Defending Champions Liverpool have suffered another blow to their top four hopes after Joe Willock rescued a point for relegation-threatened Newcastle with a late equaliser.

Liverpool were hoping to put last week’s European Super League disappointment behind them with a win against Steve Bruce’s side which would have taken them into the top four.

Mohammed Salah netted for Jurgen Klopp’s side just three minutes into the game to boost their chances of a win at Anfield.

The Egyptian became the first Liverpool player to score at least 20 goals in three different Premier League campaigns.

Klopp’s side were however unable to capitalise on the advantage as they failed to bury the game for over a hour and half with a hatful of chances.

The visitors thought they had equalised through Callum Wilson in the 92nd-minute but a ridiculous VAR decision disallowed the goal.

The Magpies hung on till the end and their resilience would later pay off three minutes later through supersub Arsenal loanee, Willock.

The youngster whipped a deflected shot off Fabinho which rolled into the back of the net, giving Bruce’s men a survival boost in their relegation battle.

The equaliser was Willock’s third in three consecutive Premier League appearances as a substitute, the first player to do so in the competition since Adam Le Fondre in January 2013, according to OptaJoe.

The Reds are now sixth kn the table with 54 points,  one ahead of Spurs.

Klopp’s men chase fourth-placed Chelsea and fifth-placed West Ham, who are expected to play out their extra game later this evening, by a point.

Reacting to the blow, Klopp told BT Sport: “I don’t think you can create much more chances, better chances. But we don’t finish the game off. We didn’t play enough. We have to keep going, keep playing. But we kept them alive. And they deserved the goal because they scored before. It is another one with the new rules, unlucky for Wilson but it is hand ball, and we don’t even take this present. We were lucky with that decision, but gave another chance away and it makes no sense. It’s really tough to take.

“Why it happened, I don’t know. How it looked, I saw: you just have to keep the ball. In a specific way, we don’t fight enough. We had 70 percent of the ball and should have 80, we created a lot of chances. So we had to create more and use them. But we don’t do that well at the moment. It feels like a defeat. But if you deserve it, you deserve it. I didn’t see us that we deserved today to play Champions League next year. But we will see what we can do. In a few days [laughs wearily] we will play Man United which will be a tough one as well. But we learn … or we don’t play Champions League. That’s it,” he said.