Three things we learned from Liverpool's 2-0 win over Newcastle United

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Liverpool kept their top-four hopes alive with a strong performance against Newcastle United as they beat the Magpies 2-0 at St. James Park in the Premier League on Saturday, 18 February.

Darwin Nunez opened the scoring with a brilliantly executed goal in the 10th minute while Cody Gakpo doubled the lead in the 17th minute for the Reds.

It went from bad to worse for Newcastle when Nick Pope handled the ball outside the box and was sent off. Martin Dubravka was brought on as the Magpies went a man down.

Despite being a man down, the Magpies had their moments and continued to threaten Alisson Becker's goal on occasions but Jurgen Klopp's side did well to secure all three points from such a difficult fixture. Here are 3 talking points from the match.

The top four race looks wide open

It almost looked like Liverpool were completely out of the race for the top four but the Reds have made things interesting with two back-to-back wins against Everton and Newcastle United. With the Magpies failing to win in four straight games, teams like Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Brighton and Hove Albion, and Fulham will be looking to push into the top four. Liverpool are just six points behind Eddie Howe's side right now and have a game in hand and can certainly clinch the final Champions League spot if they can rediscover their consistency.

Key Players returning for the Reds

Liverpool have had a poor season this time around, but one of the key factors in this torrid run was the fact that the squad had been marred by injuries. The Reds have every reason to be optimistic with key players like Virgil van Dijk, Diogo Jota, and Roberto Firmino returning from injuries. With Luis Diaz also on his way back, Liverpool look a lot stronger now and can still finish the season on a strong note.

Liverpool's new signings are clicking

Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo both had difficult starts to life following their moves to Liverpool in the summer and winter respectively. Nunez, in particular, was subject to severe criticism for his poor finishing but the Uruguayan looks a lot more accustomed to new surroundings now and took his chance against Newcastle United in a great fashion.

Cody Gakpo also has two goals in two games after not being able to find the back of the net in his first six games.