NEWCASTLE, England -- Liverpool blew the race for Champions League qualification wide open by cruising to a 2-0 win at Newcastle on a day when the home side played with ten men for 68 minutes following the first-half sending off of goalkeeper Nick Pope.
The red card means that Pope will be suspended for next Sunday's Carabao Cup final in what is a massive blow for Newcastle United.
But with Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo putting Liverpool up 2-0 inside the opening 20 minutes, the game was won even before Pope was sent off by referee Anthony Taylor.