Mohamed Salah registered a 150th Premier League goal for Liverpool after scoring and missing a penalty in his last involvement before the African Cup of Nations as Jurgen Klopp’s side extended their advantage at the top of the table.
The Egypt international did eventually end the night well in credit as he also provided the assist for substitute Cody Gakpo’s crucial third and also had a hand in Curtis Jones goal which restored their lead.
It moved Liverpool three points clear of second-placed Aston Villa and, more importantly, out of the reach of Manchester City, who are now five behind with a match in hand.
How they cope in Salah’s absence will be crucial to their title aspirations, but the sharpness of Gakpo and Diogo Jota, who won the 86th-minute penalty from which Salah scored his 151st Premier League goal, provides plenty of optimism.
Salah should have put his side in front in the first half when Luis Diaz was brought down by Sven Botman, who added to Alexander Isak’s equaliser to briefly make it 3-2, but his fourth miss in his last 10 spot-kicks provided the determination to put things right after the break.
Newcastle were without Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson through injury and their 4-5-1 formation suggested they were not looking to be too ambitious in trying to break a near-30-year winless run at Anfield.
That the game was not beyond their reach by half-time owed much to the profligacy of Nunez and the premature desperation shown by Klopp’s side as shots rained in from all angles.
Best of those saw Trent Alexander-Arnold hit the top of the far post from an acute angle from the right wing.
Liverpool wasted numerous first-half opportunities, none more so than Salah’s failure from 12 yards when he fired straight down the middle at Martin Dubravka.
Newcastle’s goalkeeper, in the side due to Nick Pope’s long-term injury, had one of those nights where he looked like stopping almost everything.
He was helped by Nunez in particular, who was guilty of one big miss from Alexander-Arnold’s long pass from inside his own penalty area, shooting straight at Dubravka with Salah charging up in support on his right.
Dubravka saved the Uruguayan’s follow-up effort, with chances also falling to Alexander-Arnold and Jones, in addition to Luis Diaz’s disallowed goal for Nunez’s offside.
Dan Burn also had a goal ruled out for offisde, but it was a rare attack for the visitors.
Nunez looked a different player after half-time. He was picked out by Diaz when Dominik Szoboszlai launched a counter-attack, this time chose the right option in squaring for Salah.
Dubravka denied Nunez from point-blank range and a volley on the run, and even Isak’s well-taken breakaway goal with their first effort since the eighth minute failed to halt the onslaught.
Nunez flicked a header wide, Jones had a shot blocked by Tino Livramento and Dubravka repelled Gakpo.
But Jones was not to be denied, tapping home after Jota had squared from Salah’s pass.
Gakpo bundled home Salah’s cross, Botman headed in from a corner but when the returning Alexis Mac Allister sent Jota racing through, he was brought down by Dubravka and Salah was able to sign off in style.
However, the top-four hopes of Newcastle, with one win in six and and just a solitary victory in their last 12 away league games, look increasingly remote with an 11-point deficit to make up.
Hayes concedes title race is over as Chelsea suffer dramatic Liverpool defeat
It has been a difficult week for Chelsea and their boss Emma Hayes.
After seeing their Champions League dreams dashed by holders Barcelona on Saturday, they had no margin for error when they travelled to Liverpool in the Women's Super League on Wednesday.
Six points behind Manchester City with two games in hand but an inferior goal difference, the Blues needed three points to stop Hayes' final season in charge from totalling unravelling.
But there was to be no respite for the Blues, who were at one point tipped for a quadruple but have been stuck in a downward spiral since losing Sam Kerr to an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the winter break.
Matt Beard's Liverpool put on a tremendous display to win 4-3, with Gemma Bonner scoring a stoppage-time equaliser to leave Hayes certain the title is out of reach.
"I think the title is done," she said after Wednesday's game.
"Of course mathematically it's not, but I think the title is done. Our job between now and the end of the season is to keep pushing until the end, but I think it will be very difficult.
"This team has done a tremendous job in my time here to push for titles.
"I don’t know if we have ever conceded four goals in a half before. Three from set pieces is just unforgivable. But I'm going to credit Liverpool."
Chelsea now need an almighty collapse from City, who may only require three points from their remaining two matches to seal the title, if their goal difference advantage holds firm.
Hayes believes fighting on multiple fronts has not helped her team, adding: "We looked exhausted but I don't want to make excuses.
"I want to remind our fans how much success we have brought over the years. It's just not to be this year."
Next up, Chelsea face relegated Bristol City in their final home game before Hayes departs to take the United States job, with City taking on Arsenal in Sunday's headline fixture.
Sancho outshines Mbappe as Dortmund seize initiative against PSG
Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho issued a reminder of his star quality as Borussia Dortmund beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie on Wednesday.
Niclas Fullkrug scored the winner after 36 minutes, taking in Nico Schlotterbeck's floated pass before driving a low shot beyond PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Fullkrug has now been involved in six Champions League goals this season (three goals, three assists), the joint-most by a German player in their debut campaign in the competition, alongside BVB team-mate Marco Reus in 2012-13 (four goals, two assists).
The star of the show, however, was undoubtedly Sancho.
He tormented Nuno Mendes throughout a lively performance, creating three chances for his team-mates – a game-high tally alongside Julian Brandt, Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi.
Sancho had completed seven dribbles by the halfway point, more than he managed in any full game for the Red Devils.
By full-time, that number had crept up to 12, the most by any player in a Champions League semi-final since Lionel Messi completed 16 for Barcelona against United in April 2008, and the most on record by an Englishman at any stage of the competition (since 2003-04).
Sancho even outshone Mbappe, who struck the far post with a curling effort early in the second half but was limited to just three shots totalling 0.17 expected goals (xG).
PSG did have their chances, though, with their total of 14 shots their most without scoring in any Champions League game since the second leg of their 2020-21 semi-final against Manchester City (also 14), when they were beaten 2-0 and eliminated from the competition.
Dortmund are now unbeaten in 11 straight Champions League home games, winning seven and drawing four.
It's their longest ever such streak at Signal Iduna Park, and they have also won four straight knockout games on their own turf for the first time in their Champions League history.
While Dortmund have a valuable lead to protect in Paris next Tuesday, Edin Terzic will be expecting a strong reaction from PSG.
The Ligue 1 champions have progressed from two of their last four Champions League knockout ties when losing the first leg, with the first of those successes coming against Dortmund in the last 16 in 2019-20 (1-2 away, 2-0 at home).
Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain: Fullkrug hands hosts first-leg win
Niclas Fullkrug fired home a first-half winner as Borussia Dortmund claimed a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie in Germany.
Nico Schlotterbeck floated a pass into Fullkrug's path and the Germany international brought the ball under his spell with a wonderful touch before drilling a low shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 36th minute.
PSG, on the back foot for much of the first half, improved after the break and struck the woodwork twice in a matter of moments just after the restart.
Kylian Mbappe curled an effort against the right-hand post before Achraf Hakimi scuffed a shot against the other upright on the rebound as Edin Terzic's side escaped with a first-leg lead.
The teams will meet again at the Parc des Princes next Tuesday, with the winners of the tie facing either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid – who drew 2-2 in their first leg on Tuesday – in the final at Wembley Stadium.
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