I heard Liverpool fans chant a new song during Newcastle United victory - Arne Slot disagrees

Arne Slot was denied a chance to toast Liverpool moving a step closer towards being anointed conquerors of England. A touchline ban he was slapped with on the morning of Newcastle United's visit meant the Reds supremo could not step onto the pitch at any stage.

Still, he would have been more than happy for his proxy Johnny Heitinga to get the praise along with Liverpool's players following a 2-0 win over Newcastle United.

While Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff watched on from the stands, Heitinga and fellow coach Aaron Briggs ensured all instructions were implemented as required. The biggest compliment is that Slot would have been rendered redundant even if in the dugout such was this imperious display. Liverpool's players could probably have run the game themselves.

Dominik Szoboszlai swept home the opening goal early in the first half before Alexis Mac Allister confirmed the triumph midway through the second period. The scoreline could have been more emphatic as Luis Diaz and Mo Salah both spurned late opportunities. Meanwhile, Newcastle did not record a single shot on target.

Of course, the Magpies were dealt a blow by losing talisman Alexander Isak to injury hours before kick-off. But the Reds nullified a Newcastle side that had won 13 of their previous 16 games and are in the reckoning for Champions League qualification. Liverpool handled the pressure - and moved 13 points clear at the summit of the table. Arsenal's latest mishap, a 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest, was taken advantage of.

The Reds mathematically can be crowned champions before May should they not drop any more points. However, Slot is still playing down that a 20th title in Liverpool's history, his first in his maiden campaign, is in touching distance. His focus has switched to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last 16 first leg on Wednesday.

“I forget the league table now, I forget the Premier League now until the moment we've played Paris Saint-Germain and then I will start to think about the Premier League again,” Slot said at his post-match press conference.

Supporters will heed what 99 per cent of what Slot says. Yet large sections believe it’s a matter of time until a second Premier League crown adorns the Anfield trophy cabinet. After last Sunday's 2-0 triumph at Manchester City, those who made the short trip down the East Lancs sang 'We'e going to win the league'. But given what was belted out by the Kop, many feel the gong is already sealed. 'Campeones, campeones, ole, ole, ole' was the rendition belted out of L4's most famous stand against Newcastle.

Those who joined in - and there were a good few thousand of them - feel that the race is over. They do not believe it is pre-meditated. Having lost just once all season, the evidence suggest there’s scant chance of a late collapse.

That's something Slot will not admit until Liverpool are mathematically unable to be caught by Arsenal. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, will continue with the mantra that 'over his dead body' his troops will only give up until the gap is insurmountable. But behind closed doors, Arteta must be braced to play the role of bridesmaid for a third successive season.