Football: Liverpool beat Newcastle to close gap on City

Liverpool kept alive their slim hopes of playing Champions League football next season with a 2-0 Premier League home win over Newcastle United who finished with 10 men.

Goals from Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen ensured Liverpool recovered from two league defeats to close the gap on fourth-placed Manchester City to four points with six games left.

Sterling's neat finish put them ahead after nine minutes and Allen added a second in the 70th before Newcastle's Moussa Sissoko was dismissed late on for a second booking as the hosts recovered from defeats by Manchester United and Arsenal.

Liverpool moved up one place to fifth on 57 points from 32 games, one point above Southampton. Newcastle, who suffered a fifth straight league defeat, remain 13th with 35 points.