Liverpool vs Newcastle kicks off with European race tightening at Anfield

Liverpool vs Newcastle gets underway Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, at Anfield with both clubs chasing a cleaner path into next season’s European competitions. The matchup begins at 3:00 p.m. ET, and the table math is straightforward: Liverpool starts the day sixth, Newcastle 10th, and a Newcastle win would push the visitors above Liverpool on points.

As of kickoff time, live match trackers listed the score at 0–0 with no scorers, reflecting the match just getting started.

Champions League race adds urgency

Liverpool’s league form has made this fixture feel heavier than a typical late-January meeting. The Reds entered the weekend on a five-match winless run in the Premier League, a stretch that has tightened the margin for error around the Champions League places. Newcastle, meanwhile, arrived with its own pressure after dropping points in recent league outings, leaving little room to waste opportunities against direct rivals in the mid-to-upper pack.

With roughly a third of the season still to play, neither side is in “must-win” territory. But results in matches like this tend to echo: they swing the standings, alter the mood, and can reshape how aggressively clubs approach the next run of fixtures.

Liverpool vs Newcastle: confirmed lineups and absences

Liverpool made two changes from midweek, restoring Milos Kerkez and Ibrahima Konaté. Jeremie Frimpong was unavailable, and Andy Robertson moved to the bench. Curtis Jones returned to the matchday squad after illness.

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Salah, Gakpo, Ekitike.
Liverpool subs: Mamardashvili, Endo, Chiesa, Jones, Robertson, Nyoni, Ramsay, Nallo, Ngumoha.

Newcastle’s selection pointed to a flexible front line and a midfield built to cover ground and break quickly. A major storyline before kickoff was the absence of Bruno Guimarães, who did not make the squad. That left Newcastle without a key passer and organizer in central areas.

Newcastle XI: Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Ramsey, Tonali, Willock; Elanga, Gordon, Barnes.
Newcastle subs: Ramsdale, Botman, Wissa, Osula, J. Murphy, Woltemade, A. Murphy, Shahar, Miley.

A quick table snapshot before kickoff

Where the game can swing tactically

For Liverpool, the key question is how cleanly it can turn possession into chances against a Newcastle block that’s comfortable defending with numbers. With Szoboszlai and Kerkez involved on the right and left edges of Liverpool’s buildup, much of the early creativity may come from shifting the ball quickly to isolate wide defenders and create crossing or cutback lanes for Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike.

Newcastle’s threat is in what happens after it wins the ball. The pace of Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes gives the visitors a direct outlet, and Anthony Gordon’s movement can pull central defenders out of shape if transitions arrive before Liverpool is set. Without Guimarães, Newcastle may look simpler and quicker in its first pass, prioritizing early releases into the channels rather than extended spells of control.

Set pieces also loom large. With Virgil van Dijk and Dan Burn among the strongest aerial presences on the pitch, dead-ball delivery and second-ball reactions could decide momentum if open-play chances are limited.

Players to watch as pressure rises

Mohamed Salah entered the night with a familiar role: Liverpool’s most likely source of a decisive moment. His history in this specific matchup is notable—he has been involved in 19 Premier League goals against Newcastle. Another assist in this fixture would also put him into a rare statistical bracket against a single opponent.

On Newcastle’s side, Sandro Tonali and Joe Willock carry extra responsibility to connect defense to attack and keep Liverpool from repeatedly pinning the visitors in. If Newcastle can win duels in midfield and turn those moments into quick, accurate transitions, it can force the match into the kind of end-to-end rhythm Liverpool would prefer to avoid while searching for steadier league form.

Sources consulted: Liverpool FC, Premier League, ESPN, NBC Sports, The Guardian, The Independent