Liverpool vs Newcastle United has been an enthralling Premier League fixture down the years.

One particular fixture, played in April 1996, sticks in the memory - Liverpool coming out on top 4-3 over Kevin Keegan's team at Anfield.

The trend has continued ever since. The reverse fixture in December was a six-goal thriller, with Fabian Schar rescuing a point for Newcastle in a 3-3 draw at St James' Park.

There were 33 shots in that match (17 for Newcastle, 16 for Liverpool), with an accumulated 4.08 expected goals.

So, expect some fireworks when Newcastle visit Anfield on Wednesday. While the Reds have surged 11 points clear at the top after Sunday's 2-0 win at Manchester City, the Magpies are firmly in the hunt for Champions League qualification.

Arne Slot insisted Liverpool still have plenty of work to do, telling reporters: "In every other league, having a lead like this would be very comfortable, except for this one.

"We are in a good position, but we also know how hard it is.

"Now we play Newcastle. We played 3-3 over there, which, in my opinion, was also a good result, but we also experienced how difficult that one is.

"We work every single day to achieve this, and it is three months of very hard work to maintain this. There is no secret. We are 11 points clear, but Arsenal has one game in hand."

Slot might be being cautious, but Opta's supercomputer ranks Liverpool's chances of winning the title at a whopping 96.7%.

Here, we delve into the facts and figures ahead of Wednesday's clash.

What's expected?

Since losing their first Premier League home game against Newcastle 2-0 in April 1994, Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 28 against the Magpies at Anfield in the competition (W23 D5).

It is safe to say, then, Newcastle have to buck a trend if they are to hamper Liverpool's title charge.

Liverpool have plundered 64 goals this season, while their 60.23 expected goals (xG) is almost eight clear of next-best Chelsea (52.38). 

The Reds have had the most shots (452) and shots on target (173).

Newcastle, on the flip side, bounced back from a 4-0 loss at Manchester City by beating Nottingham Forest 4-3 on Sunday, though they ultimately had to cling on despite charging into a 4-1 lead in the first half.

Eddie Howe's team have an expected goals against (xGA) figure of 33.59 this term, which makes their defence the sixth-best in the division in that metric. Liverpool, though, have given up chances worth only 24.8 xGA (second, behind Arsenal).

If either of these teams get into winning positions, then they have a habit of holding on. Liverpool have dropped just eight such points this season, with Newcastle dropping only seven.

But what does the Opta supercomputer predict?

Liverpool came out on top in 59.5% of the supercomputer's data-led simulations. Newcastle hold a 20.2% win likelihood, while the probability of a draw is 20.3%.

Since losing three in a row between January and March 2021, Liverpool have won each of their last 12 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Premier League home games by an aggregate score of 35-6.

Newcastle, on the other hand, have also lost 13 of their last 17 Premier League away games on a Wednesday (W2 D2), with their only wins in this run coming at Bournemouth in July 2020 (4-1) and West Ham in April 2023 (5-1).

Sensational Salah leading Liverpool's charge

Mohamed Salah has been spectacular this season. He netted his 25th league goal to put Liverpool ahead at Man City, and then assisted Dominik Szoboszlai for the Reds' second.

Salah has scored and assisted in 11 league games this season, extending the Premier League record and becoming the first player to do so in 11 matches in the top five European leagues since Lionel Messi in 2014-15.

He has now both scored and assisted a goal in 49 separate league matches in his career in Europe's big five leagues. Since Opta have this data available (from 2006-07), only Messi (102) and Cristiano Ronaldo (65) have done so more in those divisions.

The 32-year-old is the first player in Premier League history to score and assist in both games against the reigning champions in a season, while he is also the first player in the competition to have been involved in 40+ goals in two different seasons. Salah is also the first player to score 25 goals and provided 15 assists in the same campaign.

He is now on 41 goal contributions in the league this term, just six shy of the competition record (held jointly by Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer, on 47).

Salah is one home goal away from scoring 10+ home goals and 10+ away goals in three different Premier League campaigns (also 2017-18 and 2021-22). Before this season, only Harry Kane had ever done so in at least three seasons (2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2020-21 and 2022-23).

With Salah leading the way, Liverpool look unstoppable; they hold their largest lead on second place since the final day of the 2019-20 campaign (18), when they were last champions.

He is not the only threat Newcastle will need to be wary of, though.

Szoboszlai also grabbed a goal and an assist in the win at the Etihad Stadium, and he is having a growing influence from an attacking midfield role. 

The Hungarian has created 37 chances in the Premier League this term, which ranks behind only Salah (59) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (49) in Liverpool's squad.

Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo have chipped in with nine and eight league goals respectively, and though Darwin Nunez has had his troubles, he still has the pace to cause any defence issues, even if he does not always have the composure to add the finishing touch.

Interestingly, Nunez is performing on par against his xG in the top flight this season, scoring four goals from 4.01 xG, though, and has only missed four big chances, so perhaps his issues have been somewhat overstated.

Time to change the story?

Newcastle are winless in their last 16 Premier League games against Liverpool (D5 L11) since a 2-0 win in December 2015 under Steve McClaren.

They were beaten 4-2 in the corresponding fixture last season, and Anfield is simply not a happy hunting ground.

Newcastle have won just one of their last 27 Premier League games against sides starting the day top of the table (D8 L18), beating Chelsea 2-1 in December 2014 under Alan Pardew.

They have never won away from home against the team top of the Premier League table in 20 attempts (D5 L15).

That being said, Howe's team have won both of their last two evening (7pm GMT or later) kick-offs in the Premier League (2-0 v Manchester United, 3-0 v Wolves), as many as they had in their previous 13 prior (D3 L8), so they have got a taste for playing under the lights.

The question will be whether they can temper the atmosphere and soak up the pressure - in the likes of Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak, the in-form Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes, Newcastle certainly have the talent to pose a threat.

Liverpool have scored at least twice in each of their last 17 home games in all competitions, though. The last English top-flight side to have a longer run were Sunderland, who did so in 19 consecutive matches between February and December 1935.

So, keeping Liverpool out is going to be easier said than done, and perhaps the best approach is to try and fight fire with fire.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Liverpool - Mohamed Salah

How can you look beyond Salah at the moment? He has scored four goals in his last two Premier League games against Newcastle, netting a brace in both.

The last player to score multiple goals in three consecutive appearances against an opponent in the competition was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang against Burnley (May 2019), while the only Liverpool player to do so was Michael Owen, who did so four times against Newcastle, who he later went on to play for, between August 1998 and May 2001.

Newcastle United - Alexander Isak

Isak's double against Forest took him to 50 Premier League goals, in just his 76th appearance, with only six players reaching the milestone in fewer appearances.

He is also now the top-scoring Swede in the competition's history.

Isak has scored 10 away goals in the Premier League this season – only Cole (12 in 1993-94) and Shearer (11 in 2001-02) have netted more on the road in a single campaign for Newcastle.