Preview: Liverpool vs Newcastle United - prediction, team news, lineups

Anfield is the venue for a Premier League battle of the north on Saturday night, when Liverpool and Newcastle United will both endeavour to get their top-four charges back on track.

The Reds still have not won a top-flight game in 2026, while the Magpies lamented the absence of the indispensable Bruno Guimaraes in last weekend's 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa.

Match preview

Famed for their last-minute winners at the start of the 2025-26 season, the injury-time shoe has been on the other foot ever since for Liverpool, whose excruciating 3-2 loss to Bournemouth last weekend was historic for all the wrong reasons.

Fighting back from 2-0 down only to succumb to Amine Adli's last-gasp strike at the Vitality Stadium, Liverpool have now conceded a 90+ minute winner in three separate Premier League matches this term, more than in any previous season in the competition.

A sombre evening on the South Coast both spelled the end of Liverpool's 13-game unbeaten run and prolonged their winless Premier League sequence to five matches, a streak in which they have been bumped down to sixth place in the top-flight rankings.

Not since 1954 have Liverpool failed to win their first six league games of a calendar year - that season actually represents the last time that the Reds were relegated - but Arne Slot and co enjoyed six of the best rather than six of the worst in midweek.

Indeed, the Premier League champions slaughtered Qarabag 6-0 to confirm their place in the last 16 of the Champions League, a result that extended their unbeaten run at Anfield to seven matches across all tournaments.

Newcastle cannot relate when it comes to home streaks without defeats, though, as the Magpies' worst fear came true without Guimaraes against Aston Villa, who prolonged an incredible sequence at St James' Park.

Prior to the visit of the Lions, Eddie Howe's men had failed to win any of their eight Premier League games that Guimaraes had not started since his arrival in 2022, and eight became nine as Emiliano Buendia and Ollie Watkins struck the decisive goals.

Now winless and scoreless in their last two top-flight contests, Newcastle have dropped down to ninth in the division as one of four teams on 33 points, leaving them five adrift of Manchester United in the coveted fourth spot.

However, Howe's men claimed a praiseworthy European point away to UCL holders Paris Saint-Germain in midweek - thereby punching their ticket to the knockout round playoffs - and that 1-1 stalemate marked their third straight away match without defeat.

The visitors have still won just three matches on the road all season, though, and August's Rio Ngumoha-inflicted 3-2 loss to Liverpool marked their 18th straight league game without victory against the champions, who have also avoided defeat in an outrageous 29 consecutive Premier League home contests vs. the Magpies.

Liverpool Premier League form:

Liverpool form (all competitions):

Newcastle United Premier League form:

Newcastle United form (all competitions):

Team News

Another day, another defensive injury for Liverpool, who lost right-back Jeremie Frimpong to a suspected hamstring problem after just four minutes against Qarabag; Slot has already ruled him out of Saturday's game.

Frimpong may be one of five rearguard absentees against the Magpies, as Giovanni Leoni (ACL) and Conor Bradley (knee) are definitely absent alongside striker Alexander Isak, while Ibrahima Konate (personal) and Joe Gomez (head) are also unlikely to return in time.

If Curtis Jones does not recover from illness either, forgotten man Calvin Ramsay could be brought in for his first Premier League start of the season, or Dominik Szoboszlai could operate in defence with Wataru Endo being promoted to the XI.

On Newcastle's end, the Magpies faithful rejoiced in the return of Guimaraes from his ankle injury at the Parc des Princes, even if the midfield metronome was just an unused substitute in the draw with PSG.

However, fellow Brazilian Joelinton will miss a few weeks with the groin injury he sustained in the loss to Villa, joining Tino Livramento (thigh), Emil Krafth (knee) and Fabian Schar (ankle) in the St James' Park medical bay.

Jacob Murphy was also on the bench in midweek following a hamstring concern, but the Englishman should lose out to the returning Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon, both former Liverpool youngster and transfer target.

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Alisson; Szoboszlai, Endo, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:

Pope; Thiaw, Botman, Burn; Trippier, Guimaraes, Tonali, Hall; Barnes, Wissa, Gordon

We say: Liverpool 1-1 Newcastle United

Howe faces quite the quandary here - persist with the three-man backline that frustrated PSG, or revert to a more attacking setup against Liverpool's ravaged backline.

Either way, the Magpies' persistent problems on the road should rule out the possibility of a famous win, but Liverpool are averaging their lowest goals per game in a Premier League season since 2011-12 and could be made to wait even longer for a first top-flight success of 2026.

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