Fernando Torres
Liverpool's deadly duo of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard ensured a humiliating return to Anfield for Kevin Keegan.
A shell-shocked Keegan had to endure the mocking taunts of the Kop fans who once adored him as the scintillating Spaniard and his inspirational skipper tore his disintegrating team apart.
Torres - the Barclays player of the month for February - and Gerrard hoisted their joint seasonal tally to 44 with classy goals either side of the interval, as they heaped humiliation on the mediocre Magpies, who look more like relegation fodder with every game.
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.
Rafa Benitez's men might have started this comprehensive win with a very lucky 43rd minute Jermaine Pennant goal, but they were able to go into cruise control for the last half hour as they prepare for Tuesday's Champions League trip to Inter Milan.
Delighted Benitez hailed his side's fifth straight win since the Barnsley FA Cup shock as the perfect preparation for the San Siro. Benitez said: "I am happy. We scored three goals, kept a clean sheet and were able to give some of our players a rest.
"Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard are playing well, combining effectively and scoring goals. They can find space and they have quality.
"We have pace in the wide areas and through the middle. We were really lucky with the first goal from Jermaine Pennant because at that stage Newcastle were defending well.
"It came at a crucial time, but the second goal from Torres killed the game.
We didn't pick up any injuries, but we will have to wait and see if Javier Mascherano will be fit for Tuesday."
A crestfallen Keegan, who has still to see his side win in eight games since he took charge, rued Pennant's slice of good fortune that sent Newcastle towards a fourth successive defeat.
He said: "I am still convinced we will stay up. We have taken a few hammer blows, but I am very confident that with the players we have got we have enough quality to stay in the division.
"We need to do the little things you need to win football matches. We need a little bit of luck.
"We had none against Blackburn last week and we needed luck today, because Liverpool are hitting form now. But Pennant's goal was the sort of luck we needed today, not them. It was a freak."
Disjointed Newcastle were totally bereft of ideas after falling behind and with just three points from the last 36 they are now staring at the Championship trapdoor.
Benitez had decided not to rest big guns Gerrard and Torres and predictably it was the in-form Spanish striker and the skipper who produced Liverpool's immediate threat. Torres left Abdoulaye Faye for dead down the right before fizzing in a powerful drive that keeper Steve Harper turned round his right-hand post.
Harper was immediately called into action again as he went down to hold a low, 20-yard drive from Torres as Liverpool began to dictate proceedings.
Newcastle's defending became increasingly desperate as the precise passing of Xabi Alonso and the industrious energy of Gerrard began to turn the midfield duel Liverpool's way.
But, although Pennant had the beating of full-back Jose Enrique, he too often failed to play the simple ball leading to the breakdown of home attacks.
But with just two minutes of the first half remaining, Torres set up Liverpool's fortuitous opening goal.
He played the ball inside Enrique and his fellow Spaniard's desperate effort to clear rebounded off a startled Pennant into the net.
As the first half went in to injury time Gerrard set up the second goal with a delightful ball into the path of Torres.
Newcastle appealed for offside but the Liverpool top scorer was clearly onside and he feinted past Harper before calmly slottting the ball into the net.
It was a classic finish from the 23-year-old that brought back memories of Pele's brilliant dummy at the 1970 World Cup.
Five minutes after the break Torres turned provider by slipping a clever ball into the path of his skipper and Gerrrard galloped forward unchallenged before dinking the ball over the exposed Harper.
Liverpoool's superiority became embarrassing after that as they sliced apart the crumbling Newcastle defence at will.
The only moment of defiance from the mediocre Magpies was a glorious shot from 35 yards on the turn from substitute Obafemi Martins that rattled the bar.
But with the game won and having an eye on Tuesday's Milan test, Benitez replaced the magnificent Gerrard with Dirk Kuyt and later sent on Peter Crouch in place of Torres.
That saved Newcastle from further punishment, but this timed surrender provided further evidence that Keegan's side are in freefall.
Defeat at Birmingham a week on Monday threatens to leave Newcastle perilously close to a place in the bottom three.
