Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe believes his team must deliver “close to a perfect game” to overcome Premier League leaders Liverpool on Thursday (IST).

Facing a daunting challenge, Newcastle will take on Arne Slot’s Liverpool, who are currently 11 points clear at the top and hold a dominant home record against the Magpies. Howe also acknowledged the electrifying atmosphere at Anfield, calling it a special but challenging venue.

“We need to be close to a perfect game from our perspective. Learning from the recent game against Manchester City would be a good starting point for us, where we didn’t execute the aggressive game plan that we wanted and didn’t attack the game well enough,” Howe said at a press conference.

“We need to learn from that at Anfield. It’s a great environment to play football in, but it’s tough if you’re not totally there. We must acknowledge that, turn up fully prepared, and start strong. Psychologically, it’s huge. It’s an emotional stadium, and we need to ensure we have a threat in the game,” he added.

Newcastle will be seeking their first victory at Anfield since a League Cup win in November 1995, when Steve Watson’s goal secured a rare triumph.

Following a 0-4 defeat to Manchester City, Newcastle bounced back with a 4-3 victory over Nottingham Forest. Currently, they sit fifth in the Premier League table, level with Manchester City at 44 points. With Nottingham Forest just three points ahead in third place, securing points against Liverpool is crucial for Newcastle’s Champions League hopes.

“It’s been there all season to a degree. There have been games where we’ve been frustrated with ourselves. But when you look at the record—13 wins out of 16—that’s not an inconsistent team. I’d take that again for the next 16 games,” Howe said.