Tonight’s late mid-week kick-off sees Liverpool host an ambitious and inspired Newcastle United side at Anfield.
The Reds dismantled Bournemouth last time out to register their first win in what has been a scarily slow start for Klopp’s side.
But striking Bournemouth down with a score of 9-0 demonstrated that Klopp’s mentality monsters mean business and will be looking for a convincing win to add vital points and much needed momentum.
With four games played, Liverpool find themselves five points behind fellow title chasers Manchester City and seven respective points behind Arsenal, who seem like a reinvigorated and inspired outfit under Mikel Arteta this season.
A win at home to Newcastle United is a must for the Anfield side, though it may not come easy due to the tactical astuteness of Magpies boss Eddie Howe, who is steering the club in a new direction with the addition of some high quality signings.
Having conceded four goals, Newcastle rank as the joint-fourth best defence in the league thus far, alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers. So the Reds will need to carry a similar vein of goalscoring threat that was demonstrated last time out against the Cherries.
Injury News
Taking to the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Jurgen Klopp issued an update on the Reds’ injury situation, amidst a mini-crisis across the squad that has made the boss contemplate pulling a transfer U-turn.
Asked about the fitness of the squad, Klopp said:
“I think Diogo [Jota] can train from Thursday on. Thiago [Alcantara] I think, slightly later. We’ll see. Calvin [Ramsay] is getting closer. Caoimhin Kelleher, I saw walking outside for goalkeeper training. So there is light at the end of the tunnel, definitely.”
Predicted XI
Having responded to the 2-1 defeat against Manchester United in the best way possible, hitting Bournemouth for nine and picking up a clean sheet along the way.
Liverpool will be looking to build on their first win of the new season with a victory against the Magpies, and this is the line-up that we at LIVE4LIVERPOOL believe that Klopp will deploy.
4-3-3:
Alisson,
Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson,
Elliott, Fabinho, Henderson,
Salah, Firmino, Diaz
So, we’re predicting an unchanged line-up from that side that hit Bournemouth for nine last time out.
This, despite Harvey Elliott being pulled off at half-time as a precaution.
But with this being under precautionary measure, amidst a lack of depth in the central of the pitch, we believe that the “starboy”, as dubbed by Roopa on Twitter, will indeed start tonight’s affair.
With Darwin Nunez serving his three-match ban, the “sensation”, as rightly named by the wizards at OptaJoe, Roberto Firmino will almost certainly start with hopes that he will continue the divine form that saw him hit two goals and three assists at centre-forward.
Firmino will be looking to capitalise on Nunez’s absence and further stake his claim as Klopp’s starting forward. He can do just that in tonight’s late kick-off.
