Newcastle United Vs. Liverpool: Injury Crisis Ahead Of The Fierce Duel At St James' Park
JAKARTA - Newcastle United will face a tough test when they host Premier League leader Liverpool at St James Park on Wednesday night, November 4. Liverpool come with an impressive performance and are getting closer to the title, while Newcastle are trying to bounce back from the draw in the previous game.
Arne Slot's Liverpool appeared strong after defeating defending champions Manchester City with a score of 2-0 at Anfield, Sunday 1 November. The victory widened their distance from Man City to 11 points and strengthened their position at the top of the standings. Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah's penalty ensured an important victory for the Reds.
Liverpool are now nine points ahead of their closest competitors, Arsenal and Chelsea. With seven consecutive wins in all competitions, Liverpool have become a difficult team to stop, at least for now. Not only that, they have also scored more than one goal in the last eight games.
Slot, who replaces Jurgen Klopp, has not suffered a away defeat since taking over the team. The only away draw occurred against Arsenal last October.
Newcastle United, under Eddie Howe, are struggling to maintain consistency. They were only able to draw 1-1 against Crystal Palace after conceding in the last minute. Previously, Newcastle also lost 0-2 at home to West Ham.
Currently, Newcastle are in 11th place in the standings with just two wins from their last nine Premier League games. They also risk recording consecutive home defeats for the third time since being taken over by a new consortium.
Newcastle have a poor record against Liverpool, with six consecutive defeats and no wins in the last 15 meetings since 2015.
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Liverpool came into this match with a defensive line that was eroded due to the absence of several main players. Ibrahima Konate (knee injury) and Conor Bradley (hamstring injury) joined Kostas Tsimikas ( ankle injury) and Alisson Becker ( hamstring injury) in the treatment room. This injury was obtained against Real Madrid in the Champions League last week.
In preparation time which is only 72 hours, it is unlikely that the four players will recover on time. This situation was exacerbated by the absence of Diogo Jota (belly injury) and Federico Chiesa who are still in fitness recovery.
Even so, coach Arne Slot is likely to make some familiar changes to his team. Curtis Jones is predicted to replace Dominik Szoboszlai in midfield, while fresher Darwin Nunez has a great chance of filling the position up front, replacing Cody Gakpo or Luis Diaz.
In the Newcastle camp, coach Eddie Howe faced a similar situation. flagship striker Alexander Isak suffered a hip injury during the match against Crystal Palace. Although this injury is more impacted and not serious muscle injury, Isak has doubts about appearing in this match. Callum Wilson is predicted to start and make his first appearance in the Premier League this season.
Newcastle juga harus kehilangan tiga pemain belakang untuk waktu yang cukup lama. SECung Botman (cedera knee), Jamaal Lasceles (celebret), dan Emil Krafth (pedera bersih) dipastikan tak hingga awal tahun depan.
With both teams facing an injury crisis, this match will be a challenge for the coaches in formulating the best strategy and line-up. Liverpool with an impressive performance are still seeded, but Newcastle has the potential to provide fierce resistance at home.
Liverpool come with great confidence and outstanding performance, while Newcastle is still looking for consistency. With Liverpool's record meeting, the Reds are favored to take home three points from St James' Park. However, Newcastle cannot be underestimated, especially if they are able to find their best rhythm in front of their own supporters.
Newcastle United (4-3-3):Pope; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Longstaff, Tonali, Guimaraes; Gordon, Wilson, Barnes
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Kelekerat; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Gakpo; Nunez