A dress rehearsal of next month’s Carabao Cup final will be staged on Wednesday evening when Liverpool lock horns with Newcastle United in the Premier League.
The two sides will duel at Wembley Stadium in mid-March, Liverpool aiming to defend their Carabao Cup crown and Newcastle seeking to end their agonising trophy drought. Their midweek battle allows one to deliver a psychological blow before the showpiece event.
The Reds will be buoyant ahead of the upcoming match-up after moving 11 points clear of Premier League title rivals Arsenal at the weekend. Their statement 2-0 victory over Manchester City teamed with West Ham United’s 1-0 win over the Gunners saw them increase their advantage heading into Gameweek 27.
Newcastle are chasing their own lofty ambitions as they continue their hunt for Champions League qualification. A nervy 4-3 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday moved them level on points with fourth-placed Man City and just three behind the Tricky Trees.
History suggests Newcastle are unlikely to make ground on their competitors midweek. They have failed to win at Anfield in any competition since 1995 and have lost 11 of their last 16 meetings with the Reds.
Here is 90min’s guide to a crunch clash on Merseyside.
Liverpool vs Newcastle head-to-head record (last five games)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Liverpool |
Newcastle |
|---|---|
|
Man City 0-2 Liverpool – 23/02/25 |
Newcastle 4-3 Nottingham Forest – 23/02/25 |
|
Aston Villa 2-2 Liverpool – 19/02/25 |
Man City 4-0 Newcastle – 15/02/25 |
|
Liverpool 2-1 Wolves – 16/02/25 |
Birmingham 2-3 Newcastle – 08/02/25 |
|
Everton 2-2 Liverpool – 12/02/25 |
Newcastle 2-0 Arsenal – 05/02/25 |
|
Plymouth 1-0 Liverpool – 09/02/25 |
Newcastle 1-2 Fulham – 01/02/25 |
|
Country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, discovery+, discovery+ App |
|
United States |
fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, UNIVERSO |
|
Canada |
fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 2 Canada |
Alexis Mac Allister is a minor injury doubt heading into Wednesday’s encounter after suffering facial bruising against Man City at the weekend, but Arne Slot has revealed that the midfielder should be available for the clash.
Conor Bradley won’t appear against Newcastle, however, with the right-back still recovering from a muscle injury sustained at Villa Park.
Regarding the defender, Slot admitted: “He is out for a few weeks. I cannot tell exactly how many but it is clear that he went off with a muscle injury and that it is going to take a while before he is back.”
Liverpool are also without Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton.
Liverpool predicted lineup vs Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Diaz.
Sandro Tonali was only fit enough to feature for 20 minutes at the weekend but Eddie Howe has confirmed he came through the encounter unscathed and is set to start at Anfield.
Sven Botman and Joelinton are both closing in on returns from injury and could be part of the matchday squad on Wednesday. However, there remains a chance that neither make the trip across the country.
Jamaal Lascelles remains a long-term absentee as he recovers from an ACL tear sustained in March 2024.
Newcastle predicted lineup vs Liverpool (4-3-3): Pope; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Guimaraes, Tonali, Willock; Murphy, Isak, Gordon.
Liverpool and Newcastle have played out some thrillers over the years and Wednesday’s encounter is likely to showcase the best of both sides. The Reds will be full of confidence after their weekend triumph but their opponents have the attacking capabilities to cause them real issues in transition.
However, while Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon are likely to get some joy, Liverpool should come out victorious. They have an astonishingly strong home record against the Magpies and have won nine of their 12 Premier League games at Anfield this term.
Victory on Wednesday would take Slot’s side even closer to the title and they should overcome a mighty test en route to glory.
