Having crossed their fingers for a Tottenham Hotspur victory at Newcastle United on Sunday, Liverpool's hopes were dead and buried inside 20 minutes at St James' Park.
What had been billed as a major fixture between fourth and fifth in the race for the Champions League places ended up being little more than a procession for Newcastle as they tore their visitors to shreds during a remarkable opening period in the North East.
Two goals each for Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy alongside a strike from Joelinton gave Newcastle a 5-0 advantage over Spurs in a game they would eventually win 6-1. It was a stunning flurry that will surely leave Magpies fans talking about it in the same reverential tones Liverpool fans reserve for their blistering performance against Arsenal in 2014 when the Reds raced into a 4-0 lead within 20 minutes.
