“Klopp is high on weed”, “Benched for the inferior player” - Liverpool fans fume as 24-year-old misses out on starting line-up to face Newcastle

Liverpool fans are conveying their frustrations on X (formerly Twitter) after Jurgen Klopp opted to drop Cody Gakpo from the starting XI for Luis Diaz. The Reds are set to face Newcastle United in their upcoming Premier League clash at Anfield on Monday, January 1.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool are currently at the top of the Premier League standings with 42 points from 19 games. A win against the Magpies would see them extend their lead to three points above second-placed Aston Villa.

Alisson Becker starts in goal for Liverpool. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Joe Gomez make up the defense. The midfield consists of Wataru Endo, Curtis Jones, and Dominik Szoboszlai. Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah, and Darwin Nunez start up front to complete the starting XI.

A section of Liverpool fans are frustrated with Klopp's decision to start Diaz over Gakpo. The Colombia international has struggled in recent weeks and has failed to score in his last eight league games. On the other hand, Gakpo has looked lively down the middle in his last two starts, with Nunez playing as a left winger rather than a No. 9.

One fan posted:

"Klopp is on high weed"

Another fan chimed in:

"Gakpo deserves so much better than the treatment he’s getting from Klopp. Constantly getting benched for the inferior player must be so frustrating on his end."

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What happened the last time Liverpool faced Newcastle in the Premier League?

Liverpool will be aiming to secure a league double against Newcastle United at Anfield later tonight. The Reds emerged victorious in the reverse fixture earlier this season, pulling off a thrilling 2-1 win at St. James' Park on August 27, 2023.

The Magpies got off to a dominant start, taking the lead in the 25th minute after Anthony Gordon pounced on an error by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Things went from bad to worse after Virgil van Dijk was given a straight red card three minutes later.

The Merseysiders showed great resilience to not concede anymore with Alisson Becker having one of the best performances of his career. Darwin Nunez came on as a second-half substitute and provided two stellar finishes in the 81st and 93rd minute to secure an unlikely win.

Liverpool have won their last five league games against ninth-placed Newcastle. They are also unbeaten in their last 14 matchups against them, winning 10 games and drawing four, and will be firm favorites to secure all three points tonight.