Newcastle host Liverpool in the Premier League on Monday night in a game that's drenched in narrative. You'd have to live under a rock to be unaware of the transfer saga involving Alexander Isak, Newcastle and Liverpool, and given how events have been unfolding, you can bet that the atmosphere inside St. James' Park will be fiery.
- Date: 25/08/2025
- Kick-off: 8:00pm
- Location: St James' Park, Newcastle
It is, though, an unfolding of events that's completely rocked Newcastle. The club's preparation for this season was already in tatters given they've missed out on so many of their main transfer targets, so their best player pulling the nuclear option to try and unsettle the club and force a move away from the North East makes the situation potentially fatal.
Eddie Howe's men did put up a good showing on the opening weekend, however, as they drew 0-0 away at Aston Villa. They were fairly poor in the final third and it was a game that the Magpies really should've won, but nevertheless, Howe and Jason Tindall will be very pleased with their side's overall performance at a very tricky ground.
Newcastle's record against Liverpool isn't promising but the Toon Army will be as raucous as can be on Monday night given the off-pitch sparring between these two clubs this summer, so if the team can harness the crowd's energy, they could pull off an upset.
Liverpool come into this game off the back of a 4-2 win over Bournemouth on the opening day of the season. Goals from Hugo Ekitike, Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, and Mohamed Salah sealed a 4-2 win in far from comfortablr fashion.
Liverpool struggled at times with with Bournemouth's transition threats, with Antoine Semenyo wreaking havoc on the Anfield pitch. Difficulties controlling transition moments was also somewhat of a feature against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, and it's a vulnerability that's becoming hard to ignore.
The Reds' are spoilt for choice as far as attacking options are concerned, but whether or not the balance of the XI is optimal remains to be seen. There are also medium term concerns about the depth of the squad, with Liverpool's bench options well short of what Manchester City, for example, currently boast.
What is clear is that the Reds need reinforcements if they want to defend their title, and the club knows that, hence their pursuit of Isak. Newcastle will likely cause Liverpool issues in transition here, but thankfully for them, they look much more blunt in the final third without their Swedish number 9, so Liverpool enter the game as rightful favourites.
