return to Anfield at the end of an international break,
looking to continue their imperious start to the Premier League season.
Newcastle the latest opposition to stand in their way.
The last time these sides met of course it was Divock Origi who was the late, late hero,
as Liverpool kept themselves in the Premier League title race.
He turned out to be the hero on a number
of occasions last season, the big Belgian.
Atsu, Willems goes on the outside.
Joelinton now making a run through the middle, nice little dummy...
Great goal!
Lovely trick by Jetro Willems and he picks out the top corner.
And Newcastle lead at Anfield.
GARY GILLESPIE: Well, it's really from their first attack.
I think Liverpool were questioning whether it was offside or not before that.
With Atsu. I think you can clearly see here it's a decent run.
Van Dijk just has a look to the linesman, it's not forthcoming.
And then he just allows too much space, Trent Alexander-Arnold,
for the Dutchman to come back on his right foot and smash it past Adrian.
Couldn't really do an awful lot.
Liverpool have to be better defensively there.
JOHN: Well, he only started his first game for Newcastle a fortnight ago.
Crowns his second start with a stunning finish to put Newcastle in front at Anfield.
Fabinho.
Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Caught it well enough but always fizzing wide.
GARY: Well, what an effort from Oxlade-Chamberlain.
I think this is where he's at his best, when he's in central positions driving forward.
Just pulls it ever so slightly.
JOHN: Matip, Alexander-Arnold.
Delivers now - oh! Towards Origi, great touch by Lascelles.
And Origi again!
Not quite. Well, if you want to talk about defensive interceptions,
what about this from Jamaal Lascelles?
GARY: It's the first time Liverpool have created a little space in the wide areas.
As a centre-half you've got to get yourself in the right position,
and it's just enough to take it off the head of Divock Origi.
Can't get to the second one,
but Origi just can't get the power and direction on that header.
Alexander-Arnold for Salah.
Away from Krafth.
A little deflection on it, Liverpool corner.
It's Salah with the delivery, and it's towards Matip.
Who goes down. Andre Marriner says play on.
I just wonder if it's going to be looked at it again, Anfield thought it was a penalty.
GARY: I think the way Joel Matip falls is quite theatrical, which maybe...
..goads the crowd into believing it's a penalty.
Well, it's a penalty all day long, isn't it?
JOHN: Robertson, great take, gets away from Krafth, on towards Mane!
Oh, yes!
Special once again from Sadio Mane,
picks out the top corner absolutely delightfully.
And Liverpool are level, it's another moment of absolute brilliance from that man.
GARY: Virgil van Dijk probably doesn't hit it as well as he should do to Robertson,
but what it does do is suck in the Newcastle defender and Robertson can get past him.
Then it's all about the quality of the finish.
And I tell you what, if you had about five goalkeepers in there,
they wouldn't have saved that,
that's right in the top corner.
JOHN: Second heavy touch in a row by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain,
great feet and strength by Joelinton as well.
Firmino takes it off Atsu, on towards Sadio Mane,
Dubravka half-saves it, but he doesn't keep it out,
and Sadio Mane has turned the game around on his own.
Two goals for him, a helping hand from the goalkeeper for the second,
and Liverpool lead.
GARY: Well, all credit to Liverpool's pressing play here.
I said Newcastle can't afford to lose the ball in their own half,
they do that, and then it's all about the weight of the pass,
and all credit to Sadio Mane because he gets on his bike nice and early.
What you would have to say is, Dubraka has got to do better.
He gets there first, it spins off his knee, I think, and falls lovely to Sadio Mane,
and he ain't gonna miss that opportunity to stick it in the back of the net.
JOHN: Oh, Wijnaldum!
Oh, that would have been a work of art.
GARY: It was a great build-up throughout that move,
it was never quite right, but it's a lovely first-time pass from Robertson,
a sublime touch from Wijnaldum to set up the little lob,
and he just gets a bit too much on it.
JOHN: Lovely feet from Atsu.
And the man arriving behind, it's Emil Krafth with the chance!
Oh, he's blazed it.
Knew it was a chance, maybe saw Van Dijk out the corner of his eye.
GARY: Lovely play by Atsu, Liverpool get sucked towards the ball and leave a hole
at the far post, in the left-back position.
JOHN: Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Skip away from Hayden, Salah.
Puts himself on the front foot, Alexander-Arnold, Mane waits in the middle!
Oh, the goalkeeper's done really well.
Nearly squeezed it in there, Trent, and Dubravka just got his body in the way.
GARY: It's lovely movement, the weight of the pass is sublime again.
I think Trent Alexander-Arnold does the right thing in having a shot.
JOHN: That's towards Firmino!
Dubravka able to gather at the second attempt.
GARY: It's the flatness and the pace on the cross that creates this opportunity,
because all Firmino has to do is glance it.
JOHN: Wijnaldum.
Firmino.
Robertson, oh, it's glorious!
And it's another brilliant Dubravka save to deny a Liverpool full-back.
Second in quick succession.
Ho-ho, what a player he is.
GARY: Well, they're turning it on now, Firmino had absolutely no right
to get that ball back to Robertson.
JOHN: Salah.
Firmino, brilliant, Salah, Salah!
CHUCKLING: What a goal.
Sometimes they make playing football look ridiculously easy.
Firmino heavily involved as usual, and Salah happy to roll home Liverpool's third.
GARY: Wonderful again from Firmino.
Such brilliance on the edge of the 18-yard box and it was a simple task in the end,
just because he runs blind side of him doesn't mean to say he can't make the pass,
because their togetherness is just that,
and then it's all about the composure
and the quality of the finish.
And he ain't gonna miss from there.
JOHN: No-look pass for Alexander-Arnold.
Not entirely sure it was meant for Salah, but he took it.
That's Firmino, for Salah again,
and it might break for Alexander-Arnold - Dubravka's saved it again!
I don't know how, but if it wasn't for him it would be five or six for Liverpool.
GARY: Again it's the little give-and-go, I'm not sure if Trent got in the way of Salah.
JOHN: Flag might come up there, it's not gonna count.
He's gonna have a hat-trick chalked off.
GARY: I think they knew it as well, but it's such intricate play, lovely to watch.
Only fractions as well, it's not a lot offside.
JOHN: Shaqiri, here's Firmino.
Well, 100 per cent Liverpool continue, they go from strength to strength.
They were given an early shock as they returned from the international break,
with a Jetro Willems goal. But after that, if not plain sailing,
they made it through fairly calm seas to record a 3-1 win.
Not easy to come back from an international break and be the first team to play at 12.30,
very little preparation time but it hardly shows for these Liverpool players,
who once again showed just how good they are.