Liverpool have the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table when they visit St. James’ Park to face Newcastle United on Wednesday.
With Everton’s visit of Manchester City postponed due to coronavirus issues, the Reds could finish Matchday 16 six points clear at the summit.
At the other end of the table, a three-game winless run has seen Newcastle slip to fourteenth – seven points above the drop zone.
Jurgen Klopp’s side head into Wednesday’s clash on an 11-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League.
However, following a 2-1 victory over Tottenham and a 7-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace, the defending champions were held to a 1-1 draw by West Brom last time out.
Despite enjoying 79% possession and racking up 17 shots, Liverpool only managed to record two attempts on target.
Looking at the bigger picture, the Reds have only lost four of their previous 53 league games – picking up 41 wins along the way.
Meanwhile, it’s fair to say that Newcastle have endured a disappointing festive period, with their last win coming almost three weeks ago.
Since then, Steve Bruce’s men have suffered three defeats and one draw – including a 1-0 loss to Championship outfit Brentford in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
In the Premier League, a 5-2 crushing at the hands of Leeds was followed by a 1-1 draw with struggling Fulham.
But in their previous outing, the Magpies saw just 24% possession as they were beaten 2-0 by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Head-to-head: Liverpool are unbeaten in their last seven league meetings with Newcastle and head into this one on a five-match winning streak against the Magpies.
The Reds did the double over Bruce’s side last season, with both games ended 3-1. Newcastle’s last win over Liverpool came back in 2015.
Team news: Martin Dubravka, Allan Saint-Maximin and Jamaal Lascelles are all sidelined for Newcastle, while Jonjo Shelvey and Ryan Fraser are both doubts.
As for Liverpool, Joel Matip has joined fellow centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez on the sidelines. Diogo Jota and Naby Keita are also injured, while Thiago Alcantara is a doubt.
It is worth pointing out that both teams have scored in nine of Newcastle’s last 11 league matches, while both sides have netted in 16 of Liverpool’s previous 20 league outings.
Forebet predicts that both teams will score at St. James’ Park, but Liverpool are expected to net over 2.5 goals on their way to victory.