And the show is on the road. We are under way in the sunshine at Anfield.

Here we go then. The teams are on their way out. Time to sharpen up and focus on a big game of football.

Mark Lawrenson
BBC football expert

I always thought Newcastle would get results when they really needed them and they have done exactly that in the past couple of weeks.

The Magpies are not mathematically safe yet, of course, but they are eight points above third-bottom Fulham, who are not going to catch them.

Liverpool played really well in the first half against Leeds on Monday and should have scored more than the one goal they managed. In the second half, though, they were really poor and could have conceded a lot more than one.

That is a worry, even if you factor in how good Leeds are, so the Reds need to find some consistency here.

Prediction: 2-0

Lawro's full predictions v Wolf Alice bassist Theo Ellis

Wait, Andrew, are you saying the Steve Barnes books have big, gaping plot holes and logic gaps in them?!

Well, we couldn't ask for much better weather in Liverpool right now. The sun is belting down. Ordinarily, I love this point in the season, with everyone in the stand in short sleeves and the fools who forgot their sunglasses shielding their eyes from the rays.

We'll get there again soon, people.

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to BT Sport: "Our owners made a mistake, I have said it often enough. We are the faces of the club, we didn't know anything about it, don't forget that. It was not Liverpool football club [who wanted to join the Super League] it was representatives of the club, that's important.

"You all have to calm down. Talking about it all day is winding people up. We are still in a pandemic, there are people outside with no masks on. Just relax.

"All the forwards are now fit so we can try playing them together."

Newcastle United

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce to BT Sport: "Whenever you come here it's in the air that you're in the big arena, it's always difficult. But you have to enjoy taking on the champions, a wonderful club. It's one of the big ones on the calendar. They've had a difficult week but they'll want to put it all behind them.

"Just at the right time we got a few people back and in the last few weeks we have found resilience to put back to back wins together.

"Joe Willock won't want to be called a supersub, he's done great."

So, in a week that saw Liverpool and 11 others try to ensure they can never not qualify for a European competition and Uefa ushered in Champions League reforms that meant it was highly unlikely they'd miss out in future, will the Reds qualify on merit this season?

They are seventh in the division as it stands, but only two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and part of a, what, six-strong group all fighting it out for a spot?

The Manchester clubs are safely in there. Leicester look good for it, but are still at risk of dropping out. I don't think we can go as low as Arsenal and Leeds as potential Champions League qualifiers can we?!

Feel free to argue otherwise.

Well done, he's 13

As I hinted at earlier, Newcastle are in a rare moment of positivity.

They could actually win three top-flight fixtures in a row for the first time since November 2018 under Rafael Benitez.

Steve Bruce last won three consecutive Premier League games in January 2009 during a run of four while in charge of Wigan Athletic.

Tell you what, this fictional Super League of ours is going to be seriously competitive. Not sure I could pick a winner between Fulchester United and the Hurricanes.

Glenn Williams: Any conversation about fictional football teams must include Warbury Warriors from the Striker comic.

Let's be honest as well, it has been a while since have been as vulnerable (especially at home) as they are right now.

Jurgen Klopp's side could become the first team since Sunderland in 2008 to concede the first goal in eight consecutive Premier League home games.

They have dropped 13 points from winning positions in the league this season, more than in their previous two campaigns combined.

The Reds have lost six top-flight home fixtures in a season for the first time since 1953-54. They most recently lost seven in the 1937-38 campaign.

This is also the first time since 1954 that Liverpool have lost as many as 10 competitive matches in a calendar year before the end of April. They last fared worse in 1953, with 12 defeats.

So past history suggests this game is only going one way...

Liverpool haven't lost at home to Newcastle in 24 league matches spanning 27 years (W20, D4).

And the goalless draw in the reverse fixture at St James' Park ended a run of five successive Liverpool victories against Newcastle.

Does anyone else see stats like those and think 'gotta come to an end at some point'.

Speaking of Steve Bruce''s fictional football manager/amateur sleuth, Steve Barnes... which real-life football managers do you think would make the best detectives?

I reckon Marcelo Bielsa would nail it. Part Poirot, part Columbo. He's even got a Lewis/Watson-style sidekick with his translator.