Liverpool vs Newcastle – Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as Jurgen Klopp’s side aim to stretch lead at the top of the table with a win

It looked as if Jurgen Klopp lost his wedding ring amid the on-pitch celebrations there, but he has managed to locate it!

Match report and ratings to follow. Don’t go anywhere.

Seven minutes are added on and tempers are just flaring a little bit out there.

Second time lucky for Mo Salah from 12 yards out!

He strikes it with aplomb and finds the bottom left corner as Martin Dubravka dives the wrong way!

We’re witnessing a thrilling, rip-roaring finish here at Anfield. Feel it in your bones.

Martin Dubravka came rushing out and Diogo Jota tried to round him. Dubravka definitely caught the attacker as he went to his left, but Jota went down a bit later, causing some debate!

Dan Burn bundles it home from a corner! It comes off his head, then his shoulder, to bumble its way in.

Jamaal Lascelles and Lewis Hall come on for Joelinton and Dan Burn.

Talk of making an impact from the bench!

Mo Salah curled in a cross with the outside of his left boot, and Cody Gakpo was the quickest to react to scuff it home as it bobbled on the slippery pitch.

Tino Livramento was judged to have just about played him on after a VAR check.

Curtis Jones caps off a luscious move to restore Liverpool’s lead!

Diogo Jota and Mo Salah combined to maraud down the right flank. The Egyptian forward dinked it through to Jota, who squared it to a grateful Jones for his goal.

Alexis Mac Allister comes on for Wataru Endo, while at the other end, Miguel Almiron skies a shot after a quick long-ball counter-attack.

Martin Dubravka saved from Cody Gakpo, who fired a low shot through a heaving mass of bodies in the box. Last-ditch stuff for the Magpies.

Liverpool have had 28 shots now… Newcastle have had three.

He is the third-fastest man to reach 150 league goals in Liverpool’s history. Some going, and some company on the podium.

Joelinton felled a surging Ibrahima Konate in the midfield and was duly booked. Could have been his second yellow of the day, in truth.

Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota, and Ryan Gravenberch are on for Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Jurgen Klopp is trying to force a change in momentum here with three impact subs.

Another save from Martin Dubravka!

Luis Diaz shimmied and twisted and tried to sprinkle some magic on this rain-soaked night. Beating his man on the edge of the area, he worked space for a shot, but Dubravka clawed away his effort.

A minute later, Darwin Nunez flashed a header wide after Wataru Endo’s cross.

We’ve got a very lively game on our hands here.

Luis Diaz just flashed the ball across goal and all he needed was a body in there to convert it.

He’s having a solid game.

Alexander Isak has hit 11th goal of the season. He beat Virgil van Dijk to a through ball from Anthony Gordon and swooped it home with his first touch.

Game on now! Miguel Almiron is on for Lewis Miley.

Brilliant saves from Martin Dubravka! Again he materialised to deny Darwin Nunez – twice!

The first time saw him save from point-blank range as Nunez tried to turn home Mo Salah’s cross, then a minute later he pawed away a searing half-volley.

And just like that, Liverpool have lift-off!

Mo Salah prods home after some beautiful interplay.

Dominik Szoboszlai led the counter-attack. He played it out left to Luis Diaz, who cut inside and found Darwin Nunez on the far side of the box

He laid it off to Salah, who had an empty net to aim for from a few yards out.

Jamie Carragher has diagnosed an issue with Darwin Nunez. On his big miss, he said:

‘This sums up Darwin Nunez in a Liverpool shirt. He gets the chance because he’s got that pace and power. Worries Botman. Knocks him out of the way and then doesn’t finish. Again that is him in a nutshell.

‘Maybe if that’s Gakpo he doesn’t even get the chance but that’s the big plus point for Nunez – he gets so many shots off and so many chances. But the thing is he is not clinical. And the thing is when he has that split second to think that’s always a big problem. If he does it on instinct he finds the back of the net.’

