Liverpool have rediscovered their relentless streak of recent seasons to emerge as Newcastle United's last obstacle to an unexpected top-four finish. The Magpies retain control over their Champions League destiny, with a three-point cushion and a game in hand of their closest rivals.
Securing a place among Europe's elite was beyond the wildest expectations for Eddie Howe's first full season in charge on Tyneside. However, there will now undoubtedly be a sense of disappointment if Newcastle fail to convert the golden opportunity which they have earned following a sensational season.
Manchester United are the side currently looking under the greatest threat following Liverpool's latest renaissance. Klopp's side have won six straight to catapult themselves into contention, with the gap to fourth now just a single point following two successive defeats for the Red Devils.
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Erik ten Hag has urged his side to 'ignore' the threat now posed by Liverpool, although he has previously admitted it is 'vital' for his side to hold on to a top-four spot. This importance goes far beyond just the prestige of the competition, with riches of Champions League revenues now crucial for clubs looking to maximise their FFP limits.
Howe has already outlined Newcastle will look to target 'elite' signings in the summer, given the current squad's achievements this term. The Magpies' owners have already sunk in the region of £250 million into the playing squad, but reports suggest results this season could encourage a change of plan and greater investment than initially planned in the upcoming window.
St James' Park is undeniably one of the most attractive projects in European football right now, given the owners' well-documented ambitions for silverware. However, the pull of place in the Champions League place is often cited as crucial for players deciding between clubs for their next step.
The odds are still against Liverpool sneaking into the top four, despite their stunning form of late. A sizeable rebuild is expected in the red-half of Merseyside this summer, but Klopp has dismissed concerns over how a lack of Champions League football could affect their appeal to prospective targets.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Klopp told reporters: "There is one thing we cannot guarantee this year and it is Champions League football, all the rest is the same as it was before.
"It is a fantastic club with a really good football team and even better, hopefully, next year. I've barely faced the situation where you talk with a player and everything is great and he says, 'okay see you if...' That doesn't happen really often.
"We are still Liverpool and we are really attractive for a lot of players, we should not forget that. That's why I'm not concerned about that fact.
"Everything is of course more difficult without Champions League, especially in long term, and we have to not do these things more often. But apart from that, it's okay the situation we are in from a talking point of view and convincing point of view."
Now, Newcastle most certainly do not hold the sway Liverpool and other members of the 'Big Six' currently possess when it comes to transfer targets. Klopp's side have suffered a dismal campaign by their own lofty standards, but came agonisingly close to an unprecedented quadruple last season and are the only side to have completed the double over the Magpies this season.
Yet Klopp's conviction should give Newcastle hope when it comes to the second phase of the club's rebuild of the playing squad. With European football already guaranteed no matter what, Howe's side should share similar confidence when it comes to working through their own shortlist this summer - regardless of how the top-four race pans out.
Newcastle play two days before Liverpool return to action at Leicester City on Monday night. Victory over Leeds United on Saturday lunchtime for the Magpies would put them within touching distance of guaranteeing Champions League football, while simultaneously delivering a potentially killer blow to the Reds' own hopes.
There is still plenty of work to be done on Tyneside before Newcastle can consider themselves genuine rivals to the likes of Liverpool on an annual basis. But no matter how the current season ends, the sustained excellence of Howe's side this season should have assuaged any doubts over their capacity to attact the 'elite' stars they now require.
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