GOOD AFTERNOON! Liverpool meet Newcastle United in the Premier League this afternoon but there have been pre-match distractions for the home side with news emerging that Reds defender Mamadou Sakho has been suspended by the club after failing a drugs test.
The game sees Rafa Benitez return to the club he won the Champions League with back in 2005. The Spaniard is attempting to drag the Magpies out of the drop zone and could really do with pick up points today as they languish four points from safety in 19th at present.
Kick off is 30 minutes away.
The team news is here and Jurgen Klopp has rung in the changes from the team that overcame Everton in the Merseyside derby this week.
With Sakho unavailable, Kolo Toure comes into Liverpool defence, while Connor Randall replaces Nathaniel Clyne. Lucas, Philippe Coutinho and the injured Divock Origi also drop out meaning there are starts for Kevin Stewart, Joe Allen and Daniel Sturridge.
The visitors, meanwhile, bring in Kevin Mbabu for Henri Saivet.
LIVERPOOL: Mignolet, Randall, Toure, Lovren, Moreno, Stewart, Allen, Milner, Lallana, Firmino, Sturridge.
NEWCASTLE: Darlow, Anita, Mbemba, Lascelles, Dummett, Townsend, Tiote, Colback, Sissoko, Perez, Cisse.
Here’s Klopp defending his squad-rotationg policy:
“I respect the competition 100 per cent. I only make a line up to win the game, not for resting players. I swear we would have lost at Bournemouth with another team. I only made the changes for that game for winning – no other reason.
We will find a team we think is able to beat Newcastle. It will be difficult. If they (other teams at bottom) are afraid of Newcastle then I can understand that because they are really good.
“We respect the competition. If other teams don’t respect our situation then I can’t change that.”
KICK-OFF – And we’re away. Liverpool in red, Newcastle wearing a change strip of white and blue.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Newcastle (Daniel Sturridge)
What a start for Liverpool! A free-kick is chested down by Sturridge and he finds the bottom corner with a scuffed shot. 11 goals in 21 appearances for the England striker.
Disaster for Rafa.
Keep the man fit and he will score you goals.
Dejan Lovren looks to be in some distress after taking an arm to the throat. The Croatian defender is receiving treatment on the pitch as we speak.
Sturridge looks up and attempts to curl a strike into the top corner, but it’s slightly too high and sails over.
YELLOW CARD – Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote goes into referee Andre Marriner’s book for a foul on Adam Lallana.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle (Adam Lallana)
The home side add a second. A ball is played out to Moreno, who feeds Lallana in a central position. He takes a touch and curls the ball beyond goalkeeper Karl Darlow.
A rare chance for Newcastle. Anita breaks forward from right-back and puts a cross in for Cisse. His glancing header bounces wide of the mark but the linesman’s flag has gone up anyway so it wouldn’t have counted.
Anita gets forward once against but blazes an effort high and wide.
Half-time: Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle
RESTART – The second half is about to get underway and there’s one change to report. Newcastle withdraw Perez for their top scorer Georginio Wijnaldum.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Newcastle (Papiss Cisse)
They’ve got one back. A move down the right involving Townsend and Sissoko sees Anita cross to the back post. Mignolet comes out but finds himself in no-man’s-land, which allows Cisse to head into an empty net.
Another poor decision from the Belgian stopper.
Liverpool have the ball in the back of the net… but it’s rule out for offside! Allen’s header is saved and Firmino follows up from close range but it won’t count.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-2 Newcastle (Jack Colback)
We’re all-square! Townsend sets off on a mazy run and crosses to the penalty area. The ball is half-cleared and drops for Colback to hit. His shot clips Lovren on the way in and we’re level with 25 minutes to play.
DOUBLE CHANGE – Lucas and Coutinho on for Randall and Allen as Klopp changes it up.
Newcastle have just brought on Aleksandar Mitrovic for Cisse too.
A couple of chances for Liverpool in the last few minutes. Stewart’s shot from distance is a wild one, then Sturridge heads straight into the arms of Darlow.
SUBSTITUTE – Former Liverpool midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is on for Tiote.
Full-time: Liverpool 2-2 Newcastle
Well, let’s begin at the beginning, and in the beginning there was the weather.
Met Éireann are saying that it’s cloudy this morning, with scattered outbreaks of drizzle in places.
It should become drier and brighter as we move towards afternoon, but there will still be some isolated showers in the north.
It will be fairly cool all day, with top temperatures 8-12 degrees in moderate to fresh winds.
