Even a week ago, plenty of Liverpool fans would probably have thought about trading a Carabao Cup final defeat to Newcastle in exchange for a win in the league.

But amid Arsenal's struggles, the game at Anfield took on a little less significance — and Arne Slot will now be targeting victories in both fixtures, although he is expecting a different game at Wembley.

Liverpool never looked in any danger of dropping points in the Premier League encounter.



But Slot does not claim to have learned much of value from the comfortable win at Anfield.

Alexander Isak hands Newcastle injury scare before Carabao Cup final as striker ruled out vs Liverpool	Alexander Isak is OUT of Newcastle's clash with Liverpool - as forward suffers injury less than three weeks before Carabao Cup final	Eddie Howe gives update on length of Alexander Isak injury as Carabao Cup final assessment emerges

"I don't think that means so much because I saw a different Newcastle tonight than I saw a few months ago when we played them there," Slot told TNT Sports, when asked about the significance of beating the Magpies so close to the Wembley showpiece.

Alexander Isak missed out when Newcastle travelled to Liverpool in the Premier League

Isak missed out with an adductor injury, while Joelinton is not quite ready after being sidelined for a few weeks.

But whatever the reason, Slot is right that this was quite a different Newcastle side to the one that has battled into contention for the Champions League places

The importance of Isak cannot be overstated, but Liverpool will also need to devise a plan to deal with the aggressive physicality of Joelinton, and might have to prepare for a more familiar pressing structure too.

And Slot is also expecting a slightly different version of his own team as well
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