Eddie Howe believes that Newcastle must play close to a “perfect game” to make Liverpool better in Anfield.
The Reds are on track to secure the Premier League title after they have extended their lead at the top of the table to 11 points at the weekend.
The men of Arne Slot were impressive in the way they sent Manchester City 2-0 on Sunday, but at home they also went wealth, with their only defeat of the competition in Anfield in September against Nottingham Forest.
Howe knows his side, currently on points with Manchester City in the fifth, knows that they have to manage the emotion of playing Liverpool.
The tone boss said: “We must be close to a perfect game from our perspective.
“Learning from the recent match against Manchester City would be a good starting point for us where we did not implement the aggressive game plan that we wanted and we were not attacking the game well enough.
“We have to learn from Anfield, which is a great environment to play football, but not good if you are not completely there.
“We have to acknowledge that and ensure that we appear. Psychologically it is huge. It is an emotional stadium, we have to start well and we must have a threat to the game. “
Eddie Howe on the current battle for European places:
“It is very interesting, an interesting mix of teams. Some expect you to be there, some who have had an excellent season there. I only think from our point of view; We fight for those places. ” pic.twitter.com/ctssvtzn88q
– Newcastle United (@NUFC) February 25, 2025
Howe: Salah Stop a ‘Challenge’
The hope of Newcastle to get a result in MerseSide on Wednesday evening can depend on how they deal with Mohamed Salah, who continues to have an extraordinary season for the Reds.
The Egyptian attacker has scored 25 goals and provided 16 assists in 27 Premier League matches and has just found it in his last six games in the competition.
About how to stop the 32-year-old, Howe added: “That will be a challenge for us. It is always not due to someone in the team, although he will of course meet an opponent, it is about the team that supports that area of the field.
“I think that against Arsenal at home in the Carabao Cup is a great game to think about. We defended in two, three, four. We had a mentality that we wanted to defend our goal to the highest level.
“I don’t think we have had that consistently in recent weeks, but we need that in this game.”
Howe: Inconsistency has been frustrating
Newcastle has recently under -consistent form, after they have won three and have lost three in their last six Premier League matches.
The contrasting form they showed was perhaps best summarized in their last match against Forest, when they hit four goals in the first half before an overwhelming second period almost saw them vomiting in a 4-3 victory.
Howe added: “It has been there all season to a certain extent. There have been games where we are frustrated. But if you hear the statistics of 13 victories of the 16, that is not an inconsistent team. I would definitely take that again in the next 16 games.
“I try to be honest and acknowledge that we have sometimes been inconsistent [the 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest] reflected that. “
Newcastle Team News
Howe said that midfielder Sandro Tonali “fined” in his replacement appearance against Bos and he “expects him to be completely fit now”.
Defender Sven Botman is also “quickly improved” and will be “very close” for the Liverpool game.
On the fitness of Joelinton, Howe said: “With Joe it is similar to Sven that he really improves and is really doing well and pushes. He is another player who can be quite close. ‘
“He has those important aspects that we missed when it is not there, his physicality and strength There is a clear presence in our midfield. Joey is a huge player for us. ‘
