Liverpool vs Newcastle United Preview

Battered and injury-ravaged Newcastle United will travel to Anfield on New Year’s Day to face a Liverpool side flying atop the Premier League table.

The Reds stormed to the top of the table at the halfway point of the season courtesy of a 2-0 win over Burnley on Boxing Day. Despite seeing two of their goals chalked off contentiously, they did not crumble at Turf Moor, but held on to record their first Premier League win since early December.

And so helped by Arsenal’s shock home loss to West Ham and a good defence in the league, the hosts come into this second half of the season sitting two points above the chasing pack. Jürgen Klopp will be hoping that his team can ride that momentum and take advantage of their New Year’s Day good fortune, having won four of their last five outings on January 1st (D1), even though they’ve failed to win their opening league game in the last three calendar years (D1, L2).

The Anfield faithful will hope to be the catalyst in ending that run, given the Reds have avoided defeat in 50 of their last 51 home PL matches (W38, D12). Their record against at Anfield in this fixture will also boost their morale, with the Magpies winless in their last 27 top-flight visits (D5, L22).

Moreso, ending that miserable run here seems unlikely for Eddie Howe’s side, considering they travel in dreadful form, having lost six of their last seven matches (W1). Such form has put them at risk of suffering a sixth successive defeat against their hosts.

Furthermore, the visitors also currently have a poor record in their first game of the calendar year, with Newcastle beginning just one of the last eleven calendar years with a victory (D3, L7). The Magpie’s form on the road only serves to compound Howe’s misery as well, with their sole league away victory this season (D2, L6) resulting in them possessing the league’s second-worst away record.

Other fixtures taking place this week in the Premier League Fixtures:

Premier League Table