Naby Keita keeps Liverpool’s quadruple hopes alive with winner at Newcastle

Naby Keita ensured Liverpool’s quadruple hopes remain very much alive as he fired them to victory at in-form Newcastle to keep up the pressure on Premier League title rivals Manchester City.

Keita’s assured first-half finish was enough to claim a 1-0 win at St James’ Park on a day when Reds manager Jurgen Klopp was able to rest Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara and Mohamed Salah from his startling line-up ahead of Tuesday’s decisive Champions League semi-final trip to Villarreal.

Liverpool might – and probably should – have won more comfortably in front of a boisterous crowd of 52,281 as they held the upper hand for much of a contest which saw the Magpies’ hopes of a fifth successive league win and a seventh on the trot at home wilt in the face of almost constant pressure.

Eddie Howe’s men were never able to build up the kind of head of steam which has eased them clear of the relegation battle, perhaps a reminder of how far they have to go before they can once again compete with English football’s best on a sustained basis.

The game kicked off amid a raucous atmosphere which might have increased had Jonjo Shelvey managed to make a better connection with a second-minute shot.

Diogo Jota was similarly unable to make the most of a half-chance as the ball dropped to him inside the Newcastle penalty area, but Keita had keeper Martin Dubravka scrambling across his line as his first-time strike flew inches wide of the far post with eight minutes gone.

Jordan Henderson volleyed high over from Andy Robertson’s corner with the Reds menacing in possession, which they increasingly started to dominate as Henderson and James Milner were allowed to dictate from the middle of the field.

They took the lead with 19 minutes