Liverpool continue their hunt to win the Premier League title on Wednesday against Newcastle United, with the hope of adding to their 11-point lead. The Reds are coming off a 2-0 win over Manchester City that bolstered their case to win the title for the first time in 2020, while Newcastle United are days removed from a dramatic 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest. While Liverpool will stay in first place regardless of the result, the Magpies can jump into the top four if they win on Wednesday.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 26 | Time: 3:15 p.m. ET
- Location: Anfield — Liverpool, England
- TV: USA Network | Live stream: Fubo (try for free)
- Odds: Liverpool -200; Draw +370; Newcastle United +500
Storylines
Liverpool’s performances may not boast the same precision they once did, but the wins are still coming at a steady pace and it is becoming increasingly hard to argue that the Premier League title race is not, at least informally, over. They received the added bonus of Arsenal’s surprise loss to West Ham United over the weekend, helping to create the double-digit lead that will only shrink down to eight points should the Gunners win the game in hand they currently have. Liverpool’s form has gone hand-in-hand with Mohamed Salah’s formidable season, with him on pace to have one of the greatest seasons ever registered by an attacking player in the Premier League.
There is one slight hiccup ahead of Wednesday’s game against Newcastle, though. Forward Darwin Nunez has been the subject of some criticism by manager Arne Slot, who was unimpressed with his performances in their 2-2 draw against Aston Villa and a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month. Things seem to be trending in the right direction, though, after some improvements on Nunez’s end.
“I wasn’t only hard on him,” Slot said on Tuesday, per ESPN. “But for the second time in a row I wasn’t happy with his work effort, against Wolves and against Villa. I can’t accept if a player doesn’t give everything. That is clear. I can accept it once but twice was a bit too much. That’s why I addressed it. But if you miss a chance, you need to be fighting for the team. I’m not saying he didn’t do that at all, but it wasn’t the usual Darwin, the one that is loved by the fans. That is mainly because he always works so hard. … [Monday] he was incredible in the training session when it comes to work rate. Hopefully he can keep doing this, and whenever the team needs him then he is ready for it if he keeps putting in sessions like he did yesterday.”
Projected lineup
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Szoboszlai, Jones, Jota
Prediction
Considering the fatigue of a long season has already set in for Liverpool to some degree, expect a closely contested game against the in-form Newcastle, who have plenty to play for. Their efforts just might cancel each other out, though, forcing the teams to share the spoils. Pick: Liverpool 1, Newcastle United 1
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