The State of Play
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool enter the final matchday of 2023 perched at the top of the table, having suffered only one defeat in their 19 matches this season. Despite facing the rare frustration of consecutive draws at Anfield against Manchester United and Arsenal before Christmas, they rebounded with a narrow 1-0 victory over Burnley on Boxing Day at Turf Moor.
Liverpool, despite displaying an occasionally gung-ho style, boasts the best defensive record in the league, having conceded only 16 goals so far this season.
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In contrast, Newcastle United’s fortunes are on a downward trajectory. Following their exit from the UEFA Champions League, The Magpies’ domestic form has been poor, causing them to slide down the table and now seemingly contending for a top-half finish.
Their most recent outing ended in a 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day, despite initially taking a first-half lead. This loss adds to their struggles, with just one victory in their last seven matches across all competitions. The lone win came against a Fulham side reduced to ten men early in the match.
Team News
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed Andy Robertson is a cause for concern is “not even close to training.” This adds to the left-sided defensive worries as Kostas Tsimikas is also unavailable for the upcoming weekend.
On a positive note, Mohamed Salah is set to be available for one final match before his departure to the Africa Cup of Nations. Additionally, there is a potential return for Alexis Mac Allister, who has recovered from an injury that kept him out of recent matches.
Amid the uncertainties at Newcastle, significant injury concerns have contributed to their recent struggles, with Eddie Howe facing challenges in assembling a squad over the past month. The manager expresses hope for the swift return of Jamaal Lascelles, assuring that the injury is not serious. However, he continues to be without key players such as Joe Willock and Harvey Barnes.
Expected Line-ups
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Gomez; Elliott, Endo, Gravenberch; Gakpo, Nunez, Diaz
Newcastle United: Neto; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Ouattara; Scott, Christie; Semenyo, Kluivert, Tavernier; Solanke
What they Said
Jurgen Klopp on facing Newcastle:
“Newcastle did incredibly well and have been unlucky with that amount of injuries. They’re still doing really well, in all the games they’ve lost they’ve had really good spells. They have a really good idea but at some point Eddie had to play too many times the same line-up. Credit to the players with the effort they put in.”
Eddie Howe on Newcastle needing to raise their game to beat Liverpool:
“For us, we need to be near perfect in this game. They have been performing very well. At home especially, they are very consistent, a really good team. For us, the challenge is that we need to refind our best form and we need to be mentally very strong.”
When and How to Watch
This fixture will be televised on Sky Sports, and can be streamed live on Sky Go.
One of the greatest @premierleague games of all time ????#LIVNEW 95/96 ⏪ pic.twitter.com/X7oYWpcJiY
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 31, 2023
Prediction
While this clash is typically hyped as one of the most captivating in Premier League history, its reputation might precede itself here, with the outcome seemingly a bit of a foregone conclusion. It’s uncommon for Liverpool teams to endure a three-game winless streak at home, especially when facing a Newcastle side currently in a state of disarray with their mounting injuries. Consequently, a reasonably comfortable home victory is anticipated for this Monday evening encounter.
