Paul Merson has backed Newcastle United to beat Liverpool at St James' Park
Merson has backed Newcastle United to beat Liverpool at St James' Park this weekend - insisting the Reds' recent habit of starting slowly will not go unpunished by Eddie Howe's side
Merson believes if Liverpool are to make a sloppy start to Sunday's fixture then Newcastle will be better placed than the Bournemouth side to take advantage
Merson
"If Newcastle start this game at a hundred miles an hour, I don’t see Liverpool being able to cope with them
“They need to turn it on like they did against Aston Villa. I watched Liverpool against Bournemouth last week, and Bournemouth were very good in the first 20 minutes of the game.
“I thought Newcastle would be underachievers this season, but they were brilliant in their first game.
"They had an opportunity to seize the initiative against Man City, but they didn’t win that game.
"They’ve had a hard start to their season and if they win this game, they’ll have won six out of nine points – it could set them up for a top-four finish. It would send a message to the rest of the Premier League that they’re a big threat.”
Merson added:
“If Newcastle play the way they usually do and start, they can smother Liverpool all over this pitch. If they can make the most of their start, I think they’ll be able to win this game.”
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