WED 26 DEC 2018 PREMIER LEAGUE Liverpool 15:00 Newcastle United Venue: Anfield
TEAM NEWS
Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to be available following a two-game absence with a foot injury.
Naby Keita is expected to overcome foot and rib injuries sustained against Wolves, but defenders Joe Gomez and Joel Matip remain sidelined.
Newcastle's Ki Sung-yueng is on international duty with South Korea, while fellow midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is struggling with a thigh problem.
Ciaran Clark missed Saturday's draw with Fulham because of an ankle injury.
Federico Fernandez was included among the substitutes for that match after recovering from a calf injury.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
@Guymowbray: Jurgen Klopp's demeanour at his Christmas Eve morning press conference was telling: serious but relaxed, and fully focussed ONLY on Newcastle, against whom a win would be Liverpool's 26th league success of the calendar year - a new club record.
He outlined the importance of being "patient" against a (likely) back five, and the "need to stay angry, stay greedy".
Rafa Benitez will be all smiles to start with on his latest return 'home', after coming close to being angry himself at the weekend when his Newcastle side failed to register a shot on target against struggling Fulham.
As Leicester and Crystal Palace (with Andros Townsend's rocket) showed on Saturday though, just one shot can make a massive difference. VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "A lot of teams are in whatever you call the title race, and that is how it should be. That is maybe only the difference to last year when pretty much nobody was in any more at this time, and that is good for all supporters out there.
"Being unbeaten in the league until December is not something I had too often in my life. We did really well so far, and we have to do even better from now on. That's the challenge for us."
Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez: "We have to be realistic and understand we will be in the bottom half for the season.
"If we can be better than three teams, it will be another miracle. It was a miracle last year. People were thinking, 'Oh, you finished 10th...', but with a couple of fewer wins, we could have been in the bottom five, so it was a miracle."
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 22 Premier League home games against Newcastle, winning 18 and drawing four since a 2-0 defeat in April 1994.
Newcastle have won just two of the past 10 Premier League meetings, both at home.
Liverpool
Liverpool have won six successive games in all competitions.
The Reds are unbeaten at home in the Premier League this season, winning seven, drawing one and conceding just twice.
They haven't lost a home league game on Boxing Day since a 1-0 defeat by Manchester United in the 1986-87 season.
Mohamed Salah has scored 24 goals in 27 Premier League home games for Liverpool.
However, if he fails to score against Newcastle he will have gone three home games without a Liverpool goal for the first time.
Daniel Sturridge has scored seven goals in his last nine Premier League appearances against Newcastle.
Newcastle United
Newcastle are unbeaten in their last four away league games, winning two and drawing two.
Ten of Newcastle's 17 points this season have come away from home.
Only Huddersfield have scored fewer Premier League goals this season than Newcastle's 14.
Rafael Benitez is winless in his three away games at Anfield against former club Liverpool, drawing two and losing one.
Premier League prediction: Lawro v James bassist Jim Glennie
Liverpool v Newcastle
Rafael Benitez returns to Anfield, and you know how the Newcastle manager is going to set his side up.
The Magpies will make it difficult for Liverpool but Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is able to change the shape of his team to a 4-2-3-1 when he wants to break stubborn sides down.
That allows Klopp to get an extra attack-minded midfielder into his team, which is what I can see him doing here.
Liverpool look very strong at the moment, even when Klopp rotates his side, and he is able to change games from the bench.
I am going for a home win to keep the Reds clear at the top.
I watched Newcastle against Fulham, they never looked like scoring in a month of Sundays and they were playing against the worst defence in the world! So this would be the biggest shock of the season if they won here. Newcastle will defend for so long, but then it will not be enough.
Rafa likes to try and nullify the middle against good passing teams who play out from the back like ourselves. His set up is either 3 5 1 1 or 5 4 1. For this game I can see him going for the latter with a park the bus mentality.
I can see Klopp making quite a few changes for this one.
Alisson
Clyne Lovren VVD Moreno
Milner Henderson Fabinho Shaq
Origi Sturridge
Prediction: Liverpool 4 v 0 Newcastle
Our players should be chomping at the bit at the moment with the likes of City and Chelsea's mishaps. Klopp is going to have an eye on Arsenal this Saturday and the big one @City the following Thursday, so he is going to make some significant changes especially at home where the crowd will be right behind the team.
Rafa likes to try and nullify the middle against good passing teams who play out from the back like ourselves. His set up is either 3 5 1 1 or 5 4 1. For this game I can see him going for the latter with a park the bus mentality.
I can see Klopp making quite a few changes for this one.
Alisson
Clyne Lovren VVD Moreno
Milner Henderson Fabinho Shaq
Origi Sturridge
Prediction: Liverpool 4 v 0 Newcastle
Our players should be chomping at the bit at the moment with the likes of City and Chelsea's mishaps. Klopp is going to have an eye on Arsenal this Saturday and the big one @City the following Thursday, so he is going to make some significant changes especially at home where the crowd will be right behind the team.
Resting all the front 3 would be a risk.... seeing Moreno at LB sends a shiver down my spine !!!
I would go for:
Alisson
Clyne Lovren VVD Moreno
Milner Henderson Fabinho Shaq
Mane Sturridge
Swap Origi for Sturridge when Sturridge gets tired.
