A second draw in days for stumbling Reds
Newcastle United will be hoping to emulate the exploits of 'Big Sam' Allardyce's West Bromwich Albion in defying the odds and thwarting reigning champions and league leaders Liverpool when they head north to Tyneside. Jürgen Klopp's charges, for all their obvious talent and possession against the Baggies last time out, had very little end product, and indeed, were outshout (on target) by their adversaries. Steve Bruce is very much a safety first manager but with more quality at his disposal in the final third. Read our preview here:
"Willllllllllllson!"
The Toon Army have had a poor time of things in both league and cup competitions in recent weeks; they haven't won in four in the top tier, and were dumped out by a far more enterprising Brentford outfit from the Championship of the League Cup, which could've served as a realistic backdoor into international territory after a lengthy absence. Bruce has also had to endure a growing injury list within a roster not blessed by as much as depth as most of its contemporaries. Someone who has managed to stay fit however is talisman Callum Wilson, who has looked every inch the striker needed to plough a very lone furrow at St. James' Park. The former AFC Bournemouth man already has eight goals to his name in just 12 matches, and it's not as though he has a reliable, regular supply line to create the chances for him. Undoubtedly without the ball, the hosts will have 10 men behind it, and might look like a 5-4-1 during the majority of the match, content to let the fearsome visitors try to shift play around to create space.
Qué Salah, Salah
Speculation has been rife in recent weeks that the immensely gifted Mo Salah is stalling on signing an extension to his contract with the Merseyside giants because of intense interest from Barcelona. Whether or not that develops into something concrete over the coming months, he'd do well to carry on performing to the peak of his powers in England. In the second half against WBA, he was very poor (although far from alone in that regard), and has arguably been overshadowed this season by the more potent output of Sadio Mané on the opposite flank of the front three. Klopp also has a shopping list of players out of contention for Wednesday night, and Joel Matip looks to have rejoined those ranks. That could mean a start at centre back for Nat Phillips or Neco Williams, so there could be some profit for Wilson against one of those and their partner Fabinho. Elsewhere, Thiago will be back in the matchday squad, but will probably have to be content with a place on the bench. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could well be preferred in the right half-space, and there's certainly some rustiness with him, having only played 22 minutes of competitive action.
Brucey Bonus time
Just as with WBA, all the portents should augur well for a Liverpool stroll. They are still leading the way in the league, but with nothing like the aura of invincibility of last season, for which there are several reasons. They're not helped by the schedule or their absentees, but every other side is in the same boat, with some facing a backlog of games because of COVID-19 postponements. If Bruce's charges can keep frustrating their adversaries and starving them of meaningful opportunities, it could be a repeat of last weekend. 888sport are offering odds of 6.00 for them to deny Liverpool of two points, and provide fresh hope to the likes of Everton, Leicester, and both Manchester clubs in hot pursuit.
