Papiss Demba Cisse scored both goals as Newcastle inflicted fresh Premier League misery upon 10-man Liverpool with a 2-0 victory at St James’ Park yesterday.

The Senegal striker made it seven goals in as many Premier League games for Newcastle with a 19th-minute header and a close-range finish just shy of the hour mark to boost their challenge for a Champions League place.

Liverpool were reduced to 10 men with eight minutes remaining as goalkeeper Pepe Reina was sent off after he appeared to headbutt Newcastle’s James Perch.

By then Liverpool had used all their substitutes, so full-back Jose Enrique, one of several former Newcastle players in the visitors’ team, had to go between the posts.

The result condemned Liverpool to a sixth defeat in seven league matches and left them in eighth place, one position below Merseyside rivals Everton – and 11 points adrift of Newcastle.

Cisse’s display was in marked contrast to that of Andy Carroll, the former Newcastle striker signed by Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish for £35 million in January last year.

Carroll, who has scored only five league goals since arriving at Anfield, was booked for diving when, with the game still goalless, he went to ground after rounding Magpies’ keeper Tim Krul rather than shoot at his old home ground.

Victory left Newcastle in sixth place but level on points with Chelsea (fifth).

Carroll stormed off after being substituted late on.

Dalglish said that Carroll’s reaction was unfortunate. “When Andy Carroll comes off and runs up the tunnel it is purely disappointment and frustration. It’s all very well having that but we have to manage that and channel it in a proper way.

“If we don’t stick together and have trust in each other it is going to be a lot more difficult.”

Delighted Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said: “It’s massive, it keeps the momentum going and the dream alive of as high a finish as possible.”

Meanwhile, yesterday’s other Premier League match saw Tottenham Hotspur go level on points with third-placed London foes Arsenal and five clear of both Chelsea and Newcastle after they beat Swansea 3-1 at White Hart Lane.

Rafael van der Vaart gave Tottenham, in possession of the fourth and final Champions League place on offer, a 19th-minute lead when he beat Swansea keeper and fellow Dutchman Michel Vorm with a first-time shot from the edge of the box.

Swansea, one of the teams of the Premier League season following promotion from the Championship, equalised in the 69th minute when Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson scored his sixth goal in 11 league games with a powerful shot.

But Emmanuel Adebayor made it 2-1 when the striker headed in Van der Vaart’s 73rd-minute corner.

And, four minutes from time, Adebayor got on the end of Aaron Lennon’s cross to seal victory.

Champions Manchester United will go five points clear of second-placed rivals Manchester City, with seven games remaining, if they beat Blackburn at Ewood Park tonight (kick-off 9 p.m.).