Mark Lawrenson makes a bold prediction for Liverpool's game against Newcastle

Fourth-placed Newcastle United will face off against Liverpool at St. James' Park on Saturday (18 February). Former Reds defender Mark Lawrenson believes the Magpies will hold Jurgen Klopp's side to yet another draw.

Liverpool have struggled with injuries this season and are languishing in ninth place in the Premier League. They are nine points away from Newcastle in fourth, although the Merseysiders do have a game in hand.

A win on Saturday and winning their game in hand would see Jurgen Klopp's men move just three points off the top 4. However, consistency has been an issue this season.

Their 2-0 win against Everton last week was their first league win of 2023 and their only convincing performance in nearly two months. The Anfield faithful will be hoping that the win is a sign of positive change and more to come.

The Reds will be boosted by the return of key players like Virgil van Dijk, Diogo Jota, and Roberto Firmino. They face an impressive Newcastle side who have surpassed everyone's expectations by breaking into the top 4 and qualifying for the Carabao Cup final.

Eddie Howe's men, however, have drawn four out of their last five league games and Liverpool will be hoping to take full advantage of their slight blip in form.

Mark Lawrenson still believes the Magpies will prove too difficult to beat at home. In his column for Paddy Power, he wrote:

"Newcastle have loads of draws of late and they just can’t win at the moment so I think we’ll get another here. The interesting thing for Liverpool is that they’ve got Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday and those games, home and away, basically have their whole season hinging on them."

He added:

"Thiago’s out but Diogo Jota and Jordan Henderson are back, they might get more minutes with a view on the Champions League matches. Given how hard Newcastle are to beat I think this will be another draw for them."

Final Prediction: Newcastle 1-1 Liverpool

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What happened the last time Liverpool and Newcastle faced off in the Premier League?

The first fixture between the two sides this season took place at Anfield on 31 August last year.

Newcastle took the lead through Alexander Isak's brilliant strike into the top left corner in the sixth minute. Roberto Firmino equalized in the second half but it took a dramatic last-minute volley from youngster Fabio Carvalho for the Reds to pick up all three points.