Newcastle 1, Liverpool 5: Rafa gets the most comfortable seat in the house

Gerrard scored twice and assisted strikes from Sami Hyypia and Ryan Babel with Xabi Alonso also finding the net from the spot, goals that rendered David Edgar's header on the stroke of half-time mere consolation.

That Shay Given was by some distance the home team's man of the match spoke volumes. But for the Newcastle goalkeeper, Liverpool side would surely have racked up a cricket score.

And all this with Fernando Torres still injured and Robbie Keane kept on the substitutes' bench.

After failing to make numerical advantage count against Arsenal last week, Liverpool were accused in some quarters of not being adventurous enough and lacking the belief they can win the title.

Such critics have been silenced over the past few days. The signs were there during the Boxing Day victory over Bolton Wanderers that Liverpool were clicking ominously into gear, a notion reinforced by this latest demolition job.

A biggest away league win in four years provided a welcome boost to Liverpool's goal difference, a statistic that may ultimately prove decisive with Chelsea falling three points adrift when held at Fulham later in the day.

And what a display from Gerrard. Even by his own lofty standards, this was something special.

Revelling in the space afforded to him by the Newcastle midfield, the Liverpool skipper's influence was such that it earned applause from all round St James' Park on his substitution 20 minutes from time.

But Gerrard wasn't the only Liverpool player to impress. Hyypia, making his 450th start for the club, was a constant threat at set-pieces, the improving Lucas caught the eye in midfield while Dirk Kuyt, on his 100th Liverpool start, put in an unstinting worker as the sole striker.

With Alonso joining Keane and Albert Riera in being rested after Boxing Day duty, Lucas was paired with Javier Mascherano in central midfield for the first time since the Anfield visit of Fulham last month.

On that afternoon, a frustrating goalless draw brought into question Liverpool's creativity without Alonso pulling the strings, but there were no such qualms yesterday.

The utilisation of Lucas has become a bone of contention among the Liverpool support, but the Brazilian has grown in confidence in recent weeks and on this showing Benitez's faith is not misplaced.

Only the brilliance of Given denied Lucas a richly-deserved goal, but the midfielder was not alone in being thwarted by the goalkeeper, particularly during an embarrassingly one-sided first half.

Given made his first save with his face in the 10th minute when repelling a suspiciously offside Dirk Kuyt at the near post after Gerrard and Babel made a nuisance inside the area.

Moments later, Gerrard was put clear after a one-two by Kuyt but, having ignored a pass to the unmarked Babel to his left, took too many touches and allowed Given to make a smothering save.

The keeper then produced a brilliant stop to keep out a Gerrard shot destined for the top corner after Babel's low cross, before Hyypia was the first to expose Newcastle's non-existent marking at set-pieces when heading wide Gerrard's inswinging free-kick from the left.

Then came a remarkable three-minute spell in which Liverpool could have easily scored three times but for Given's heroics.

Lucas was somehow denied by the keeper from three yards out as he attempted to convert Kuyt's low cross, and Given then made an even better to save to paw away a header by the same player from a Gerrard corner before completing a hat-trick by getting enough of a hand to a Hyypia header for Charles N'Zogbia to clear off the line.

The only surprise about the opener was that it took 31 minutes to arrive, Mascherano's clever pass releasing Yossi Benayoun who cut the ball back for Gerrard to thrash in off the inside of the post from 12 yards.

Five minutes later the lead was doubled when Hyypia rose above Steven Taylor to head in Gerrard's right-wing corner.

N'Zogbia then cleared another Hyypia header off the line before Newcastle were handed an unlikely lifeline on the stroke of half-time when Edgar nodded in Danny Guthrie's corner.

But any hope Newcastle had of a comeback disappeared five minutes after the break, the home defence reacting slowly after yet another Gerrard corner ricocheted off Lucas, Babel eventually forcing the ball over the line.

Despite that goal, the Dutchman, making only his third league start of the season, failed to convince he has anything but a bit-part to play in the New Year.

Newcastle mustered some response when N'Zogbia's free-kick clipped the top of the bar on the hour, but the win was sealed shortly afterwards with the goal of the game, Gerrard finding Lucas and then racing clear to latch on to the Brazil-ian's brilliant return pass before deftly finishing over Given.

The fifth came 14 minutes from time when David Ngog was upended by Edgar in the area and fellow substitute Alonso dispatched the spot-kick.

Ngog was denied a goal of his own when Lucas was wrongly flagged offside and the Brazilian again found Given impossible to beat with a header from Emiliano Insua's cross in the final minute.

A penny for the thoughts of Michael Owen. The striker, having pledged his future to Newcastle until the end of the season, cut a subdued figure and was substituted after being informed by the visiting fans "you should have signed for a big club".

On this evidence, it's easy to see why