Liverpool v Newcastle United, 26 December 2018

Comments:

League position: 1st This was now the first time since 2 November 2002 that Liverpool ended a day with a lead of six points or more at the top of the Premier League table. They also finished a completed round of fixtures at the top of the top table with at least a six-point lead for the first time since Christmas Day in 1990 in League Division One. They equalled Chelsea's record from 2008-09 of conceding only seven goals after 19 games of a top division season. Liverpool became the fourth team to remain unbeaten at the halfway stage of a Premier League season; also Arsenal in 2003-04, Manchester United in 2010-11 and Manchester City in 2017-18. The Reds had now won seven consecutive games in all competitions and had also won eight games in a row in the Premier League for the first time since March 2014. Three teams had previously won 15 or more games in the first half of a Premier League season in this decade (Manchester United in 2012-13, Chelsea in 2016-17 and Manchester City in 2017-18) and all three won the title. Two teams had now won 15 of their first 19 games of this Premier League season; Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. This was now the first time that the Reds had taken 51 points from any 19 game spell within a single Premier League season. They had now won the seven games in all competitions when Dejan Lovren had scored for them. The Reds remained unbeaten at home in this Premier League season (won eight, conceded two goals). They had now not lost a home league game on Boxing Day since a 1986 in League Division One against Manchester United. Mohamed Salah had now scored 25 goals in 28 home games in the Premier League for Liverpool. He avoided not scoring in three consecutive home games for the Reds for the first time. Mohamed Salah scored from the first penalty that the Reds had been awarded in the Premier League at Anfield since the visit of Huddersfield Town on 28 October 2017 (424 days ago).