HomeFeatured ArticlesLiverpool v Newcastle United Preview | Team News, Stats and Key Men

Liverpool v Newcastle United Preview | Team News, Stats and Key Men

Liverpool will be looking to get back to winning ways in the league when they welcome Newcastle United to Anfield on Monday night.

The fixture is a favourite one the Premier League calendar, evoking memories of the classic 4-3 match between the sides in 1996. Liverpool conceded four goals in their last league match against Arsenal however and now find themselves seven points (at time of writing) behind Manchester City in fourth. The Reds will now have to win almost every game remaining if they are to have any chance of finishing in the top four.

Newcastle come to Merseyside after a 1-0 loss to their fiercest rivals Sunderland and will be looking to make amends. Things have not been great for the Toon under John Carver but they perhaps come to Liverpool at the right time. After going three months without defeat, Liverpool have lost their last two league games and so Newcastle will surely be looking to add to their misery.

This fixture is always a good one and it is for this reason that the game is being played on Monday night in front of the TV cameras.

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Team News

Mamadou Sakho will miss this game after picking up a hamstring injury in Liverpool’s FA Cup quarter-final replay against Blackburn Rovers during the week. Adam Lallana will not be able to play again until next weekend while Mario Balotelli remains a doubt due to illness. Jordon Ibe could make his return to the side in time for Newcastle after recovering from a ligament injury.

Newcastle have several injuries with most not being able to return to action anytime soon. Paul Dummett and Siem De Jong are unavailable until next month, while Massadio Haidara, Steven Taylor and Cheick Tiote are out for the season. Only Rolando Aarons is expected to return soon, although it will not be until next weekend at the earliest.

Interesting Statistics

  • Liverpool won the corresponding fixture 2-1 last season.
  • Since the beginning of the Premier League in 1992, there have been 130 goals in this fixture – the third highest.
  • The Reds had been unbeaten in 2015 until their losses against Manchester United and Arsenal.
  • Newcastle have not completed a league double over Liverpool since the 1993/94 season.
  • They have conceded at least once in their last 19 league games at Anfield.
  • The Magpies have received five red cards in their last five league games against Liverpool.

Key Players

Coutinho statsLiverpool – Philippe Coutinho

Coutinho has been Liverpool’s player of the season, playing in 28 league games and scoring four goals. According to Squawka.com, the Brazilian has been able to create five more chances than Colback for his team-mates but has only made the same amount of assists with four. He has been able to complete 911 passes, giving him a passing accuracy of 80%. Unsurprisingly for Coutinho, he has able to successfully take on opponents with 80 of his 141 attempts. The midfielder has only made one defensive error all season although on that occasion his mistake led to an attempt on goal. Coutinho has rightfully won plaudits among the Liverpool support this season and will likely be very much involved against Newcastle.

Jack Colback statsNewcastle United – Jack Colback

Colback has made 28 league appearances in midfield for Newcastle this season and has scored three goals. According to Squawka.com, he has created 35 chances for his team-mates and has made four assists. He is not far off completing 1000 passes with 983 to his name so far, meaning the midfielder has a passing accuracy of 89%. Although Colback has won just under half of all duels he has been involved in, the only statistic he actually has a winning percentage in is in terms of how many fouls he has committed. He is involved in an average of four defensive actions per game with most of these being interceptions. Liverpool’s midfield has been exploited in the last two games and Colback will be Newcastle’s best hope for doing this on Monday night.

Prediction

Both teams have to get back on track in the league and this could be the catalyst for an exciting game on Monday night. I fully expect both teams to score and ultimately for Liverpool to win 2-1.

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