Alright, the traffic has mostly been heading in one direction. But Newcastle are still in this.

In flickering moments, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak have had the better of Liverpool’s back four on the break.

Dan Burn even had the ball in Alisson’s net, though that goal was chalked off for a marginal offside.

Could go either way, this.

Eighteen shots to the Reds, one to Newcastle. And it’s nil-nil.

Liverpool have two worst enemies from that half.

The first is Martin Dubravka. He has thwarted them on numerous occasions, producing saves to deny Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez.

The second worst enemy? Themselves. Jurgen Klopp’s men have been wasteful in front of goal and are letting Newcastle’s rough game get to them.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is on the naughty step.

After Wataru Endo and Joe Gomez combined to bring down Anthony Gordon, he reacted by kicking the ball away and complained.

Luis Diaz was incandescent after he believed Joelinton fouled him on the egde of the area. His waspish reaction gains him a yellow card.

My instinct was to sypmathise with him. Looked like Joelinton was playing rough.

A minute later, Lewis Miley was booked for following through with his studs on Mo Salah in the middle of the park.

Lung-busting, end-to-end stuff this! They’re keeping the camera operator busy, that’s for sure!

Newcastle have grown into the game and Liverpool are letting elements of sloppiness creep in.

Virgil van Dijk gave the ball away and had to recover when Alexander Isak was presented with a chance.

We nearly just witnessed one of the best goals in history by Trent Alexander-Arnold! Echoes of Maicon.

From an unthinkable angle, right near the goal line outside the box, he snapped a half-volley towards goal and hit the far post! A cleaner strike you’ll be hard-pressed to find.

As Gary Neville labelled it: ‘Best non-goal I’ve ever seen.’

Dan Burn bundled the ball home with his head, but Alexander Isak was ruled offside in the build-up!

That was a nice move from Newcastle. Isak got the ball outwide, and Burn did so well to capitalise on the cross and beat Alisson, but Isak strayed in the earlier phase.

A gilt-edged chance squandered!

Darwin Nunez was clean through on goal… but Martin Dubravka was fast off his line denied him once again!

Gary Neville and Mike Dean have had their say on the penalty incident. There is some debate over whether Luis Diaz went down a bit late, making a meal of the Sven Botman tackle.

Neville said: ‘I know what he does there Luis Diaz, he actually rides the challenge and then thinks “I should have gone down” and then does go down. He’s a little bit delayed. I mean it’s a reckless challenge and I think the penalty will stand. I think there is a delay after he goes past. There. It’s a dive. The mistake he makes Diaz is that he should go down on the first challenge which he doesn’t do and then he falls.’

Dean said: ‘I think he’s tried to stay on his feet and then he’s gone down. The initial challenge probably just knocked him off balance. For me it’s a penalty kick. So the onfield decision isn’t the wrong decision.’

Alexander Isak is ruled offside but that was a let-off for Liverpool!

His one-two with Sean Longstaff in the box left Liverpool like statues and the striker won a corner with his shot at the near post.

The Reds were stuck in sand and will have to defend better than that or could be punished.

Bruno Guimareas is booked for a foul on Wataru Endo. A late challenge which sent the midfielder sprawling.

That’s his eighth yellow card of the season.

Here’s a recap of the penalty save.

Mo Salah’s penalty is saved by Martin Dubravka!

It deflects out to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who skies his follow-up from yards out!

A penalty has been awarded after Sven Botman brought down Luis Diaz in the area!

Luis Diaz will not have his first Liverpool goal in eight games!

It was a tight call, but his assister, Darwin Nunez, was ruled offside against Dan Burn.

Luis Diaz prodded home after Darwin Nunez laid it up for him, but the Uraguayan was ruled offside for when he received a through-ball. A VAR check is ongoing.

Both teams have come out of the blocks in full-blooded fashion.

Newcastle maybe need to watch themselves after giving away a few free-kicks in useful areas for Liverpool.

