Liverpool hit Newcastle for Six

After a big week for Liverpool over the Suarez bite incident, many thought that they would struggle without the 30-goal superstar but how wrong they were as the Reds swept six past a woeful Newcastle.

The main change was Sturridge replacing the suspended Suarez who will sit out the next ten games so Sturridge will have to lead the line alone for a while.

Liverpool flew out of the blocks as Coutinho slid a ball to Johnson in space who squared to Sturridge but Taylor in the Newcastle defence quelled the danger but in clearing the box they left Coutinho and Agger open and the Dane rose to head past Elliot to open the scoring in the 3rd minute.

Liverpool bossed Newcastle all over the park and added to their lead after a sweet run from Coutinho towards goal saw him roll the ball through to Sturridge who picked out Henderson who tapped home from close range and raced away in celebration.

Newcastle should have pulled one back in the 38th minute as Perch smashed over a free header from barely a few yards to leave the Geordies still two behind into the break.

Newcastle came out firing on all cylinders and only Johnson's quick block denied Cabaye a certain goal from close range which was costly for the home side as Liverpool scored a third, Coutinho involved yet again as he lifted a ball over the defence where Sturridge deftly collected and smashed past Elliot for 3-0.

An hour gone and the game ended as a contest as Gerrard's exquisite pass over the top for Henderson allowed him to roll the ball across the box to the unmarked Sturridge who tapped home for his eighth Liverpool goal in 2013.

Gerrard departed in the 72nd minute and replaced by the returning Borini who had come back from shoulder surgery and a long time on the sidelines but he made an instant impact after latching onto a cross from  Downing to smash home his first league goal in the Liverpool red and give Liverpool a 5-0 lead.

Debuchy who had been booked in the first half for a scuffle with Sturridge received his marching orders in the 75 minute for a dangerous two-footed challenge on Coutinho and from the resulting free-kick, Henderson swept in a sweetly curled effort which evaded everyone and flew past Elliot for his second goal and Liverpool's sixth.

All afternoon for Liverpool it was Coutinho who was the most deserving of a goal for his efforts and he came so close with a super strike which was tipped onto the bar by the diving Elliot and kept Liverpool from a magnificent seventh.

Full time and a crushing win for Liverpool to quell doubters that they would struggle without Suarez and show that without the Uruguayan, their attack is just as potent which is good timing with the Merseyside derby against city rivals Everton on the cards for next Sunday.