John Carver:

John Carver's admission that United have an issue with derby matches is undoubtedly accurate, but our failure to cope with playing the mackems pales into insignificance when contemplating the club's appalling record at Anfield.

Not since April 1994 have long-suffering Newcastle fans seen their side collect three points on this side of Stanley Park, while the 20th anniversary of our last success here in the League Cup comes around this November.

This latest failure also saw us end the game a man short for a third successive season, Moussa Sissoko dismissed for two bookings in six minutes - and perhaps lucky not to receive a straight red card for a nasty challenge on Lucas that echoed his scythe on West Ham's Andy Carroll last year.

Brendan Rodgers may have seen his side beaten on Tyneside last November, but couldn't have asked for less taxing opposition as he prepared his side for an FA Cup Semi-Final tie at Wembley this coming Sunday.

Arriving at Anfield seeking to avoid a fifth successive Premier League defeat, the Magpies had mustered just one goal in their previous four away games and the continued absence of scorer Papiss Cisse through suspension left them reliant again on Ayoze Perez.

As was the case on Sunday, the Spaniard found his legs chopped away from under him in the opposition penalty area, but again appealed in vain for what appeared to be the most obvious of fouls - Dejan Lovren's wild swipe somehow going unpunished by referee Lee Mason.

That came on 38 minutes, with Newcastle trailing to a ninth minute strike from Raheem Sterling, given too much room in the box to turn inside and dig out a shot that evaded Tim Krul and found the far corner of the net.

Ahead from their first attack, Liverpool looked to press home their advantage and secure the points but were seldom able to exploit the forward thrusts of Sterling, in an unfair contest against ailing right back Ryan Taylor.

The opposite side of the defence looked rather more secure with Vurnon Anita fielded a left back - one of a trio of changes from the derby loss; Sammy Ameobi, Jonas Gutierrez and Yoan Gouffran dropping down to the bench as Jack Colback was reinstated to midfield, with Mehdi Abeid and Gabriel Obertan returning to the fray.  

Despite their superiority though, Liverpool's failure to increase their lead should have been punished with that penalty award, United belatedly showing themselves as an attacking force at the end of the first half.

Simon Mignolet was called into action to reach a clever header from Perez and Abeid shot narrowly over during our most positive passage of play - and that attempt to get on the front foot continued after the break. 

The lack of a cutting edge and another fitful contribution from Remy Cabella hampered our attempts to level however and the home side seemed happy to bide their time - although a few of their followers grew impatient. 

That policy almost paid dividends, with Sissoko gifting possession on numerous occasions, a couple of our usual woeful corners presenting the Reds with the ball and Taylor's miskick falling to Sterling in the box.

The Liverpool youngster may have side-footed that wide, but a second goal wasn't delayed long as Mike Williamson failed to deal with a delivery into the box. That was snapped up by Joe Allen, who swivelled and smacked home a rare goal from seven yards.

Sissoko went into the book for an altercation with Glen Johnson when the Liverpool defender failed to release the ball for a throw-in and a few minutes later United's stand-in captain left his studs on Lucas' ankle and was walking well before Mason brandished a second yellow.

Any chance of an (admittedly unlikely) late comeback vanished with that ill-disciplined dismissal, but it came as no shock after a confused display from the number 7 - mixing pace and aggression with poor decision-making. Asked to put more in, he seemed to become a moron.

Mistaking effort and energy for commitment and work rate, Sissko ran around with the appearance of someone on the verge of losing control - exemplified when blasting a ball that was already out of play it into the lower section of the main stand from point-blank range. 

Our display had more common with the Arsenal home game than the mackem away one, but any comfort to be gained was fleeting; the overall feeling one of relief that Liverpool played within themselves and did the job without incident, rather than going on a goal spree. 

Yet another defeat and blank return in front of goal though did nothing to improve the mood ahead of a Spurs game that promises to be boycotted by more than just Cisse and Sissoko....

Five defeats in a row leaves United stuck on 35 points and what had appeared to be an unassailable gap above the bottom three has now become nine points with six games to play. Three of those are against against sides below us, who have all doubtless ringed that date on their calendar as a big opportunity to notch up a win, just like the mackems did. 

There's precious little evidence here of anything to stop them.