Paul Merson has backed Liverpool to comfortably dispose of Newcastle United in their Premier League clash this weekend.
Jurgen Klopp’s side travel to St James’ Park on Sunday for an eagerly anticipated televised showdown against the north-east giants.
Liverpool are fifth in the league after six matches, while Newcastle dropped to 10th after a fine start was interrupted by last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at fellow Premier League new boys Brighton.
Sky Sports pundit Merson is convinced that Newcastle will not be able to cope with Liverpool’s cavalier style of play after watching them overwhelm Spartak Moscow in Tuesday’s 1-1 Champions League draw.
“Liverpool could have won 10-1 in the Champions league after the chances they created the other night,” Merson wrote on the Sky Sports website. “With the attacking talent at their disposal they will always create chances and at St James’ Park I don’t see it being any different.
“Newcastle, backed by their home crowd will also go for it which could play into Jurgen Klopp’s hands. I did initially write down 3-0 to Liverpool but I’m going to have to change my mind to 3-1 because I don’t trust Liverpool at the back.
“However Liverpool are class going forward and I’d be shocked if Newcastle coped with them.”
OPINION
The big talking point ahead of the match is whether Klopp sticks with the fab four of Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino that he used for the first time against Spartak. Liverpool will be able to call upon Mane at Newcastle after he served a three-match domestic suspension, which paves the way for the devastating quartet to be used in unison in a league match for the first time. Liverpool did not beat Spartak, but some of the attacking play was outstanding and the scheduling of the fixture on Sunday allows Klopp the chance to rest up his key man and pick his strongest side at St James’ Park.