Liverpool vs Newcastle LIVE: Latest Premier League updates

This is Liverpool’s first New Year’s Day fixture since a 2-1 victory at Burnley in 2018, and their first at home since drawing 2-2 with Leicester City in 2015.

They dropped points in their opening league game in each of the previous three years, losing at Southampton in 2021 and Brentford in 2023, either side of a 2-2 draw at Chelsea in 2022.

All three previous New Year’s Day league meetings between these clubs were top-flight home matches for Newcastle, who won two and drew the other.

Will they avoid defeat at Anfield tonight?

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp makes four changes to the side that won 2-0 at Burnley on Boxing Day. Ibrahima Konate returns in central defence replacing Jarell Quansah while Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones slot in midfield ahead of Harvey Elliott and Ryan Gravenberch.

Luis Diaz comes in for Cody Gakpo, meaning Darwin Nunez will likely play centrally. Alexis Mac Allister is back on the bench after a six-game lay-off.

Eddie Howe opts to make two changes to the Newcastle team that were beaten 3-1 by Nottingham Forest last time out. Kieran Trippier isn’t involved at all with Miguel Almiron dropping to the bench as Tino Livramento and Joelinton come in.

Jamaal Lascelles starts on the bench.

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Endo, Szoboszlai, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

Newcastle XI: Dubravka; Livramento, Schar, Botman, Burn; Miley, Guimaraes, Longstaff; Joelinton, Isak, Gordon

Newcastle are winless in 27 away matches versus Liverpool in all competitions (drawn five, lost 22).

They last won at Anfield in the League Cup fourth round in November 1995, while their only Premier League victory there came in April 1994.

Liverpool are unbeaten in all 14 league games against Newcastle since a 2-0 defeat at St James’ Park in December 2015, two months into Jurgen Klopp’s reign.

The Magpies will run out at Anfield on Monday evening having not won there in the Premier League since April 1994, when Rob Lee and Andy Cole were their goalscorers, and having lost their last five home and away against Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Newcastle came close to ending that run last season when they led through Alexander Isak’s debut goal with 29 minutes remaining, before Roberto Firmino’s equaliser set up substitute Fabio Carvalho to snatch victory for Liverpool in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

Will tonight’s match be a tactical battle between Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Newcastle manager Eddie Howe? In part yes, but Howe isn’t focusing on that.

He said: “I don’t think it’s me against Jurgen Klopp, it’s Liverpool against Newcastle and that’s how we have to look at this game.

“As I said earlier, we have to be very, very good in every aspect of our game because if there’s a weakness in your structure or in your set-up, then they will find it. They’ve got quality players.

“It’s always a great experience to go to Anfield, it’s always a brilliant arena to play in. For us, we learnt some painful lessons last year. Hopefully we can use that experience to good effect this time.”

Eddie Howe knows that Newcastle have come through a difficult period and now have to take on the Premier League leaders at Anfield.

“There’ve been a couple of painful games against Liverpool, for sure – the game last season at Anfield was particularly tough for us.” said Howe of the recent history between the two teams.

“This season wasn’t any easier. I think the positive thing in both of those games is we performed really well and were competitive, and gave Liverpool a really good game.

“I think, for us, we need to be near-perfect in this game. I think this is a really tough game for us. They’ve performed really well at home especially, they’re consistent, a really good team. So for us, the challenge is that we need to re-find our best form and we need to be mentally very strong.”

Jurgen Klopp spoke about tonight’s match against Newcastle and explained how he sees Liverpool’s current situation as Premier League leaders.

“Look, Newcastle did incredibly well and, OK, it’s unlucky you have that amount of injuries but then on top of that, you play international football, which they didn’t play now 50 times in a row.” he said, “So the whole system has to get used to that – I mean the system of the players.

“It’s completely different – if you have a normal training week or if you have pretty much only recovery and then have to go again for a big, big, big game. Premier League games are all big, Champions League games are all big. So that’s us a little bit. It was, for sure, a little bit of a problem but they still do really well and in all the games they lost they had really good spells.

“The games I saw – and the analysis only starts now really – they had really good spells, they have a really good idea. But at one point Eddie [Howe] had to play too often the same line-up, definitely, that’s clear with all these games. And the boys did incredibly well – I think he’s said that as well. You have to really give credit to the players for the effort they have put in. But it was pretty much the same line-up for a long, long time and then the guys who play all the time get tired and the guys who come back have no rhythm. We had that situation plenty of times.

“But now they have five, six days – like we have – between the games and that will help both teams, definitely. We played five games in 13 days – it’s absolutely insane as well. We somehow came through that but now it’s about using that extra recovery time because we are still in all cup competitions.

“That means we have a busy January as well, other teams probably have a lesser-busy January, which is then helpful, and we all have to get through that as well. From February on, we all have the same schedule again and then we will see.”