Ahead of Liverpool’s clash away to Newcastle tonight, Trent Alexander-Arnold has claimed that the Reds’ upcoming opponents could have an ‘extra motivation’ to get one over on them.
Arne Slot’s team travel to St James’ Park with a nine-lead lead at the top of the Premier League, having taken 25 points from the last 27 on offer. That tally alone would match what second-placed Arsenal have claimed out of a possible 39 so far this season.
The form guide is certainly in our favour for this fixture, with the Magpies having won just two of their last seven top-flight matches, but the 26-year-old is conscious that every team coming up against LFC may have an added desire to take the scalp of the table toppers.
Trent on Newcastle having ‘extra motivation’ to beat Liverpool
Speaking to Liverpool FC’s official website ahead of tonight’s match against Newcastle – for which Chris Sutton has predicted a 2-1 away win – Trent said: “People always talk about previous games and form going into games; I think in the Premier League that’s something that doesn’t really matter.
“Every game is incredibly difficult and I think teams will always have that extra motivation when they’re playing us. We’re sitting top of the league, we’re probably the best team in the league so far this season, so of course teams are going to have extra motivation.
“They know that they need to be at 100% to have a chance to beat us and we understand that. We need to be at our best and they’ll always have a point to prove. In these situations, teams that are able to get a result against us, it can transform their season and kick-start their season, so that will be motivation.
“For us, it’s just about churning out results and getting wins [at] home or away. It doesn’t really matter to us. Every game we target getting three points.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold has claimed that Newcastle may have 'extra motivation' to beat Liverpool
(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Newcastle have taken a few scalps in recent weeks
Having played 326 senior matches for Liverpool, Trent is experienced enough to know that being top of the Premier League brings its own challenges in terms of a certain pressure to remain there and not allow the chasing pack an opportunity to knock the Reds off the summit.
At an elite level of football, where even finishing one place higher in mid-table can be worth millions of pounds, motivation shouldn’t exactly be lacking whenever players step onto the pitch, and Newcastle may view this game as an ideal opportunity to bloody the nose of the table toppers.
The Magpies have already taken some scalps this season, beating Arsenal last month and knocking Chelsea out of the Carabao Cup, along with drawing against Manchester City when they were top in September, so those results should serve as a warning to LFC that they can’t drop their standards.
As Trent said, though, it could take a big performance from Eddie Howe’s side to halt the gallop of a Liverpool team who look capable of finding a way past every obstacle put in their path right now. The levels we showed in emphatically beating Real Madrid and Man City over the past week shows that this is a side brimming with confidence.
That’s the level we need to show once more tonight against Newcastle, and while the home side will offer a stern challenge at St James’ Park, the visitors have the quality to keep their formidable winning run going if they play to their best.