Newcastle v Liverpool Tips: Magpies can continue their bid for a European spot

If you said that Liverpool would be nine points behind Champions League-chasing Newcastle United with almost two-thirds of the season gone back in August, you would have been laughed at.

That’s exactly where we find ourselves going into this week’s fixture between the two clubs, and the Toon could give their European ambitions a huge boost if they keep up their remarkable home run by getting a result against the Reds. 

It’s been almost a year since Newcastle lost a home game in any competition, and it’s that form that has seen them march into the League Cup final and maintain their current hold on a top-four place. But which team beat them at St. James Park in April last year? You guessed it, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

This is likely to be a tight encounter, and the odds reflect that. Newcastle are priced at 2.6, Liverpool are 2.88, and a draw – which has happened in five of the Magpies’ last six league games – is 3.65. 

Mean defence 

Not a single team in the top four tiers of English football have conceded fewer goals than Newcastle (13) this season, and the fact that they have kept seven clean sheets in 11 home matches has played a big part in helping them rocket up the league.

Eddie Howe’s defensive structure has seen eight of Newcastle’s home ties finish with under 2.5 goals this season, and backing them to win by a single goal looks tasty at 4.4. Therefore, Newcastle winning to nil (4.7) wouldn’t be a huge surprise, especially with Liverpool’s questionable away form.

Travel sick

Liverpool have lost four of their last five matches on the road and conceded a total of 11 goals. They have kept just three clean sheets in 16 away games in 2022/23, and only one of those has come in the Premier League.

The Reds have shockingly lost six of their 10 away league games this term, and conceded three goals in each of their last three matches. This team has played in stark comparison to their performances last year.

History-chaser

Mo Salah’s achievements at Anfield have been nothing short of spectacular. The amount, regularity and quality of his goals will see him go down as a Kop legend forevermore.

Mo Salah: could become Liverpool's leading Premier League goalscorer with a hat-trick

The Egyptian is already in the club’s top 10 all-time finishers, but three more goals will see him overtake Robbie Fowler (128) to become their highest goalscorer in the Premier League era – a tremendous achievement in itself. 

You can back him at 2.88 as an anytime goalscorer, but it’s Callum Wilson (2.78) who is the favourite to get on the scoresheet after he was rested with a slight hamstring niggle in Newcastle’s last game. 

Newcastle v Liverpool Tips

Newcastle to win by one goal margin @ 4.4
Under 2.5 goals @ 2.1