It’s back to back home games for Liverpool on Thursday as the reds entertain Newcastle United under the lights.
The same fixture last year saw Mo Salah open the scoring in the 3rd minute. We dominated the game, xG indicating a win for the reds by two clear goals but succumbed to an injury time sucker punch from Joe Willock to share the spoils in a 1-1 draw.
At this stage last year, Newcastle sat in 15th place on 19 points. Liverpool topped the table on 33 points. Liverpool finds themselves 4 points better off this season but lie 2nd behind City. However, for Newcastle, they sit in 19th with 9 fewer points than last year - they’re 3 points adrift of safety and there must be serious concerns that the richest club in the world might be plying its trade in the Championship next season.
Newcastle have been scoring at just over a goal a game (17 in 16) but they’ve got the leakiest defence in the division, having shipped 34 goals so far. They’ve only kept one clean sheet in this time, in their only win of the season (1-0) against fellow strugglers Burnley earlier this month.
For Liverpool, they could be boosted by the return from injury of Bobby Firmino, to provide some fresh impetus to an attack that has looked a little subdued of late. Reds fans will be hoping for a less anxious game on Thursday following two nervy 1-0 wins against Wolves and Aston Villa. Naby Keita may also make a return to midfield although if everyone is fit Klopp is likely to stick with the first choice triumvirate of Thiago, Fabinho and Henderson.
City play Leeds on Tuesday evening so could be 4 points ahead by the time Liverpool kick off against Newcastle. Chelsea kick off against Everton just 15 minutes before the game at Anfield so Liverpool fans will be hoping that they leave Anfield in good shape going into the following game against plague-ridden Spurs on Sunday afternoon.
Thankfully for sports fans, Michael Masi cannot referee this game otherwise Liverpool could find themselves 4-0 up going into injury time and Masi would then give Newcastle a penalty and declare “next goal wins”.
Take it away…
8 Likes
Alisson
Trent Konate VvD Robertson
Henderson Fabinho Thiago
Salah Jota Mané
1 Like
In a three horse race you have to match strides with the other two and hope/wait for their slip up…
I can see Hendo and Matip rested, Konate and Ox in their positions.
Jota to start.
Expecting minimal rotation for Newcastle on Thursday and Spurs on Sunday and then many changes for the Leicester league cup game on Wednesday.
2 Likes
Great Mike “I give thug teams the chance to play their own game” Dean again. 
Referee: Mike Dean. Assistants: Eddie Smart, Mark Scholes. Fourth official: Andy Madley. VAR: Simon Hooper.
3-0 Liverpool.
I watched them yesterday vs Leicester, they are dreck.
The Villa game should be perfect preparation for this one. Despite Villa having more individual quality, being more organised and being 100x more combative than Newcastle in the midfield they still struggled to stop us creating. This should be a much easier task on thursday.
I could see Klopp being tempted to make a couple of changes here. I think we win comfortably by 3 or 4.
4 Likes
We have built some nice momentum going into this game; seven wins on a trot, five in the league. Previously we managed four wins before stumbling.
No need to rest anybody with 5 days between the Villa game and this. Full strength and then see how things look for Spurs on Sunday.
On paper it looks our easiest game of the season so far. Never liked these dickheads anyway but even less so now.
3 Likes
Hopefully Jota is fit, that would be the only change needed.
Midfield is growing into a formidable unit, so want them to keep playing together as much as fitness allows.
1 Like
It’s a little-known fact that @Draexnael first uttered the immortal words “smash them. They’re shit” in a pre-match thread for a Newcastle match back on the old site. His utterance was in response to a load of fannies worrying about the dangers of Newcastle at the time. It’s good to see that there are no such fannies today.
Smash them. They’re shit. Really really shit.
15 Likes
It should be only a matter of how many we beat them by, so be professional red men and don’t take the victory for granted just smash them.
1 Like
Oh man 
You should said those in a separate post
2 Likes
Brevity, my friend. I don’t like it when you go on like this.
4 Likes
Incidentally, the form going into this one is spectacular.
Won 7 GF 19 GA 1
21 points from 21. GD +18.
4 Likes
Indeed…they’ve got no chance when I’m in this sort of form 
2 Likes
PL’s best offence vs the worst defence. What’s the chance of a 1-0 tense game because of this? I want 5-0.
Joel Matip goal after one of this runs really would be nice.
2 Likes
