Liverpool will be looking for their first Premier League away win since Boxing Day when they travel to Tyneside to face high-flying Newcastle United on Saturday.
The Magpies are currently fourth in the table, nine points clear of the Reds, but Jurgen Klopp's side are the only team to beat the Toon in the league all season and three points on the road would change the situation completely, with Liverpool still having a game in hand on their opponents.
The ECHO caught up with Football broadcaster and Newcastle fan Kendall Rowan, who appears regularly on Sky Sports discussion programme The Overlap, to get her take from the other side of the football divide.
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Since we last spoke at the start of the season, Newcastle have enjoyed an excellent campaign, improving vastly on last season and currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table. How pleased have you been with the league form and have you been surprised at how quickly things have turned around?
The league form for me has been a continuation of last season - third in the form table for the second half of last season and unbeaten at home with only one loss across the whole campaign this season. It’s absolutely immense especially for the depth of the squad, to be fourth in the table and do so for a large part of the season is testament to the improvement of the squad and Eddie Howe's coaching. January last year we were in the relegation zone to now being in a cup final and champions league spots, the turnaround has been lightning.
Newcastle's trip to Anfield in August ended in quite a dramatic fashion with a Liverpool goal in the 98th minute. Magpies fans appeared to be enraged to have lost the match for a long time after the contest was done and dusted. Does that particular defeat still fester?
The defeat earlier in the season lingers because as I say, it’s our only loss this season and to lose it the way we did, I think undeservedly, is just frustrating. But in the grand scheme of things it probably won’t affect the season too much, but there’ll definitely be feelings carried over into this game!
There was a bit of fracas on the side of the pitch at the end between the two benches with a representative from both sides ending up fined and suspended. Do you think that will add any extra needle to Saturday's contest?
Definitely, I think both teams have things to fight for in the coming weeks with the cup for Newcastle and Champions League games for Liverpool, and the sting of the earlier result will hopefully ignite some excitement and give us a decent game to watch! Both benches will be under scrutiny but both managers hold their teams to the highest standards so will expect the football to do the talking.
Liverpool and Newcastle have enjoyed a pretty friendly rivalry over the years but the Magpies were booed off by the home crowd at Anfield in August for perceived time-wasting. What sort of reception could the Reds expect in the reverse fixture?
The atmosphere at home games for me this season has been the best I’ve ever witnessed for the home team and of course as mentioned after the earlier result in the season, amongst Klopp and Eddie’s back and forth comments throughout the season I think both sets of fans will be up for it and can definitely see a hostile reception for Liverpool! But all in jest of the game.
Last year Allan Saint-Maximin looked like he was the main man for United but the club now has a clutch of emerging stars who appear to be doing the business. Who would you say have been Newcastle's biggest players this season and who is the real danger-man that Liverpool need to watch out for?
Honestly, I almost think it’s unfair to single out players as everyone has been so immense for us and really put the work in across the season (can’t remember the last time I said that!).
But stand outs for me have been Miguel Almiron - who really had a point to prove post the infamous Jack Grealish comments - Joelinton and of course, I'm hoping the other main man of the reverse fixture, Alexander Isak, brings back that spark in the home leg.
Bruno Guimaraes has been a vital cog in the midfield works this season for us, but with him being out we need everyone to step up. I could mention every single player in the squad honestly, we have the best defence in the league as well and Nick Pope has been phenomenal. I hope Anthony Gordon starts too as immediately he will have that rivalry fire in his belly and want to perform.
Away from the league, Eddie Howe has also guided Newcastle to their first domestic cup final since 1999 in the Carabao Cup. How delighted are you to be going to Wembley and would you take a League Cup Final victory over finishing in the top four this season?
I was only three the last time Newcastle got to a final so I can’t remember it, my dad was there though! To be in a final this early in our project, I can’t tell you what it means to this club and the city and the fans.
I feel Liverpool and Newcastle are similar community clubs with similar working class fans so that feeling will probably resonate a lot with Liverpool fans. I’ve got my tickets and travel sorted for Wembley. I’ve never even been! This is going to be the trip of a NUFC fan lifetime for me.
I would love top four and a trophy of course. But if I had to choose, I’ve said all along a trophy. It gets it out of the way early on in our new era and don’t want it to hang over us like another Tottenham, plus, as many Liverpool fans may know you, can’t underestimate a team the following season who’ve won a cup! I have more faith we’ll get top four consistently for the next number of years and with a cup you have to have a bit of luck with fixtures etc. so definitely a cup for me.
Speaking of which, are Newcastle in danger of being distracted from the Premier League mission by the pending Wembley final?
Being the man he is, I don’t think Eddie would let the players be distracted, he is a game by game man and very focussed. But psychologically the players will know what’s at stake, not least the local lads like Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff, so of course it’s going to be on their minds especially with things like not wanting to get injured or carded. Hopefully they can compartmentalise and just go game to game but we are achieving great things with a thin squad.
Regardless of how the final against Manchester United goes, where do you think Newcastle will finish in the Premier League?
I had us ninth at the start of the season but we are where we are on merit and definitely think we will get European football. I say fifth, with the fear of getting carried away! I’d still be happy with top eight. It's progress.
Liverpool have had a rotten season up to now, but have just got some of their biggest stars back fit and comfortably beat Everton on Monday. Do you still see them as a threat to Champions League qualification?
I always see Liverpool as a threat regardless of the season, the quality of some players, the history of the club and Klopp as a coach can never be underestimated. Plus with how close the league is for everyone this year I’m sure there’s still some shocks waiting along the way.
Finally, what do you think the final score will be at St James' Park on Saturday evening?
I’ve said 2-1 all week to Newcastle so that’s what I’ll stick with. Really hoping we don’t go into the final on a loss and wanting to keep top four hopes alive, so fingers crossed we get the job done.
