Sunday’s clash at Anfield played out as many expected. Liverpool were in control, with Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah scoring to leave City reeling. Gary Neville described it best: Liverpool looked like men among boys.
Despite the victory, Pep Guardiola still found humor, responding to Liverpool fans’ taunts with a cheeky six-finger gesture though City’s sixth loss in seven games was the real headline.
With their win, Liverpool extended their lead over the champions to 11 points and remain nine clear of Arsenal and Chelsea. History suggests the title is all but decided, as no team with a six-point lead after 13 games has ever failed to win the Premier League.
Slot’s squad is in red-hot form, with seven straight wins across all competitions and at least two goals scored in their last eight matches. The Dutchman, still unbeaten on the road since taking over, has guided Liverpool to unparalleled consistency.
Meanwhile, Newcastle’s road struggles continued on Saturday. Marc Guehi’s own goal seemed set to give Eddie Howe’s men three points against Crystal Palace, but a late header from Daniel Munoz forced the Magpies to settle for a draw. That result followed a disappointing home loss to West Ham, and inconsistency remains Newcastle’s Achilles' heel. They sit 11th in the league, just four points off fourth, but their hopes of a European spot are fading.
St. James’ Park hasn’t been a fortress this season. Newcastle have only two wins from their last nine Premier League games and have failed to score in two of their last three home matches. Another loss on Wednesday would mark back-to-back home defeats for just the third time since their takeover.
History is not on Newcastle’s side against Liverpool. They’ve lost their last six meetings with the Reds and are winless in 15 games against them since a 2-0 victory in December 2015 when Georginio Wijnaldum, then a Newcastle player, was among the scorers. With Liverpool in unstoppable form, the Magpies face a daunting task to turn their fortunes around.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Liverpool managed to keep Manchester City comfortably at bay on Sunday, even with a makeshift defense. Injuries to Ibrahima Konaté (knee) and Conor Bradley (hamstring) during their midweek clash with Real Madrid added to the absences of Kostas Tsimikas (ankle) and Alisson Becker (hamstring).With just 72 hours between games, it’s unlikely any of those four will return for Wednesday’s match. The same goes for Diogo Jota (abdominal) and Federico Chiesa (fitness). However, manager Arne Slot could still freshen things up with some familiar changes. Dominik Szoboszlai may return to replace Curtis Jones in midfield, while a rested Darwin Núñez is likely to start in place of either Cody Gakpo or Luis Díaz, who once again led the attack on Sunday.
Newcastle, meanwhile, face a forced change up front after Alexander Isak was subbed off with a hip injury during their draw with Crystal Palace. Manager Eddie Howe reassured fans post-match that it was a contact injury, not a muscle problem, but it’s possible Callum Wilson could make his first Premier League start of the season.
The Magpies are also dealing with long-term injuries to Sven Botman (knee), Jamaal Lascelles (knee), and Emil Krafth (shoulder), none of whom are expected back before the New Year.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:Pope; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Longstaff, Tonali, Guimaraes; Gordon, Wilson, Barnes
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Gakpo; Nunez
EXPERT PREDICTION
Newcastle 1-2 Liverpool
Even with Isak in the lineup, the Magpies have struggled to find the back of the net at St. James’ Park. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s momentum shows no signs of slowing, and despite having a day less to recover, they’re well-equipped to handle their inconsistent hosts with ease.
