Liverpool will be hoping to make it five wins from five league games when they welcome Newcastle United to Anfield. The lunch time affair will be the first game since the ‘spat’ between the 2 Liverpool hitmen Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah.
Liverpool are unbeaten at home in the Premier League since 2017 and it will be a major shock to see the Magpies gaining all three points.
The Reds sit top of the league after a superb 3-0 win against Burnley last time out. Liverpool fans will be having one eye on the Champions League opener on Tuesday when they travel to Italy to face Napoli.
Steve Bruce’s Newcastle on the other hand, managed to surprise Tottenham with a 1-0 win last time on the road. They will be without their midfielder Sean Longstaff who picked up an ankle injury in training during the break.
He admitted summer speculation over a move to Manchester United was a distraction to him. Newcastle have had an adequate start to life under Steve Bruce after the sacking of ex-Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez. They lie 14th on the league table with 1 win and a draw.
Jürgen Klopp talked up Newcastle as a side, singling out striker Joelinton for special praise: “[They are] very difficult to play, they pretty much kept aside the style of last year, Rondon got replaced by Joelinton: If you are looking for a player who is similar to Rondon, good choice!”
Liverpool have scored 98 goals against Saturday’s opposition in the English top-flight and will be ready to reach the milestone 100 goal mark.
PREDICTED LINE-UPS:
The Merseyside outfit will be missing midfielder Naby Keita for at least one more week.
Goalkeeper Alisson is reported to be ‘much better’ but is nowhere in contention to start before the next international break. Brazilian duo of Fabinho and Firmino will most likely making up the bench after a Wednesday morning game against Peru.
Sadio Mane and Mo Salah are fresh after no international commitments through the break. Gini Wijnaldum and Virgil Van Dijk, both started 2 games with Netherlands over the international break. Mane will be hoping for a 50th home win of his Premier League career, no other player has managed to do so.
Predicted Line-ups: Adrian, Robertson, Van Dijk, Matip, Alexander Arnold, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Origi, Mane, Salah. 4-3-3
Newcastle have a long list of absentees with as many as 6 key players out. Matt Ritchie and summer signing Allan Saint Maximin are both out. The latter is nursing a hamstring issue. Ex-Liverpool striker Andy Carroll is still gaining match fitness and misses out. Steve Bruce can expect striker Joelinton and Christian Atsu to cause problems to the Liverpool back 4 after the duo combined well to score away at Tottenham.
Predicted Line-Ups: Dubravka, Williems, Dunmett, Lascelles, Schar, Krafth, Hayden, Shelvey, Atsu, Almiron, Joelinton 5-4-1
Referee: Andre Marriner
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool (54074)
English Premier League, Game week 5
Time: 15:00 BST, Saturday 14 September
