PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue:
Anfield Date:
Sunday, 3 May Kick-off:
1330 BST
Coverage:
Full commentary on BBC Radio Merseyside 95.8 FM, 1485 AM and DAB, Score updates on Final Score, BBC Sport website and BBC Radio 5 Live; live text commentary on BBC Sport website; Highlights on Match of the Day
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard is set to return to the first XI for Sunday's match having missed the last four games with a groin injury.
Swiss full-back Philipp Degen continued his comeback from injury with an outing in the reserves in midweek.
Newcastle will be without key defenders Jose Enrique (hamstring) and Steven Taylor (ankle).
Jonas Gutierrez (ankle) is fit and Joey Barton, an unused substitute against Portsmouth, is included in the squad.
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez said the return of his captain is invaluable to his team.
"Gerrard is fit - he has been training and hopefully he will be available for the game," said the Spaniard.
"The team were doing well without Stevie, but everyone knows we are stronger with him on the pitch.
"He is a player who can changes games and is very important for us."
Liverpool (from): Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Hyypia, Aurelio, Dessena, Insua, Benayoun, Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano, Babel, Lucas, Kuyt, Torres, Riera, Ngog, Cavalieri.
Newcastle (from): Harper, Forster, Krul, Beye, Bassong, Coloccini, Edgar, Cacapa, Butt, Duff, R Taylor, Gutierrez, Nolan, Guthrie, Barton, Lovenkrands, Geremi, Smith, Martins, Owen, Viduka, Carroll, Xisco, Ranger.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez:
"They are under pressure and we need to win every single game.
"The teams that have something to play for are more dangerous.
"If you are trying to win the title you have to win almost every game and when you play teams like Hull and Newcastle you know it will be difficult because they will fight until the last minute."
Newcastle manager Alan Shearer:
Shearer could drop Owen
"There will be twists and turns before the end of the season but we are relying on other teams. If they slip up then we must take our chance.
"We are going to Liverpool and we will give it a right good go. We are going there as underdogs but underdogs have come away with results before.
"I expect we will get at least one chance and if we do we must take it.
"But with the players Liverpool have got it will be difficult to keep them out."
Liverpool could be six points off the pace and even overtaken by Chelsea by the time they face relegation-haunted Newcastle, who'll be three points below safety when they run out at Anfield on Alan Shearer's 31st day in charge.
Benitez still hopeful of Man Utd slip
The Merseysiders must rely on Manchester United slipping up, if they're to win a first ever Premier League crown, and deny the Red Devils a share of their record 18 English top-flight titles.
Newcastle are the Premier League's draw specialists (13) and are without a win in nine; they have gained just two points from a possible 12 under Shearer.
This match brings together the clubs to have won the fewest and lost the fewest top-flight matches this season; the Magpies have won only six, the Reds have lost only two. Indeed Liverpool could become the first club in Premier League history to lose only two or fewer games, and fail to win the title.
This is Newcastle's 16th successive season in the Premier League. They have been runners-up twice (1995-96 and 1996-97), and have never finished lower than 14th (2004-05). Their average finish is eighth.
Liverpool have won their last three Premier League matches against Newcastle, with an aggregate score of 11-1.
Newcastle have claimed just two points out of a possible 42 at Anfield, and have not won in 14 top-flight visits since prevailing 0-2 on 16 April 1994, when Rob Lee and Andrew Cole were on target in a 0-2 triumph.
Distance between the clubs: 174 miles (279 kilometres)
LIVERPOOL
Going into this round of matches: 2nd 74 points
1. Unbeaten in seven Premier League games; won six and drawn one (19 points out of 21) since losing 2-0, away to Middlesbrough on 28 February; their only loss in 23 league games.
2. The current total of 74 points after 34 games is their best ever return in the Premier League, and the best to this stage since the title-winning campaign of 1987-88, when 80 points had been accrued.
