Game On! Newcastle v Liverpool

Welcome one and all to this 'Game On' article which will take you through every twist and turn of the match against Liverpool this afternoon.

As things stand we need a win to keep pace with Chelsea who won 4-2 at Aston Villa yesterday. However if you think that catching and overtaking Chelsea is a bit out of reach for us then another way of looking at it is to consider that a win would put us ten points clear of seventh placed Everton, and eleven points clear of eighth placed Liverpool.

In short a win would give us a stranglehold on sixth in the league and would give us the optimum chance of qualifying for Europe should results in the FA Cup fall in our favour. Even a draw wouldn't be the end of the world when you consider our recent form against the Reds, but that is just being negative, or realistic, I forget...

Anyway, enough preamble. We've already had enough thanks to NUFC_stats fantastic stat-attack and my very own match preview, but if you haven't already read them make sure you do so just so you can be armed with the stats and latest injury news ahead of the match.

Speaking of team news, it will be featured below in full when Big Dave updates it for you all as I'm at work as things stand. No rest for the wicked and all that... Unfortunately.

Howay the lads!

Newcastle: Krul; Simpson, Williamson, Perch, Gutierrez; Guthrie, Tiote, Cabaye; Ben Arfa, Cisse, Ba.

Subs: Elliot, Ferguson, Santon, Gosling, R Taylor, Vuckic, Shola Ameobi.

Liverpool: Reina, Flannagan, Carragher, Skrtel, Enrique, Gerrard, Spearing, Shelvey, Bellamy, Suarez, Carroll

Subs: Doni, Aurelio, Rodriguez, Henderson, Coates, Kuyt, Downing