According to his column on the Chronicle Live, former Newcastle United striker and pundit Micky Quinn believes that in-form Magpies striker Dwight Gayle, rated at £8.8m by Transfermarkt, can help his side pick up a point against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.
Rafa Benitez returns to his former club after seeing his side surrender a two-goal lead against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium last weekend to draw 2-2 – which left them two points above the relegation zone – and they look to face a tough task to take anything back to the north-east from Merseyside.
The Reds’ electric front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah all scored in their team’s 4-1 win against West Ham United at Anfield last time out, taking their combined tally for the season to a remarkable 63 in all competitions.
Gayle ended a run of 11 top flight matches without a goal himself when he scored a brace against the Cherries, and it carried on his good form up top as he also assisted Matt Ritchie’s winner against Manchester United previously.
Quinn believes the 27-year-old can fire the Toon to a positive result against Liverpool too, saying in his Chronicle Live column: “The Magpies look good when counter-attacking away from home and, now that Dwight Gayle looks like he has rediscovered his confidence in front of goal, Rafa will know his side can leave Anfield with at least a point.”
With two of the sides below them – Southampton and Stoke City – playing each other and with another, Swansea City, welcoming West Ham United to the Liberty Stadium, Newcastle could easily find themselves in the bottom three when they kick off on Saturday evening.
