Newcastle will need near-perfection to stall Liverpool, says Howe

Newcastle — Newcastle United will need to be near perfect to stand any chance of stalling Liverpool’s Premier League title march on Wednesday, manager Eddie Howe insists.

His side moved into fifth on Sunday with a chaotic 4-3 victory over third-placed Nottingham Forest, but Howe was unimpressed by the way his team surrendered a 4-1 lead.

Newcastle have won eight of their last 11 league games but lost three of the last five, suffering heavy beatings at home to Bournemouth and away at Manchester City.

It is an inconsistency that concerns Howe, and he knows there can be no lapses at Anfield.

“We need to be close to a perfect game from our perspective,” Howe said.

“Learning from the recent game against Manchester City would be a good starting point for us where we didn’t execute the aggressive game plan that we wanted.

“We need to learn from that at Anfield, which is a great environment to play football in but not good if you’re not totally there. We have to acknowledge that and make sure we turn up. Psychologically it’s huge. It’s an emotional stadium, we’re going to need to start well and have a threat in the game.”

Newcastle fans are enjoying what is shaping up to be a memorable season, with a League Cup final against Liverpool in March and the chance of an FA Cup run added to their challenge for Champions League qualification.

“There have been games we’ve been frustrated at ourselves. But when you hear the statistic of 13 wins out of 16 [in all competitions] that’s not an inconsistent team,” Howe said.

“I’d certainly take that again in the next 16 games.”

While Howe said it would be a challenge trying to keep Mohamed Salah quiet at Anfield, in Alexander Isak Newcastle also have a player who will worry Liverpool boss Arne Slot.

Isak’s brace against Forest saw him reach 50 Premier League goals in 76 games since joining. Only six players have joined the Premier League’s 50-goal club in fewer games.

“You put that together with when he first came to the club — my memory was like just a lot of relegation — so it wasn’t as if he was joining a team that was right at the top of the league and free scoring in that moment,” Howe said.

“We had to try to become that team. But he’s come in with a great attitude to the club, he’s come in hungry to succeed, eager to help the team. He’s not been selfish in that period, he’s not thought of himself, he’s always played for the team and I’m delighted for him.”

Manchester City are sweating on the fitness of striker Erling Haaland for their trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, manager Pep Guardiola said.

Haaland, who has 27 goals this season in all competitions, suffered a knee injury in City’s 4-0 victory over Newcastle on February 15 and was not named for Sunday’s 2-0 loss at home to Liverpool, which left City fourth on 44 points.

“Tonight we will know after training,” Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday of Haaland’s prospects of playing against Spurs. “I hope so, but we don’t know yet. He feels better but we will see tomorrow.”

City won the league for the last four seasons but have failed to impress in this one, also crashing out of the Champions League with a humbling 6-3 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid.

They spent more than $224m in the January window to sign Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Juma Bah, but those players have not yet righted the ship.

Reuters