Liverpool handed huge disadvantage ahead of Newcastle United clash - We'll take what we can get

Newcastle United will try to end a 31-year curse by winning at Anfield tonight, a feat which they have achieved only once in the Premier League era back in 1994.

While Newcastle haven't had much luck against the Reds at home either, the Anfield curse has frankly gone on long enough now, as has Eddie Howe's record against Liverpool, with the Newcastle gaffer never taking more than a point off the Merseysiders since taking over on Tyneside.

We're looking for omens wherever we can to give us confidence that we will end this run. We were hoping that Jurgen Klopp's departure would change things, but it seems Arne Slot is even better.

But, Slot may not be that big of an issue when the two sides meet tonight in the 8:15pm kick-off live on TNT Sport.

Arne Slot will not be in the dugout tonight

As reported by Liverpool World, Arne Slot and his assistant, Sipke Hulshoff have been slapped with a two-game touchline ban which is in effect tonight.

After things erupted in the Merseyside derby against Everton, Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucoure were shown red cards, as were Slot and Hulshoff.

It was alleged that both ‘acted in an improper manner and/or used insulting and/or abusive words and/or behaviour’ towards a match official. Slot has been handed a £70,000 fine, and Hulshoff hit with a £7,000 payment to go along with their touchline bans.

Does a touchline ban even mean anything these days?

Obviously, the duo will still be in the stands and communicating with the bench and still get to deliver the team talks, but who knows, that slight delay in getting the message from the stands to the touchline to the players may just be enough.

Look, we're grasping at straws here. The nerves are absolutely relentless.

If this is what we're like for the Premier League game, how are we going to be ahead of the cup final? I hate this Liverpool jinx.