Three goals in eight minutes has helped Liverpool fire another blow at Newcastle in a 3-0 victory at Anfield as Magpies manager Kevin Keegan's misery deepened on the ground where he is still remembered as a playing legend in the heady days under Bill Shankly.
As a manager, Keegan has inherited a feeble, spineless Newcastle outfit which has now gone 12 Premier League games without a victory.
Liverpool cruised to its fourth successive league win, the first time the club has achieved that measure of consistency for 13 months, and it will head off to a Champions League night of destiny against Intern Milan next week high on confidence.
This was Liverpool's 300th Premier League victory, and it now has a firm grip on that elusive fourth spot as Newcastle drops to 14th, finding itself just three points above the drop zone.
It was again the scoring double act of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres who put victory beyond doubt before the captain was withdrawn on the hour to protect him for Tuesday's date in the San Siro.
Ten minutes later Torres was also withdrawn, the Spaniard - now with 25 goals in 34 games, 13 in his last 12 - certainly could not be risked any longer with Inter next up.
Jermaine Pennant, very fortunately, deflected in the first goal while Torres and Gerrard created goals for each other.
Michael Owen, on his 250th Premier League appearance, was a pale shadow of the player who once electrified Anfield. Now Torres has taken that mantle.
Liverpool was without injured pair Javier Mascherano and Steve Finnan, while Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel started on the bench - with Yossi Benayoun, Pennant and Lucas coming into the side.
Newcastle was without Joey Barton, with Charles N'Zogbia the only change from the side which lost at home to Blackburn last weekend.
Newcastle started confidently, however, with Alan Smith seeing a seventh-minute header from a corner deflected wide.
At the other end Torres - the Barclays player of the month - took on Abdoulaye Faye on the right and fired in a cross-shot which Steve Harper turned away.
John Arne Riise was booked for a high challenge on James Milner but Newcastle was still more than holding its own - until the freak 43rd-minute incident which took the game away from the Tyneside club.
Jose Enrique's attempted clearance cannoned back off Pennant and into the net, giving Liverpool the lead and Pennant only his second goal in 71 games for the club.
Seconds before the break Torres rubbed salt into visiting wounds when he rounded Harper and coolly netted following an outstanding ball from Gerrard.
Newcastle, which had replaced Milner with Geremi just before the break, fell three goals behind in the 51st minute, with Enrique again the man to suffer.
The Magpies defender failed to confront Torres, opting to back away as the Spaniard took possession. That invited Liverpool forward, and Torres sent Gerrard away down the middle to neatly chip Harper for the third.
Newcastle was now a shambles at the back, with Torres and Gerrard combining with ease before the latter saw a shot saved excellently by Harper.
Keegan sent on Obafemi Martins for the ineffective Damien Duff, before Liverpool replaced Gerrard on the hour.
Martins hit the bar with a fierce left-footed effort in the 68th minutes, before Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch formed the home strike partnership.
Sami