Slot: "No Room For Mistakes" vs Newcastle; Frimpong Injury Update

After qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League with a 6-0 win over Qarabag, Liverpool face Newcastle at Anfield on January 31st for what Arne Slot calls “A Crucial Game”.

Running Out Of Chances

Slot says that the Reds’ goal this season is to finish Top-4 in the EPL, and they must make the most of every opportunity to move up the table.

"We already thought that every period was pivotal. That hasn't changed," he said in his pre-match press conference. "The closer you come to the end, the fewer opportunities you have to make a mistake. We are now in a position where we cannot afford any mistakes; we have made far too many. Giving goals away in the last minute that do not do any justice for the performance. There is not a lot of room for mistakes anymore."

Pinpointing the Stuggles

Liverpool are struggling to find success in the EPL this season, while they have shown much higher quality in the Champions League. The boss offers his thoughts as to why. 

“I think it’s also safe to say there is also a lot more physicality in the Premier League than there is in the Champions League. I did not see one long-throw from Qarabag or Marseille; set pieces are at a different level. Our set pieces against Qarabag, every time we got one, I was expecting us to score. There was always a chance. So that part of the game is much more developed here in England. The Premier League has become more of a box game, where in the Champions League, it’s a bit more, also play.”

Team News

Ibrahima Konaté will play vs. the Magpies after being away from the club for three games due to personal reasons. However, Joe Gomez and Jeremie Frimpong have been ruled out with injuries. The good news is that Slot revealed that Frimpong will not be out as long as he had first feared.

“He (Frimpong) will definitely not be in the squad tomorrow, so he is out for a few weeks. But [it's] not as bad as we thought he would be out. It's something positive from something not so positive.”

LFC Globe Verdict

It's crazy to think that Liverpool will be going to the final day of January vs Newcastle, still looking for their first EPL win of 2026. A series of draws and a loss to Bournemouth have seen the Reds slip to 6th on the table. That’s why Slot says this match with the Magpies is so crucial. If the Reds want to stay in the hunt for the Champions League next year, the turnaround has to start now.

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