The Magpies will run out at Anfield, live on Sky Sports on Monday Night Football, without a win at the iconic stadium in the Premier League since April 1994, when Rob Lee and Andy Cole were their goalscorers, and having lost their last five home and away against Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Newcastle came close to ending that run last season when they led through Alexander Isak’s debut goal with 29 minutes remaining, before Roberto Firmino’s equaliser set up substitute Fabio Carvalho to snatch victory for Liverpool in the eighth minute of stoppage time.
Head coach Howe, whose side was also denied victory over the Reds at St James’ Park by Darwin Nunez’s late double in August, said: “There have been a couple of painful games against Liverpool, for sure.
“The game last season at Anfield was particularly tough for us. This season wasn’t any easier. The positive thing in both of those games was we performed really well and we were competitive and gave Liverpool a really good game.
“For us, we need to be near-perfect in this game. This is a really tough game for us. They have been performing very well at home especially, very consistent, really good team, so for us the challenge is that we need to re-find our best form and we need to be mentally very strong.”
Howe: It’s not me against Klopp
Relations between the two benches have been tense in recent times with Klopp, who had been unhappy with Newcastle’s game management, celebrating wildly after Carvalho’s last-ditch winner, and he was no less pleased by Nunez’s heroics on Tyneside.
However, the German was fulsome in his praise for the Magpies following their 1-0 victory over Manchester United at the start of December four days after their gruelling Champions League draw at Paris Saint-Germain, and opposite number Howe insists the only competition is on the pitch.
He said: “I don’t think it’s me against Jurgen Klopp, it’s Liverpool against Newcastle and that’s how we have to look at this game.
“As I said earlier, we have to be very, very good in every aspect of our game because if there’s a weakness in your structure or in your set-up, then they will find it. They’ve got quality players.
“It’s always a great experience to go to Anfield, it’s always a brilliant arena to play in. For us, we learnt some painful lessons last year. Hopefully we can use that experience to good effect this time.”
Klopp: Newcastle’s players deserve credit
Newcastle’s lengthy injury list makes Liverpool even stronger favourites to extend their positive record against the Magpies. But Klopp believes Newcastle are better than recent results have shown.
“Newcastle are unlucky with the amount of injuries but they also play international football, the system has to get used to that. Pretty much only recovery and then go again for a big, big game,” Klopp said.
“They still do really well. The games that I saw they have a really good idea. But at one point Eddie had to play too often the same line-up. That’s clear.
“Give credit to the players the effort they put in. The guys who play all the time get tired, the guys who come back have no rhythm. We have had that situation plenty of times.
“We played five games in 13 days. It’s insane. Now it’s about using the extra recovery time.”
Klopp: We’re not getting carried away
Arsenal’s 2-1 loss at Fulham on New Year’s Eve leaves the Gunners fourth, and Liverpool could go clear of second-placed Aston Villa with victory at Anfield.
But Klopp insists there is still plenty of work to do if Liverpool want to get to where they want to come the end of the season.
“It’s so early. We have a lot of good spells in games where we didn’t win or had lesser good spells in games we won. It’s a process. This team is in the middle of something. We try to make the best of it,” he said.
“We had a lot of injuries, some players not involved once who are key players for us. Both left-backs aren’t in which is really not good.
“But we found a way to in the next game and found a way to compete. It all starts with defending – we don’t concede all the time so we don’t get desperate.
“So far it’s ok. Better to be first than sixth but both give you a lot of work to do.”