It’s a combative game, but one with plenty of quality as well, and it’s mostly about the Reds so far.

Darwin Nunez just headed over after Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a delicious cross from a dead ball.

A flurry of shots for Liverpool, and well done to Martin Dubravka!

He saved a flick from Darwin Nunez from, what, four yards out? Then a shot from Curtis Jones was blocked by a body before Wataru Endo lashed a wild shot high and wide.

All Nunez needed was to change the direction of the ball a little bit more after Mo Salah prodded it in and that could have been 1-0.

Lewis Miley blasted a shot at goal from about eight yards out but Joe Gomez sacrificed a leg to deflect it out for a corner… a leg is probably raw after blocking that!

Newcastle are looking a bit more assertive now and Miley, only 17, fits in seamlessly.

After four minutes, Liveprool had had 28 successful passes to Newcastle’s two.

The home team have dominated possession, cracked off a couple of shots, and had a couple of free-kicks. Newcastle don’t look super comfortable in possession against a furious press.

Chance for Trent Alexander-Arnold!

His first-time half-volley shot on the edge of the box deflects off Sean Longstaff and out for a corner. Just wide.

A minute later, the Reds win a free-kick on the left side of the area after a foul on Curtis Jones.

Liverpool get us going as they seek to go three points clear at the summit of the Premier League.

Some nice play down the right saw Dominik Szoboszlai try a shot inside the area but that was blocked.

Anfield is in full song as the players and mascots high-five each other.

‘Allez, allez, allez’ rings out of the stands as the fans hope to invigorate the players before ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ is recited.

To quote Fabrizio Romano, here we go. Moments away now.

Jurgen Klopp likes to stare down his opponents as they prepare for the game, chilling them to the bones when they’re supposed to be warming up.

Call it mind games or honest analysis… will it get to Newcastle?

Five minutes until kick-off.

Alright, there’s ten minutes until kick-off, so let’s have some pre-match predictions out of you!

Who’ve you got down as winners? Special prizes (pride) if you can successfully predict any scorers.

Alexander Isak has popped up with a very respectable haul of 10 in 20 games this season. One more and he beats his record from last campaign.

In the absence of Callum Wilson, he has led the line with invention. Able to hold the ball up or take a man on, he could be critical tonight if Newcastle find themselves on the back foot.

He netted against Liverpool on his Magpies debut last season. Thoughts on Isak?

The rise of William Saliba has given Virgil van Dijk some company in the elite central defender category in the Premier League.

Liverpool’s Dutchman has been domineering this campaign, as Jamie Carragher points out.

As pundits often say, title-winning teams are built on great defences…

Barely a week passes without Eddie Howe being asked about, or bemoaning, his team’s nightmarish injury troubles.

Tonight Kieran Trippier, arguably their key man, joins the litany of souls on the treatment table.

Howe told Sky Sports: ‘We weren’t able to train normally as you’d expect with the schedule that we had. So it was a case of as I said, earlier, it was play, recover for the for the next game, which was three days later, it was an incredibly tough month because we didn’t have the ability to rotate the team.

‘So it was the same players going again and again. So without making excuses for our, our month, it wasn’t the best month that we’ve ever had.’

Oliver Holt, who is covering tonight’s game, believes danger is lurking for Eddie Howe.

He wrote: It is not a good look for the ‘richest club in the world’ to be languishing in ninth place in its domestic league. It is not a good look for it to finish bottom of its Champions League group and not even make the Europa League. It is not a good look for it to be staring at another year without a trophy.

It is not a good look for the manager to be moaning about injuries all the time as if Newcastle are the only side to have to cope with absences. Putting two goalkeepers on the bench, as Howe has often done, is a clumsy way of drawing attention to those injuries that betrays the fact Howe is feeling the pressure.

Jamie Carragher is concerned that Liverpool – despite being among the league’s top scorers – are lacking in their attacking trident.

While Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez are actually one of the league’s most prolific partnerships, it’s fair to say Jurgen Klopp’s forward line isn’t as consistent or iconic as it was when Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane were around.

Reckon they could still get a game?

Roberto Firmino and Fabinho are back at Anfield tonight as the Saudi Pro League is on a break until mid-February.

How highly do you rate these in the pantheon of greats, Liverpool fans?

Jurgen Klopp recently told Ben Foster that Alisson was the best goalkeeper in the world – and an even better guy off the pitch, in a deployment of the old cliche.

He makes his 250th outing for the Reds tonight.

Luis Diaz is back in Jurgen Klopp’s first 11 and needs to recover his form.

Jamie Carragher suggested before Christmas that the Reds might even need to turn to the transfer market in the summer if he doesn’t pick up his form. He has three goals in 18 games this season, and one assist.

Eddie Howe has just confirmed that Kieran Trippier is out with an injury.

Tino Livramento takes his place, while Joelinton steps in and Miguel Almiron drops to the bench.

Nine first-teamers are unavailable for the Magpies. Quite the injury crisis!

Ibrahima Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, and Luis Diaz are back in for the Reds.

Defeats to West Ham and Fulham have temporarily derailed Arsenal’s title charge – or at least inserted some question marks into it – and Jamie Carragher thinks Liverpool’s experience will count when it comes to crunch time.

He told Sky Sports: I agree with Gary that Liverpool have got something Arsenal haven’t got, which is a manager who’s won the title before and I’ve got players in that squad, who are genuinely world class players.

Jurgen Klopp rejected discussion about league placements, asking: ‘who cares?’

The Liverpool boss said he was impressed with how his side has gelled but knows the season is far from over… especially with a particular playmaker awakening at the Etihad.

He told Sky Sports: ‘How quick we grew together as a group [impressed me]. That’s very important for us. We lost key players in the dressing room and how the boys dealt with that was pretty exceptional.

‘It’s all positive, no doubt, but actually nothing happened until last week. Arsenal were running away.

‘Kevin De Bruyne is warming up – the whole country is starting to shake!

‘It’s nothing to do with us We just want to be as good as possible!’

Newcastle have sauntered into one of the Premier League’s most fearsome dens.

Will they pull off a shock tonight?

They can beat anyone on their day… remember a certain 4-1 drubbing of PSG in October.

Plus, Liverpool don’t have Chris Wood.

Tonight will be Mo Salah’s last game before heading out for Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt. He is the Egyptian king, after all.

Liverpool have dealt with this in the past but it always throws up questions about their depth and title credentials. They need magic from their other forwards more than ever – even if Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, and Cody Gakpo have been misfiring.

READ MORE on Klopp’s title tilt hopes below.

Lewis Steele is one of our scribes at Anfield tonight, getting drenched just for your benefit!

Make sure to follow Lewis, our Merseyside football reporter, on X as we head into the transfer window. He brings regular updates from Jurgen Klopp’s camp… and their fierce rivals, Everton.

Liverpool came from behind thanks to a late double from Darwin Nunez when these sides met at St. James’ Park in August. Anthony Gordon had put the home team ahead.

It’s been a funny old season for the Uruguayan, who followed his early-season form with a 12-game drought, but he got back on the scoresheet against Burnley on Boxing Day.

Fighting talk from Newcastle centre-back Sven Botman.

With the Magpies under fire, he has vowed that they will return to form.

Does that start tonight? Newcastle haven’t won a Premier League game at Anfield since 1994! It’s a big ask.

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live blog as Liverpool welcome Newcastle to Anfield in their first test of 2024.

Not many would have had Jurgen Klopp’s men top going into the New Year – especially not when Arsenal were top at Christmas – but the Reds are playing with lots of self-belief and are unbeaten in the league since September.

Newcastle? Well, they’ve lost four of their last five in the league and are in freefall. Eddie Howe hopes to claw his Magpies away from their current position of ninth.