Prediction: Liverpool vs Newcastle

Verdict: Home win

Best odds: 11/25

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Now widely considered Premier League champions-elect, Liverpool aim to clear another hurdle in their title pursuit when they host Newcastle United on Wednesday night, setting the stage for next month’s Carabao Cup final.

The Reds extended their lead at the top to double digits with a 2-0 triumph away to Manchester City on Sunday, just hours after the Magpies emerged victorious in a thrilling 4-3 clash with Nottingham Forest.

Liverpool

Arsenal have squandered multiple chances to capitalize on Liverpool’s dropped points in the Premier League title race, but after the injury-hit Gunners fell to West Ham United on Saturday, Arne Slot’s relentless Reds made no such mistake.

Taking advantage of their rivals’ fitness issues at the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool comfortably kept an Erling Haaland-less Man City at bay and struck twice in the first half through the brilliant Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Regardless of their game in hand, Arsenal’s 11-point gap to the league leaders now appears increasingly unbridgeable. Following a run of four unconvincing performances across all competitions, Liverpool’s composed display in Manchester was the hallmark of a title-winning side.

While the Reds remain unbeaten away from home in the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, Slot’s squad have also turned Anfield into a fortress since September’s shock defeat to Nottingham Forest, going 17 home games without a loss and netting at least twice in each of them.

Their narrow 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers two weeks ago marked a fifth consecutive home win, and midweek Premier League fixtures tend to favor Liverpool, who have triumphed in each of their last 12 top-flight matches played between Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Team News

With Cody Gakpo fit enough to make a substitute appearance at the Etihad, Liverpool’s only absentees for Wednesday’s clash remain defenders Conor Bradley (hamstring) and Joe Gomez (hamstring).

Gakpo’s limited fitness saw Slot deploy Curtis Jones and Szoboszlai as dual number 10s against Man City – a tactical shift that paid off handsomely. However, with the Dutchman now edging closer to full strength, he could reclaim a starting spot in place of Szoboszlai, who was visibly exhausted by full-time on Sunday.

That said, with Liverpool enjoying a weekend off before their Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain, Slot is unlikely to make too many changes. Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah needs just one more goal to become the first player to hit double figures both home and away in three separate Premier League seasons.

Newcastle

As expected, Slot and his Liverpool squad remain grounded while the title race is still mathematically open, and the league leaders will take nothing for granted against a Newcastle side boasting a striker they may well admire.

While Darwin Nunez struggles to impose himself at the forefront of Liverpool’s attack, Alexander Isak continues to thrive for the Magpies, netting his 19th Premier League goal of the season in Sunday’s thrilling victory over Nottingham Forest, where Jacob Murphy and Lewis Miley also got on the scoresheet.

Defensive lapses from set pieces turned what should have been a straightforward win into a far nervier affair, but Eddie Howe’s men ultimately edged out their fellow European hopefuls to move level on points with Manchester City, who only keep them out of the top four on goal difference.

By fending off Forest’s late surge, Newcastle avoided the ignominy of a third successive Premier League defeat, but their defensive solidity has vanished, with nine goals conceded in their last three matches and no clean sheets in their last five league outings.

Moreover, the Magpies remain winless in their last 16 Premier League encounters with Liverpool, whose last home defeat in this fixture dates all the way back to 1994. However, December’s dramatic 3-3 draw may have felt like a victory for Newcastle, courtesy of Fabian Schär’s last-gasp heroics.

Team News

Newcastle emerged from their seven-goal thriller against Forest unscathed, and there remains an outside chance that Dutch defender Sven Botman could recover from a minor knee injury in time for the trip to Anfield.

However, Jamaal Lascelles and Joelinton remain sidelined with knee issues, though Howe remains hopeful that the latter will return in time for the Carabao Cup final against the same opposition on March 16th.

Meanwhile, the in-form Alexander Isak—now on 50 Premier League goals—is closing in on an Andy Cole record. The Swedish striker has netted 10 away goals in the 2024/25 campaign, just two shy of Cole’s all-time Magpies record of 12 in a single season, set in 1993/94.

Conclusion

Meetings between Liverpool and Newcastle rarely disappoint in the goal department, and Wednesday’s showdown should be no exception, particularly with the Magpies’ defensive frailties on display.

Howe’s side remains a potent attacking threat, but given Liverpool’s form and firepower, it’s difficult to see anything other than the Reds edging closer to Premier League glory.

Verdict: Home win

Best odds: 11/25

Bookmaker: ZetBet