Wednesday will see a preview of the soon-to-come League Cup Final as Liverpool will do battle with Newcastle United at Anfield in the Premier League.
Over the years, this fixture has not lacked for excitement and drama. Think back to Fabio Carvalho's last gasp winner, Darwin Nunez saving the day off the bench and more.
In this piece, we are going to take an overview of the big matchup and find three of the most important things to watch when the Reds and Magpies lock horns. Let's get started!
1. Liverpool defense versus Alexander Isak
This could be one of the utmost key battles that takes place. The Swedish striker has been in fine form this season and is coming off a two-goal outing at the weekend against Nottingham Forest.
He has 19 goals and 5 assists in the Premier League this season as he has been the go-to guy for the Newcastle attack.
He has the size and strength to compete with bigger defenders but in the same tone, he has enough pace to work his way beyond fullbacks and defensive midfielders. He's just an elite forward that will require the best efforts of Virgil van Dijk and Co. to contain.
If Isak comes out on the front foot and creates a goal, the home advantage could quickly erode away. Liverpool must avoid this at all costs.
Keep your eye on the big man in this one.
2. What forwards does Arne Slot trust outside of Salah?
It's obvious that Salah is in a class of his own when it comes to Liverpool forwards, however, that does not mean the club is bereft of options after him.
With that being said, it's interesting to see what he might think of the others at this time. Slot's words about Nunez snapped hard.
The Dutch coach has openly questioned the work rate of Nunez which is usually one of the things he consistently brings to the table. In addition, Diogo Jota continues trying to work his way into form but has not been given a lot of run.
Cody Gakpo is probably the one he trusts the most after Salah, as our No. 18 has scored pretty regularly this season and contributed several match-winning displays.
Lastly, Luis Diaz has been trying to recapture his early season purple patch but so far has not been able to replicate it. They could all still play a role, but it remains to be seen who will step up.
3. How many goals will be scored?
Each of the last two meetings between these clubs has seen six combined goals. Liverpool was victorious 4-2 in January of 2024 and this most recent December saw a 3-3 draw played out.
Coincidentally, Salah, Gakpo and Isak were all scorers in the 4-2 match while Salah and Isak headlined the scorers in the draw this past December.
The odds of seeing multiple goals scored in this match are very high as both teams will be ready to take advantage of any half-chance they might come across. There is just too much firepower to be held at bay for it to not be exciting.
One of the beautiful things we are beginning to see from Liverpool is they have more players outisde of Mo that can get big goals.
Dominik Szoboszlai leads a midfield group that are all capable of finding the net on any given day and that is a very nice luxury to have.
Newcastle won't come in and be pushed around and will try to meet the Reds where they stand. This could lend itself to more goal-scoring looks for all involved. Don't miss a second.