Programme notesArne Slot: We know what to expect when Liverpool and Newcastle meet

The return Premier League fixture between the sides comes after the Reds emerged from St. James' Park with a 3-2 victory back in August.

On that night, Slot's men led by two goals, the 10-man Magpies drew level in the second half and then Rio Ngumoha scored a winner 10 minutes into stoppage time.

Liverpool - who will be seeking to follow up their midweek 6-0 home win over Qarabag to reach the Champions League last 16 - are conscious of the challenge they must be ready for.

"Before I came to this country I was already aware that games between these clubs had a reputation for being highly competitive and exciting, and they have certainly lived up to that kind of status," head coach Slot writes in his matchday programme notes.

"It will not be only Liverpool, of course, but the expectation when we play tonight's opponents is that it will be a really tough contest, just like the one we had at St. James' Park earlier this season.

"On that occasion we came out on the right side of a five-goal thriller - but only just. Just like last season's fixture at the same venue, it must have been incredibly exciting for neutral fans to watch and we showed a lot of character to find a way to win even though we left it very, very late.

"So we know what tonight is about and we know what to expect from Newcastle. This time around we face a team that also played in midweek so we will both be facing the challenge of recovering as best we can in order to be as prepared as we possibly can be for this game.

"Newcastle were unlucky not to qualify outright for the knockout stages of the Champions League, particularly having picked up a very good draw away at PSG. As always at this level, the margins are very small and with so many competitive teams the battle to get into the top eight was always going to be a big test for everyone.

"That we managed to make it should give us a lot of confidence, especially when you look at the quality of the teams that we were able to finish above and the opponents we managed to defeat.

"This was the outcome that we wanted when the competition started so I have to give a lot of credit to my players. As I have said many times, it is never easy to juggle the demands of the Premier League and the Champions League so taking six wins out of eight matches in Europe is a very good return.

"We were able to show a lot of quality in our final game against Qarabag and this enabled us to score six goals on the night. Tonight will be a much tougher test, of course, but again, we can take belief from the way we performed as it was clear that we were much more clinical in both boxes.

"This was an obvious improvement and one that we have been looking for. Qarabag had shown this season that they are a very good team and one that is capable of getting good results in the Champions League but we hardly conceded anything. This is never easy in any game but it has definitely been an area that we need to improve upon so it was good to take a step in the right direction.

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"I would like to welcome Eddie Howe, his players and staff and the directors and supporters of Newcastle to Anfield for tonight's game. As I said at the start of these notes, our clubs share a great history and I have no doubt whatsoever that this encounter will be every bit as competitive as the ones that have preceded it.

"After our last meeting I spoke about the impact that a hostile home crowd had on that occasion so I am really looking forward to seeing - and more importantly, hearing - our fans do the same under the lights at Anfield.

"As always, we will be looking to create that virtuous circle of performance on the pitch and a passionate atmosphere in the stands so let's look to be the best that we can be."