WELCOME Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of Liverpool's home Boxing Day fixture against Newcastle United. Team news is on the way...

Ritchie gets two crosses off in quick succession, the first is terrible but the second is delightful and it just beats Van Dijk, finding Joselu. However the Spaniard gets his header wrong and it goes wide.

Without wishing to jinx them this has been a pretty decent start from Newcastle so far.

Obviously a very long way to go...

Good work from Newcastle as they win the first corner of the match. Kenedy swings it in and they just about get it cleared.

Slightly comical moment as Robertson tries to get a pass away and it crashes off his own man and out for a Newcastle throw.

First attack from Liverpool and there's some lovely passing between the front four. Lascelles slides in to make a good tackle on Mane but he's still down holding his quad.

He's going to try and jog it off but something to keep an eye on.

Right we're underway at Anfield! Both teams in their traditional strips.

We're five minutes away. Let's hear your predictions!

Of course this fixture conjures up images of some classic matches. Yet recently Liverpool have been much the dominant side.

Newcastle have won just two of the last ten matches between the two and it's been over three years since they last beat the Reds.

It's a strong attacking line-up for Jurgen Klopp with the in-form Shaqiri joining the attacking triumvirate of Salah, Mane and Firmino.

You get the feeling it might be a long afternoon for that Newcastle back line.

Liverpool know they will stay top today no matter what. However a win today and a loss for Manchester City against Leicester City could see them extend their lead at the top to seven points.

Newcastle come into this one 15th and can only really move up or down one place.

Of course this match sees Rafa Benitez return to Anfield.

It's been a while since he left Liverpool but you can be sure he will still get an excellent response from the home fans.

Six changes for Newcastle as DeAndre Yedlin, Federico Fernandez, Isaac Hayden, Kenedy, Yoshinori Muto and Joselu all come in

Dubravka, Yedlin, Fernandez, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie, Diame, Hayden, Kenedy, Muto, Joselu.

Three changes for the home side as James Milner, Fabinho and Naby Keita drop out.

They are replaced by the returning Trent Alexander-Arnold, Georginio Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri.

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Shaqiri, Salah, Firmino, Mane