'Funny' - Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe responds to Jurgen Klopp's Man Utd claim ahead of Liverpool clash

Newcastle United have lost six of their last seven matches since Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp singled Eddie Howe's side out for praise.

Klopp was left stunned by Newcastle's 'exceptional football' in their 1-0 win over Manchester United at the start of December. The result came despite the club battling an injury crisis.

Although the club have since welcomed back the likes of Sven Botman, Callum Wilson and Sean Longstaff back from injury, the results have taken a downward turn. Heading into Monday night's clash at Anfield, Newcastle are on their worst run of form since Howe arrived at the club, have exited the Carabao Cup and Champions League competitions while also dropping to ninth in the Premier League table.

At the start of December Klopp said: "I don't think I've ever praised [Newcastle] before, but I saw them playing [v Man United], and I was really impressed, I have to say 'wow'.

"They played the same team, pretty much exactly the same team like in Paris, and that was a big fight. Yes, it was not only a big fight, it was exceptional football, it was a commercial for pressing, counter-pressing and direct football, really good football."

And Howe is determined to keep calm as he aims to help his side to get back to those standards heading into a tricky run of fixtures in January. "It's funny with the Manchester United game because it feels like a long time ago but it's not," Howe told The Gazette. "It was our best performance of the season and I thought on the day we were outstanding, physically excellent, there was no fatigue.

"We attacked the game, on the front foot and I thought we were really, really good. You fast-forward a few weeks later and the landscape is different and that's where I've got to be very calm and go 'It's not that long ago and that's the game group of players we have now, near enough.'

"Of course, the aim is to get back to those levels mentally and physically and deliver those kind of performances on a consistent basis."

After the Liverpool match, Newcastle travel to local rivals Sunderland in the FA Cup before Premier League matches against Manchester City and Aston Villa.