Newcastle have lost five of their last six Premier League games…
The Reds must turn their attentions back to the Premier League and their pursuit of a Champions League place on Monday, as we entertain Newcastle United at Anfield.
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With our game against the Magpies being the last of the weekend, we could be as much as ten points adrift of fourth place by the time kick-off comes around, while wins for Tottenham and Southampton could see them overtake us in fifth.
While the majority of our squad will be focused on proving their form ahead of next weekend’s FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa, it’s vitally important that we don’t let other matters distract us from priority number one – ending our run of poor league results.
Here are five key battles that will decide the game…
5) Daniel Sturridge vs Tim Krul
Newcastle United have conceded a lot of goals this season, 49 of them to be specific, with Queens Park Rangers (58) the only team to have let in more in the Premier League. Nonetheless, they kept a clean sheet against us in our last meeting and will be determined to make things difficult. Sturridge has only scored four times since his return from injury and will be desperate to add to that tally here, up against a quality Dutch international keeper.
4) Raheem Sterling vs Daryl Janmaat
We’re still waiting for a big performance from the 20-year-old, one that signals his desire to stay and make things work at Liverpool. He’ll be up against another star of the Netherlands’ 2014 World Cup campaign. The 25-year-old raised a lot of eyebrows by choosing Newcastle after the tournament but has made things work in the North East, establishing himself as the club’s most reliable and consistent defender over the course of 33 appearances.
3) Jordan Henderson vs Jack Colback
The battle of the former Sunderland prodigies! Henderson left the Black Cats back in 2011 and has since become a regular for both Liverpool and England. With over 150 Reds appearances to his name and with the captain’s armband seemingly waiting for him come the end of the season, the 24-year-old has made incredible progress. In contrast, Colback moved across the Tyne last summer after 15 years in the Stadium of Light set-up.
2) Joe Allen vs Moussa Sissoko
Elsewhere in the battle for midfield supremacy, Welsh wizard Joe Allen will be up against arguably Newcastle’s best player, French international Moussa Sissoko. The 25-year-old will no doubt be hoping to take advantage of his opponent’s somewhat sketchy form over recent games, with his performance key to any potential result for the visitors. He joined Newcastle in 2013 and has since scored nine league goals in 75 appearances. Allen will need help from his probable defensive anchorman Lucas to keep the marauding Sissoko at bay.
1) Dejan Lovren vs Ayoze Perez
Martin Skrtel will serve the final match of his three-game suspension, while Mamadou Sakho will also be out following the hamstring injury he sustained against Blackburn Rovers in mid-week. That leaves the door open for Liverpool’s £20m-man to finally make a statement of intent. He performed well on Wednesday but now needs to back up that performance against Premier League opposition. The 21-year-old Spaniard is the man he must stop.
