Agger added: “We are close to a new deal. We have agreed about a new contract. But I don’t want to talk about the new deal until it is finally signed.”

Goals from Yossi Benayoun, Dirk Kuyt and Lucas Leiva were enough to see off a relegation-haunted Newcastle, who ended the game with 10 men after Joey Barton was dismissed for an ugly foul on Xabi Alonso.

And Newcastle’s caretaker manager Alan Shearer said: “It was a very tough game for us and I have no complaints, because the best team won.

“I thought the first goal was offside but it wouldn’t have changed the outcome.

“But this game was never going to seal our fate.

“Liverpool are a very, very good football team and that’s why they are up there at the top of the league.”

“They hit the bar three times and we were lucky to keep it at three. I was asking the ref to only play 30 seconds of injury time.”

Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen was dropped to the bench and only emerged for the final nine minutes with Newcastle already 2-0 down.

And Shearer said: “Michael Owen wasn’t happy about being left out and I wouldn’t want him to be, but he took it very professionally because he’s a good pro.

“We haven’t been creating chances and you have to ask yourself whether Martins is more likely to put one in from 15, 20 yards than Michael and he probably he is, and we knew we’d be feeding on scraps.”

Shearer had left his role as pundit on Match of the Day to take over at Newcastle for the final eight games of the season.

The Kop teased the former England international on his decision during yesterday’s game by chanting ‘you should have stayed on the telly’.

It brought a smile to Shearer’s face, who said: “It’s a choice between laughing or crying and I thought I might as well laugh.”