The gulf in class was immense as Liverpool tore Newcastle to shreds and, in reality, Joe Kinnear's side got off lightly.
The message to Mike Ashley is get your cheque book out in January or prepare for the consequences.
Liverpool were on a different level as they created no fewer than ten clear-cut chances in the first half only to find a largely immoveable rock in the shape of brilliant Newcastle keeper Shay Given.
Time after time there was only Given in Liverpool's way and the Republic of Ireland international was as brilliant as his woeful back four and inept midfield were poor.
The big surprise was that it took Liverpool until the half-hour mark to break to the deadlock and that they only managed to convert a couple of those golden first 45 minute opportunities.
Skipper Steven Gerrard was outstanding with his drive and guile and it was he who opened the scoring when he fired in a Yossi Benayoun cut back off the post.
It was all too easy after 36 minutes when big Sami Hyypia was left unmarked to head in Gerrard's right-wing corner.
Yet before these goals, Dirk Kuyt was kept out by Given and then he denied Gerrard as the midfielder charged forward and for good measure the keeper then clawed out an edge of the box drive from the England midfielder.
Lucas Leiva had a header blocked on the line and another headed effort beaten away by Given, while Charles N'Zogbia popped up on the line to keep out a Hyypia header.
Once they were two goals in front it was expected the floodgates would open and Hyypia, who could easily have had a hat-trick, had yet another chance kept out.
Then out of the blue, Newcastle went in at half-time with fresh hope after Danny Guthrie's corner was glanced in by David Edgar for only his second goal for the club.
Hopes of a fightback were dashed just five minutes into the second half when the ball broke in the box from a Gerrard corner and Ryan Babel applied the finishing touch.
Liverpool were now in cruise control and when Lucas released Gerrard after 66 minutes there was only going to be one outcome and the finish was of the highest quality.
Job done, Gerrard was replaced after 70 minutes and such was the measure of his performance he received a standing ovation from all corners of the ground.
Newcastle sent on Geremi and his first touch was to canon a free-kick off the top of the Liverpool bar.
Another Geremi free-kick almost caught Pepe Reina napping and he just managed to get a touch to the shock 35-yarder and Jamie Carragher deflected a Michael Owen effort over the top from the rebound.
The nightmare was ended on 76 minutes when Edgar caught the back of Babel's heels and from the penalty Xabi Alonso completed the rout.