But for Liverpool, with Torres and Gerrard in this sort of sensational form, a place in the Champions League Final in Moscow is not beyond belief.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Steven Gerrard
The Liverpool skipper was given a rousing ovation when he was replaced by Dirk Kuyt. A magnificent display capped with a quality goal and a superb set-up for Torres.
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Calvin's comment: If Plan A fails, Kev does not have a Plan B
orn has become the soundtrack of Kevin Keegan's life. But the Kop's casual cruelty was unexpected, and uniquely demoralising.
They once paid homage to his legend, still worship his qualities as a man, yet twisted the knife with relish.
"Keegan for England" they chanted, with sarcasm. In the circumstances, the follow-up chorus of "Going down" seemed a statement of the obvious.
For a man whose Anfield bloodline stretches back to Shankly, it was difficult to take.
Newcastle, without a win under Keegan, are unravelling.
No team in the four divisions has fewer points in 2008.
They have a haunted, hollow look, and are beset by the misfortunes which tend to dog doomed teams.
A freak goal by Jermaine Pennant set up another humiliation.
Liverpool stopped playing after going 3-0 up, and reserved their energies for Tuesday's trip to Milan.
Newcastle's Plan A is to survive long enough to feel the width of Mike Ashley's wallet.
There is no Plan B.
Keegan has been reduced to the status of a stray, cowering in a cage at an animal rescue centre.
He has that forlorn, abandoned look. Unless things pick up soon, he may wish to be put out of his misery.
The light has gone out in his eyes. The signs of strife are subtle, but real.
He barely uttered a word to Chris Hughton, the coach assumed to have been appointed without his approval.
He did not linger at the final whistle. He was subdued when he finally emerged from the dressing room, and admitted: "I told them I don't think it's quite good enough."
Key matches against Birmingham, Fulham, Reading and Sunderland will decide their fate.
They need Michael Owen, who will not have convinced the watching Fabio Capello, to stand up and be counted.
Liverpool, with Steven Gerrard excelling in partnership with Fernando Torres, rarely had to extend themselves beyond adequacy.
Keegan will accept the burden of blame and let others off the hook. After all these years, he's still endearingly naive, too honest for his own good.
Look around him at the blank faces on the bench and the insidious influences in the boardroom, and draw your own conclusions.
Terry McDermott has built a fragile career on being an amiable soul.
He's the first to hand out the bibs and balls, the first to order up the bevvies, the last to rely upon for a coherent coaching plan.
Hughton is another born survivor. He rose without trace at Tottenham and emerged from the wreckage of flawed regimes before being sacrificed with Martin Jol.
Rumours that his arrival is further evidence of the influence of former Spurs director Paul Kelmsley will not go away.
Those same sources insist Dennis Wise is signing players without Keegan's sanction.
Who was responsible for his appointment?
Who signs the players? Who sets the strategy? Who oversees the other strangers, barricaded behind the brackets in their job titles?
Simple questions, without convincing answers.
All the while, Newcastle are being pulled beneath the rip-tide of a relegation battle.
Don't bet on them surfacing for air anytime soon.
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HOW THEY RATED
LIVERPOOL
Reina 7, Arbeloa 7, Skrtel 7, Carragher 8, Riise 7, Pennant 6 (Hyypia 5), Alonso 8, Gerrard 9 (Kuyt 5), Lucas 7, Benayoun 6, Torres 8 (Crouch 5).
NEWCASTLE
Harper 7, Beye 6, Taylor 6, Faye 5, Enrique 4, Milner 5 (Geremi 5), Butt 6, Smith 3, N'Zogbia 6, Duff 4 (Martins 7), Owen 5.
Manager K Keegan 5.
Referee P Walton 8
HEAD TO HEAD
Jamie Carragher v Michael Owen
Carragher was in commanding form at the centre of the home defence and kept Owen embarrassingly quiet. The England striker was restricted to just one blocked shot.
DID YOU KNOW?
Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan first played for Liverpool in August 1971 and in all he made 323 appearances for them, scoring 100 goals, before leaving for SV Hamburg for £500,000 in 1977.
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Jonathan Pearce
ALEC STEWART
THE MOLE