Just two teams have taken points off of the Reds so far this term and Arne Slot’s men arrive at St James’ Park having beaten reigning European champions Real Madrid and reigning champions of England Manchester City in the past week.
By Sam McGuire
They’re in ominous form. But the Magpies have stepped up in the big games this season. Can they do the same again this week?
The season so far
To say Newcastle have been inconsistent this season would be an understatement.
Eddie Howe’s side find themselves in 11th position having won just five of their 13 encounters in the English top-flight. The Magpies have beaten Spurs and Arsenal while also claiming a point against Manchester City at St James’ Park. Against the big(ger) teams they seem to scale their performances. Against the inferior opposition, at least on paper anyway, they struggle. They’ve drawn with relegation candidates Everton and Crystal Palace this term while also losing to an out-of-sorts West Ham United.
They conceded a 94th-minute equaliser to the Eagles over the weekend too.
A big issue for Eddie Howe and his team this season is their inability to score goals. They’ve found the back of the net just 14 times across their 13 matches and their goal difference currently stands at zero.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have been relentless. The Reds are top of the Premier League, nine points clear of Arsenal following the 2-0 win over Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
They are currently on a seven-match winning streak across all competitions and have lost just one game all season. This was at home to Nottingham Forest in September. Since that shock defeat, Arne Slot has guided his side to 15 wins in 16 matches.
The Reds are scoring goals (26) and keeping clean sheets (seven). They’re the only team in the Premier League to still be in single digits for goals conceded.
Previous encounters
This has been a one-sided fixture for the best part of a decade. Newcastle last picked up a win over Liverpool in 2015. Since then, the Reds are unbeaten in 15 against the Magpies and have won six on the spin with an aggregate scoreline of 14-5.
Howe doesn’t have the best record against Wednesday’s opponents. The Newcastle boss has faced off against Liverpool on 19 occasions and has just one win and one draw to his name. He’s suffered 17 losses and his teams have conceded 47 goals in the process.
Current form
Right now, Liverpool are the best team in Europe, statistically speaking. The Reds lead the form table in the Premier League with 13 points from 15. During this time, they have scored 11 and conceded on just five occasions.
Newcastle’s inconsistent form can be seen in the mini-form table. The Magpies are 12th with seven points and a goal difference of zero.
The injury situation
Alexander Isak is missing for the Magpies, as is long-term absentee Sven Botman. Isak picked up a knock in the recent draw with Crystal Palace and he’ll be a big loss to the Magpies. He always has a decent game against the Reds.
Liverpool are without Ibrahima Konaté, Conor Bradley, Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota. Alisson Becker is training again and Federico Chiesa is expected to be fit following a stint on the sidelines. But Slot is going to have to rotate to keep players fresh during this injury crisis.
Prediction
It’ll be a slog but you can’t look past Liverpool right now, can you? Mohamed Salah is the best player in the league and has the ability to single-handedly win games. He’s been doing just that over recent weeks.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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