Liverpool’s struggles against Aston Villa and Wolves could offer rare hope for Newcastle United
The league table doesn’t lie and right now Liverpool are one of the most in-form teams in the Premier League.
The Reds have won each of their last seven matches in all competitions. They were impressive in their Champions League group stages as well, where they won all six matches on offer.
Jurgen Klopp’s side will now switch their attention to Newcastle United on Thursday evening. They will want to continue their good run and keep the pressure on league leaders Manchester City.
The Citizens battered Leeds United 7-0 on Tuesday to move four points clear at the top. It means Liverpool will have to win their match to reduce the gap back to one point again.
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Liverpool's struggles against low-block teams
While Klopp’s side are huge favorites against Newcastle United, the Reds have not had it easy against defensively disciplined teams in recent weeks.
Liverpool scored four past Southampton and Everton but struggled against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa. They eventually eked out narrow one-goal wins in those matches.
The Anfield outfit has a ruthless forward line, with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota all very good at finding the back of the net.
However, their struggle against low-block opponents is evident and that could offer some hope for Eddie Howe’s side going into Thursday’s game.
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Newcastle could be a slippery peel
Newcastle United have won just one league game this season and currently occupy the 19th place on the table. However, they have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks.
The results are yet to reflect the efforts but there’s no doubt that the Magpies have upped their performances lately. They need clinical finishing up front to convert chances into goals. It will help them move out of the relegation zone.
A team that creates chances is always dangerous and Liverpool must be wary of that. The Reds have better players and Anfield is always a difficult ground for visiting teams. But Newcastle could be a slippery peel if Klopp's men underestimate their opponents.
Speaking about Newcastle in his pre-match conference. Jurgen Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com:
“Newcastle, when you look at the team which played the last game, that’s a really good football team. In all positions really good players. The Leicester game was obviously, when you watched it, not a 4-0; it was a 4-0 obviously but it didn’t look like. They had their chances, they had their moments, they had possession."
He added:
“That’s the team we expect and not the team who lost 4-0 against Leicester. So we expect them fighting for absolutely everything. We have to make sure we are ready for that fight.”
The Premier League is the most exciting league in the world because upsets are always on the cards. Liverpool may be favorites for the game on Thursday but this struggling Newcastle side won’t go down without a fight.