Liverpool (A) Pre-match thoughts, team news, possible line up and prediction

We made heavy work of it in the end, but Sunday's 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest was a massive one.

Forgetting the final 45 minutes - which we must improve on if we have any chance at Liverpool - we saw a stunning response to going 1-0 down in the first half, we beat one of our biggest European rivals, ended a run of back-to-back league defeats at home and moved back up to fifth in the table.

It's the boost we needed after that 4-0 battering at Man City the previous weekend, although we have to be so much better than we were at the Etihad if we wish to avoid a spanking at Anfield.

Liverpool are probably the best team in Europe right now. On track to win the title comfortably and benefiting from one of the greatest individual seasons in Premier League history from a certain Mo Salah.

It will be a huge test and hopefully we arrive with the organisation, bravery and ideas we showed in that cup semi-final win at Arsenal last month. That has to be the blueprint and a similar level of performance will be needed if we wish to come away with anything against next month's cup final opponents.

Howe’s pre-match comments

On Liverpool – "We need to have close to a perfect game, I think learning from the recent game against Manchester City would be a useful starting point for us where we didn’t execute the aggressive game plan that we wanted. Anfield is a really great environment to play football. We need to make sure we turn up. We are going to need to start the game well, we have to be aggressive, have a threat in the game. We need every bit of our game to be functioning."

On Tonali, Botman and Joelinton – "Sandro came through fine, I anticipate he will be fully fit for Wednesday. Sven is improving and improving quickly, we will see if he makes the game or not, he will be close."

"With Joe, it's similar to Sven he is really improving and doing really well and pushing. He is another player who could be quite close."

On Lewis Miley - "Lewis can be anything in the respect that he could really take his position, solidify that position and be there for a number of years. Obviously, you have to have that little bit of luck, staying injury-free.

"He has all the technical capabilities and mental capabilities. He can do a bit of everything - he has the running capacity, he is very composed in training, he is one of the best technical players that we have. I see a bright future for him."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HggRUo3-lM

Team news

Sandro Tonali (hamstring) is "fully fit" again, while Sven Botman (knee) and Joelinton (knee) are "close" to returning and may have a chance of returning to the squad.

Liverpool will be without Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez, but Alexis Mac Allister is fine despite picking up a knock in their 2-0 win at Man City on Sunday.

Predicted line-up

(5-2-3): Pope - Livramento, Schar, Botman, Burn, Hall - Tonali, Bruno - Murphy, Isak, Gordon.

I wouldn't be surprised if Howe went for a similar set up to the one that helped us beat Arsenal comfortably in the cup semi-final a few weeks ago.

Of course, he could stick with a back four, bring Botman in (if fit) and stick with a 4-3-3 featuring Tonali in for one of Miley or Willock, I just wonder if a back five could be considered to help protect against a Liverpool side so dangerous in wide areas.

This would mean Botman and Tonali return to the side, with Miley and Willock dropping out. That may seem harsh on both, but Sunday was Miley's first league start of the season and Willock has also rarely started two games in the space of four days this season.

It's a big if, but if we did go for a back five, Howe may be tempted to bring Trippier back in, as the 34-year-old was brilliant in this wing-back role against Arsenal. However, Tino's pace in transition could be needed in both directions.

Match prediction

We haven't won at Anfield in our last 28 attempts and this is a Liverpool side giving very little away as they charge towards another Premier League title.

Stopping Salah is key, but I really hope we impose ourselves at the other end, with Gordon fancying his chances against Alexander-Arnold and Isak hoping to score another past the usually imperious Van Dijk and Konate.

I think we'll put up a good fight, get bodies behind the ball and break quickly on the counter when we can, but I fear Arne Slot's side will edge it.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Newcastle

Howay the lads!