Liverpool host Newcastle in today’s late Premier League kick with the aim of getting their campaign back on track after a run of stuttering results.
The Reds have not won in any of their last five league matches and went down 3-2 to Bournemouth last weekend thanks to a stoppage-time winner from the Cherries. However, Arne Slot’s men secured a confidence boosting 6-0 victory over Qarabag in the Champions League during the week and they will hope to carry that form into the tricky encounter tonight.
Newcastle, meanwhile, impressed in their own Champions League outing by forcing a 1-1 draw with the holders Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc de Princes. Though that draw ended with the Magpies in the play-off round, it was a strong result following a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa in their previous fixture.
The teams last meeting in the league was a thrilling affair back in August as Newcastle twice pegged Liverpool back before 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha netted a 100th minute winner to earn the Reds a 3-2 win.
Follow all the action from Anfield with our live blog below:
Liverpool 0-0 Newcastle
9 mins: Anthony Gordon and Alexis Mac Allister come together off the ball with Gordon lunging out and striking the Argentine’s throat.
Mac Allister is red in the face but gets back on his feet. Gordon shakes his head as he walks away from the incident with only a warning.
Liverpool 0-0 Newcastle
6 mins: The Newcastle fans are in full voice as they cheer Joe Willock.
Willock needed a bit of treatment after landing awkwardly during the previous corner.
Dominik Szoboszlai is playing at right-back tonight to plug a gap left by Liverpool’s injuries.
Liverpool 0-0 Newcastle
3 mins: Newcastle haven’t won any of the last nine Premier League matches that Bruno Guimaraes has missed.
Anthony Gordon starts as the central striker and is fed the ball whilst darting into the box.
He pulls one back but Milos Kerkez is there to boot the ball behind for a corner.
The corner is swung into the middle but Virgil van Dijk leaps highest and nods it away.
Kick off! Liverpool 0-0 Newcastle
Newcastle get the ball rolling at Anfield.
They are without Bruno Guimaraes tonight and don’t have the best record without their captain and talisman.
Can they spring a shock on Liverpool?
Finding some home form
Since beating Bournemouth 4-2 on the opening weekend, Liverpool haven’t scored more than twice in any of their last 10 Premier League home games.
They’re averaging just 1.45 goals per game at Anfield this term, their lowest in a campaign since 2011-12.
Away day struggles
Only Sunderland (7) and Wolves (7) have failed to score in more Premier League away games than Newcastle this season (6).
70% of the Magpies away goals this term (7/10) have come in their two wins on the road (4-1 v Everton, 3-1 v Burnley).
Striking late
No side has scored more goals in the final 15 minutes of Premier League games this season than Liverpool (13), while only Bournemouth (13) have conceded more in this time frame than Newcastle (12).
Salah vs Newcastle
Against no side has Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah been involved in more Premier League goals than he has against Newcastle (19).
An assist in this match will see him become the first player in Premier League history record double figures for both goals and assists against an opponent.
How Alexander Isak’s record move left Liverpool and Newcastle with an improbable outcome
Alexander Isak will, once again, be conspicuous by his absence. The last time the Swede took the field as Liverpool faced Newcastle United, he ended the game in a conversation with Virgil van Dijk that kept the amateur lip-readers busy.
He also won Newcastle their first major trophy since the 1960s with a Carabao Cup final decider that should have guaranteed him heroic status for life on Tyneside.
It did not quite work out that way. Isak was the on-strike striker when Newcastle and Liverpool reconvened in August.
Szoboszlai the star man
Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai has had more shots from outside the box than any other player in the Premier League this season (33), while he’s also had the highest percentage from distance among all players to have at least 25 attempts (73% – 33/45).
