Liverpool vs Newcastle: Why DeAndre Yedlin is the Toon’s main threat
Liverpool play Newcastle United on Boxing Day in the Premier League and right-back DeAndre Yedlin is their biggest threat.
That says loads about Rafa Benitez’s side is the American speedster is their most potent attacking outlet and the man most likely to trouble the Reds’ defence.
Striker Salomón Rondón is the Toon’s leading goalscorer with four, but the way Liverpool play and the quality of their defenders mean that Rondón is probably going to cut an isolated and frustrated figure on Wednesday.
With the way Jurgen Klopp likes to encourage the full-backs to thrust forward and support attacks, there is a chance that they could be hit on the counter. And that’s why Andy Robertson needs to be watchful of Yedlin.
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If Matt Ritchie starts on the right, he won’t have the pace to cause Robertson any problems. Ritchie is plenty of things, quick he is not. That means that the former Tottenham man will probably have to carry the brunt of the attacking work.
With only three assists in his last year and a half in the Premier League, Yedlin has a lot of work to do if he’s going to be a consistent menace. The American doesn’t score either, so Newcastle will still be reliant on someone getting on the other end of his crosses – a tough ask.
Rondón will be busting a gut to get there, but Virgil van Dijk is so accomplished in the air and so perfect with his positioning that it’ll be nearly impossible to get the better of him.
We know Benitez isn’t going to attack Liverpool. He’s going to sit back, try to keep it at 0-0 for as long as possible in a damage limitation exercise.
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Things’ll be frustrating, the Reds will need to stay patient. But they’ll also need to be wary of the danger lurking at right-back.