3. Scored 10 goals in stoppage time; only Arsenal match that.
4. Failed to score in one of the last 13 Premier League matches; away to Middlesbrough.
5. Lost just one of 18 league games in which they've opening the scoring; away to Spurs.
6. The only club with an unbeaten home Premier League record (10 wins, seven draws). Not lost in 28 league games at Anfield; won 19 and drawn nine since a 0-1 reverse to Manchester United on 16 December 2007 - their only loss in 40.
7. Won seven of eight Premier League matches against North-East clubs (the exception being the visit to Middlesbrough), and lost two of 22 against clubs from the region.
8. The only club not to have had a player sent off in this Premier League campaign.
9. Completed the double over Manchester United, Chelsea, Bolton, Portsmouth, Blackburn and Sunderland. West Brom and Newcastle could also be added to that list.
10. The run-in after this is:- West Ham (a), West Brom (a) and Tottenham (h).
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Going into this round of matches: 18th 31 points
1. On the joint longest current winless streak in the highest division of nine games.
2. Drawn four and lost five (four points out of 27) in the Premier League, since beating West Brom 2-3 at the Hawthorns on 7 February 2009; their only maximum in 16 since Christmas.
3. The current tally of 31 points after 34 matches is eight points down on last season and their lowest ever return in a Premier League season.
4. Not scored more than a single goal in a game in nine attempts since the 2-3 victory at West Brom.
5. Lost the last four against the 'Big Four' by an aggregate score of 3-12. Those matches were all at home against the quartet of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. Gained a point a piece from their trips to Manchester United (1-1) and Chelsea (0-0) earlier in the season.
6. One win in 13 against North-West clubs this season; 1-0 over Bolton on 23 August. Lost the last four trips across the Pennines.
7. Already lost home and away to Arsenal and Blackburn. Liverpool and Fulham could also do the double over them.
8. The three-match run-in after this is:- Middlesbrough (h), Fulham (h), and Aston Villa (a).
LIVERPOOL
Pepe REINA is the only remaining player to have been on the field for every minute of every one of Liverpool's Premier League matches this season.
Jamie CARRAGHER is the only other player to have started all of Liverpool's Premier League games this term.
Steven GERRARD and Fernando TORRES are the club's top Premier League scorers, with 13 goals each.
If he scores:-
TORRES will reach the milestone of 50 goals for Liverpool.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Michael OWEN is the club's top Premier League scorer with eight goals.
OWEN scored 26 Premier League goals against Newcastle as a Liverpool player, but has failed to net in six league starts for Newcastle against Liverpool. The 29 year old England international striker made 297 appearances (216 in the league) and scored 158 goals (118 league) for the Reds, from the beginning of his career until his move to Real Madrid in August 2004.
If selected:-
Habib BEYE will be making his 50th top-flight appearance for Newcastle.
Danny GUTHRIE will be making his 50th career Premier League appearance (Liverpool and Bolton).
If on the field from the outset:-
Shola AMEOBI will be making his 150th start for the Magpies.
Liverpool's 1-5 win over Newcastle in the reverse fixture in December was their joint highest scoring match of the season. The Reds have netted more Premier League goals against Newcastle than against any other club (63).
These clubs were once involved in an 11-goal top-flight match. Liverpool's 6-5 win on 4 December 1909 was a club record equalling highest home aggregate for Liverpool and highest aggregate for Newcastle.
The Reds are on course for a sixth Premier League double over the Magpies, and second in successive seasons.
Home and away
League (inc PL): Liverpool 70 wins, Newcastle 40, Draws 37
Prem: Liverpool 18 wins, Newcastle 7, Draws 6
at Liverpool only
League (inc PL): Liverpool 48 wins, Newcastle 11, Draws 14
Prem: Liverpool 12 wins, Newcastle 1, Draws 2
Liverpool 3-0 Newcastle United
8 March 2008 - Ref: Peter Walton
Liverpool scorers: Pennant 43, Torres 45, Gerrard 51
Newcastle United 1-5 Liverpool
28 December 2008 - Ref: Mark Halsey
Newcastle scorer: Edgar 45
Liverpool scorers: Gerrard 31, Hyypia 36, Babel 50, Gerrard 66, Alonso 77 pen
Phil Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire)
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