- Venue: Anfield
- Date: Friday, 30 December
- Kick-off: 1945 GMT
- Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 1; highlights on Saturday's Football Focus; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles
Demba Ba, who has scored 14 league goals this season, will be fit to play
TEAM NEWS
Liverpool will be without striker Luis Suarez, who serves a one-match ban after accepting an FA improper conduct charge.
Captain Steven Gerrard, who returned from a two-month lay-off on Boxing Day, is likely to again start on the bench.
Newcastle striker Demba Ba is available despite suffering a knock to his knee at Bolton.
Davide Santon has recovered from injury, while Dan Gosling is back after completing a three-match ban.
MATCH PREVIEW
Immediately this fixture conjures up memories of one of the greatest matches of the Premier League era. I was lucky enough to be at Anfield 15 years ago to witness Liverpool's dramatic 4-3 win, a scoreline they recorded again in the corresponding fixture the following season. Robbie Fowler scored four t
imes in those two encounters and you can't help thinking how the current Liverpool team could do with the natural finishing and predatory instincts that he possessed.
Liverpool have a fantastic home record against Newcastle - they need to finally convert those chances and make sure that continues
On Boxing Day, I watched them yet again squander chances as they could only draw with Blackburn, and with Luis Suarez suspended for this game, goalscoring will be a concern for the Reds.
Incredibly, the Premier League's bottom two (Blackburn and Bolton) have scored more league goals than Kenny Dalglish's team. In fact, Liverpool have now let slip 12 points at home from nine league matches, and despite being unbeaten at Anfield, they can't afford that to continue. I'm sure the frustration has increased having seen Chelsea and Arsenal drop points at home so far over the holiday period.
It's a little over 12 months since I commentated on Alan Pardew's first match in charge of Newcastle - a 3-1 home win over Liverpool. Many will remember that Andy Carroll was outstanding that day and scored the third goal - Liverpool fans will be hoping he gets a run in their team and rediscovers some of that form as quickly as possible.
While all the talk since his departure has been of a new centre-forward on Tyneside, you have to give immense credit to the way Demba Ba has fitted in. He may not have been the big name most fans were calling for but 14 goals in his last 13 league starts is a record any of their previous strikers would have been proud of.
It's testament to the job that Pardew has done since that first victory that he goes into this match just a point behind Liverpool. Their win at Bolton was vital after a run of only two points from eighteen. Liverpool have a fantastic home record against Newcastle - they need to finally convert those chances and make sure that continues.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Newcastle have only beaten Liverpool once at Anfield in the Premier League, back in April 1994.
- The Reds have won their last three matches against Newcastle at Anfield 3-0.
- Liverpool have won eight of their past 10 Premier League meetings, Newcastle have won two.
- Newcastle have not scored at Anfield since 19 December 2004.
Liverpool
- Liverpool have drawn six of their nine Premier League matches at Anfield this season - five of which have ended 1-1.
- They have failed to score more than once in their last six matches at home.
- Maxi Rodriguez has scored 11 goals in his last 12 starts in all competitions for Liverpool and nine in his last nine Premier League matches.
Bolton
- Newcastle ended a run of six Premier League matches without a victory by beating Bolton.
- The Magpies have lost four of their last seven league games. In the 11 matches previous to that, they were unbeaten.
- Hatem Ben Arfa scored only his second ever Premier League goal against Bolton.
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