Top four chasing Liverpool welcome relegation battling Newcastle United to Anfield in a huge Premier League clash.
Victory will send Liverpool up to fourth for at least a few hours, whereas Newcastle can climb to 13th with a win.
Team News
Nat Phillips is a doubt for Liverpool after missing Monday’s 1-1 draw at Leeds with a hamstring injury.
Curtis Jones (muscle) could also return but Caoimhin Kelleher (abdominal), Joel Matip (ankle), Joe Gomez, Virgil Van Dijk (both knee), Jordan Henderson (adductor) and Divock Origi (muscle) are still ruled out.
Newcastle could be without Allan Saint-Maximin after the winger suffered a knock to his ankle in last Saturday’s home win over West Ham.
Karl Darlow is ruled out with a knee injury which required a minor operation and will miss at least Newcastle’s next three matches.
Jamaal Lascelles (foot), Ryan Fraser (groin), Isaac Hayden and Fabian Schar (both knee) remain absent.
Stat Attack
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last eight meetings against Newcastle (W5, D3).
- Newcastle have claimed just one point away at Anfield since Jurgen Klopp became Liverpool manager in October 2015 (D1, L3).
- Reds’ Mohamed Salah has scored on all three home appearances against Newcastle (W3).
- Five of Callum Wilson’s ten league goals for Newcastle this season have come in four away games, with the Magpies avoiding defeat on those four occasions (W3, D1).
- Liverpool haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last seven top-flight home matches since a goalless draw against Manchester United in mid January (W1, L6).
Prediction
With the top four race looking incredibly tight and just one win in their last seven home games, this is really a must win if Liverpool are to keep their hopes of Champions League football alive after a strong improved display at Leeds last Monday.
Newcastle meanwhile look to have finally found their spark with six points from their last two matches, especially following a gutsy victorious thriller against West Ham in which they looked confident throughout apart from two defensive blunders that nearly cost them the win.
Anfield however has been Newcastle’s bogey ground since 1996 and with Liverpool looking in fine tune again except in the finishing department, Newcastle could well take the game to them if can turn up with confidence in attack and defend well.
Prediction: Liverpool 1-1 Newcastle
Result: Liverpool 1-1 Newcastle
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