I am not too sure if we could score another 6 goals, but we should definitely be able to put enough goals in to win the game. Newcastle will have a stronger team this time around, Krul should start ahead of Elliot and only Debuchy should remain in the back four from the last encounter. Also, I would imagine they would start with both Cisse and Remy upfront, which means they would have four players in the midfield, as opposed to the five they used in our previous meeting. Loic Remy has been impressive in his time so far at Chateau Nouveau. The loanee Frenchman has scored 5 goals in his last 3 premier league outings. Extremely formable form. However, defensively, they look vulnerable conceding 8 goals in their last 4 premier league matches. Liverpool though, have their own form striker. Or rather, make that two form strikers, with Sturridge scoring 4 goals in his last 5 matches and Suarez scoring 3 goals in his last 2 matches in the league. We have also adapted our formation to make us even more of an attacking threat. And if rumours are to be believed, we could see the return of Johnson, Cissokho and Allen this weekend. (And for the more optimistic, some media are reporting a return of Coutinho).
So how do we beat them?
With Newcastle probably playing with two strikers, this should finally allow Gerrard and Lucas to dominate the midfield. It should also allow for spaces between the midfield and defence for our players to take advantage of. But first things first – we must stop Remy. I think Sakho would be ideal in keeping his compatriot off the scoring sheet. And if Gerrard and Lucas can dominate the midfield, this would mean that Remy and/or Cisse would have to drop deep to collect the ball, nullifying their threat further. I think we should tinker with out front three, and drop Suarez into the number 10 role and allow him to roam. This would force the Newcastle midfield to drop deeper to try and contain him, adding to their attacking impotence. Ahead of him, I would like to see Aspas start with Sturridge. Call me a fool, but I would like to see more of Aspas. Again, I believe that once he breaks his duck, the goals will flow. I predict a Liverpool win by the exact same score-line as our last two matches. Although I prefer a 3-0 win, I think with our poor second half performances, Remy will get his team a goal. Also, as a betting man, I will be putting a small wager on Gerrard to score.
And our competitors…
I must say, I did myself proud in my preview of our competitors over the last match day. Apart from not seeing the West Ham win at White Hart Lane, which I doubt anyone saw coming, I did see the draw between WBA and Arsenal and the tough time Man United would have at Sunderland.
Our neighbours Everton will welcome Hull to Goodison Park this weekend and they should return to winning ways. Man United are playing Southampton at Old Trafford, and this should be a tasty encounter. Southampton are full of confidence, and Old Trafford is no longer looking like a fortress to the premier league. I think a win will be tough for the Saints though, but bar some poor referring decisions, I see a draw in this match. Interesting information though, a few websites I frequent actually have Southampton listed as the favourite in this match. Arsenal will host Norwich this weekend, and I think Norwich will get something from this match as well. Their strike force is far too good with Van Wolfswinkle and Hooper not to come good. As for Arsenal, their defence is not the best and their season so far has been reliant on Ramsey and Ozil- The German facing a late fitness test for this match. Chelsea should take all three points from Cardiff who have their own internal political issues to manage as well, and City and Spurs should collect all three points in their matches.
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