Premier League: Slot Desperately Needs a League Win

Liverpool vs Newcastle United

Arne Slot’s Liverpool are aiming for a first victory in six Premier League games when they entertain Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United on Saturday, knowing that a win will get their top four target back on track.

Any thoughts of a league challenge have long since gone for the Reds, while Newcastle’s push for a top four place has hardly gotten going.       

Last week, the Reds crashed 3-2 away to Bournemouth, and that off the back of four league draws has left Slot’s men 14 points behind league leaders Arsenal and two behind Manchester United in fourth place.

Newcastle are down in ninth and three points further back. With both teams on a +3 goal difference, an away win would see the Magpies leapfrog the Reds and into top four contention. 

But Newcastle lost 2-0 at home to Aston Villa last week and have been showing signs of fatigue, fighting on four fronts. And on Saturday, they meet a team which handed out six of the best in Europe on Wednesday.    

 

Talking Points

Qarabag relief for Liverpool

After drawing with Leeds United, Fulham, Arsenal, and Burnley, Liverpool’s visit to Bournemouth only made matters worse for Slot as they crashed to a 3-2 loss, conceding a 95^th-minute Cherries winner after fighting back from a two-goal deficit. So a home 6-0 thrashing of Qarabag was just the tonic needed to give the Reds belief that they can finally pick up a league victory in 2026. 

There were goals for the ever-improving Florian Wirtz, and the strike trio of Mohamed Salah, Federico Chiesa, and Hugo Ekitike, while midfield ace Alexis Mac Allister scored a brace. The one note of concern for Slot was that wing-back Jeremie Frimpong limped off during the rout, and he looks unlikely to play any part against Newcastle.

He joins injured centre-back Joe Gomez on the sidelines and may be replaced by utility player Wataru Endo, who stepped in against Qarabag, though there is still time for Slot to dip into the transfer market, to add to the £450 million he spent in the summer.  

Right now, the head coach will have his full focus on Newcastle. The latestPremier League 2026 betting odds predict a fourth-place finish for the Reds, but they need to turn draws into wins starting on Saturday. 

 

Will Newcastle play a low block?  

Having drawn 1-1 away to PSG, the Magpies finished in the play-off spots of the Champions League table, while the other five Premier League entries all landed in the top eight and are through to the Round of 16. But it was an impressive result nevertheless, as a point was only enough to give the 2025 champions a play-off berth too.

But the Geordies’ Premier League 2026 results have been less impressive in recent weeks. My SBOTOP pal James said fatigue would be an issue when the Magpies hosted Aston Villa last week, and he was right on the money, as the Villans ended a 21-year winless run at St. James’ Park. Newcastle had plenty of possession and chances, but they lacked a spark in the final third and had no cutting edge.

Howe must decide whether to play possession based “pass and move” football or to employ a low block, keeping banks of players behind the ball and hitting the Reds on the break. Slot’s side has certainly struggled against low blocks, failing to break down two strugglers in Leeds United and Burnley. But when Qarabag came out on attack, they were ripped to shreds by the lethal Reds.  

In Harvey Barnes, Yoanne Wissa, and Anthony Gordon, the Magpies have players who can hurt their opponents, but I do think they will play much of this game on the back foot.      

 

History

The Reds have enjoyed much the better of this relationship over the past 59 games, with 37 victories, 10 defeats, and 12 draws. At Anfield, the Magpies have failed to win in 29 attempts, drawing five and losing 24.

And when the two teams met at St. James’ Park in August, the Reds edged a five-goal thriller, as Gordon was sent off for the Magpies. And Rio Ngumoha, at 16 years of age, became Liverpool’s youngest scorer with a dramatic winner, 10 minutes into injury time.      

Liverpool can’t buy a win in the league, but they have had plenty of cup cheer with three victories, two draws, and a single defeat from their last six matches in all competitions. Meanwhile, the Magpies have won one, drawn three, and lost two.  

 

Betting Tip

Liverpool are the strong favourites to win this clash at a price of 1.75, with Newcastle at SBOTOP odds of 4.20, and the draw is at 3.75. Slot is under huge pressure to get league results, and sometimes that can make things harder for his team, and I do see Newcastle as a team which has underperformed at times.

But they don’t need consistency to pull off one result, and I think Liverpool’s wait for a win might just continue.     

   

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