Lucas Leiva: 'Liverpool have to beat Newcastle to keep top-four hopes alive'

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has refused to play down the importance of his side's meeting with Newcastle United in the Premier League this evening.

The Reds head into the clash at Anfield on the back of successive league defeats against Manchester United and Arsenal, which has left them trailing fourth-placed Manchester City by seven points.

Victory over an out-of-sorts Newcastle outfit will see Brendan Rodgers's men close the gap on their rivals, and Leiva is all too aware that anything less than maximum points could spell the end of their Champions League qualification hopes.

"We have to win the game," the Brazilian told Sky Sports News. "We are at home and after two defeats, it's important to get three points and start winning in the last seven games, starting with Newcastle.

"It's going to be hard but after the FA Cup game, it has given us a lot of belief to get back to winning ways tonight."

Newcastle, who won the reverse meeting 1-0 earlier this season, have never achieved a league double over Liverpool during the Premier League era.