Newcastle vs Liverpool – News and Probable Lineups

A new chapter begins for the northern clubs on Sunday afternoon, as Matthias Jaissle’s Newcastle United and Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool kick off their 2026-27 Premier League seasons.

The Magpies ended their pre-season with a disappointing three-match winless streak, while the Reds traded tumult for stability in a 2-0 comfortable victory over Como.

Match overview

A summer filled with off-field turbulence – and not in a positive light – has hit Newcastle United, who have now parted ways with Eddie Howe, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, and Anthony Gordon after a troubled 2025-26 season.

The major takeover of the Magpies in 2021 raised concerns about the emergence of a new dominant force in English football, but that vision has merely remained a dream for the St James’ Park supporters, who witnessed their team finish at their joint-lowest position of the decade last season.

For the first time since the 2020-21 season, they ranked as low as 12th in the Premier League, prompting the club to bring in 38-year-old Jaissle, a six-time trophy winner from his tenures with Red Bull Salzburg and Al-Ahli.

Newcastle experienced a tough 4-1 loss to Bristol City in a friendly prior to Jaissle’s appointment, and in their pre-season matches, his team narrowly lost to Everton and Bayer Leverkusen, managed to defeat Valencia, and drew with Strasbourg, scoring and conceding in all four matches.

This trend is not new; Newcastle has also scored and conceded goals in seven straight Premier League home games, placing them on the brink of equaling their club record of eight consecutive matches with both scored and conceded goals at St James’ Park in the league.

However, historical trends favor the black and white team, as they have remained unbeaten in their last four opening day fixtures, with Jaissle winning his debut match as manager in each of his prior three posts.

Unlike his counterpart, Iraola does not share the same record of winning his opening games, having managed a sole victory in four first matches with Bournemouth, Rayo Vallecano, Mirandes, and AEK Larnaca, while managing to avoid loss in all those encounters.

Nonetheless, the Spaniard endeared himself to the Anfield crowd well before being confirmed as Arne Slot’s successor, with the anticipation that he would restore the Reds to their exhilarating football reminiscent of the glorious Jurgen Klopp era.

Iraola’s style was showcased during pre-season, where Liverpool scored a remarkable 20 goals across six matches – averaging over three per game – finishing with satisfactory back-to-back clean sheets against Como following conceding nine goals in their initial four encounters.

The upcoming visitors have also enjoyed a 13-match unbeaten streak in Premier League opening day fixtures, yet even that record does not compare to Iraola’s current unbeaten run, having led Bournemouth to an impressive 18-match streak without defeat in the Premier League for a Europa League qualification.

Moreover, the Liverpool head coach has never tasted defeat against Newcastle in the top flight, accumulating three wins and three draws, and it is nearing a year since Slot’s Liverpool executed a dramatic 3-2 triumph in this very match during the 2025-26 season.

Team News

Newcastle’s midfield has been heavily affected by departures and injuries this summer, as Jaissle has revealed that Joelinton will be out for a couple of weeks due to a groin issue, meaning one of Sean Steur or Aladji Bamba – two of the hosts’ summer signings – should start their first match for the club.

Tino Livramento is still recuperating from a calf injury that saw him miss the Inglaterra World Cup squad, creating an opportunity for another new face, Amar Dedic, to potentially start.

Lukas Hornicek is expected to make his Premier League debut as goalkeeper, while Yoane Wissa is likely to fill the number 10 position, supporting either Nick Woltemade or himself.

On Liverpool’s side, long-term absentees Conor Bradley (knee), Giovanni Leoni (knee), and Hugo Ekitike (Achilles) remain sidelined, alongside Joe Gomez, who has picked up a new muscular issue during pre-season.

Curtis Jones has also faced an alarming hip injury, which has raised concerns among fans, particularly as he is close to completing a £30m transfer to Inter de Milão.

With Jones likely leaving and World Cup finalist Alexis Mac Allister just returning, a midfield duo of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai is anticipated, while Rio Ngumoha is expected to step in for Mohamed Salah temporarily.

Newcastle United probable starting XI:

Hornicek; Dedic, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Ramsey, Steur; Elanga, Wissa, Barnes; Osula

Liverpool probable starting XI:

Alisson; Frimpong, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isaac

Newcastle has a natural tendency to both score and concede, which could lead to at least some success in front of goal against a Liverpool side lacking defenders.

However, the Iraola-led attack was in full swing during the majority of pre-season, where Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak’s partnership showed renewed vigor, suggesting the Reds are likely to hit three goals and secure victory at St James’ Park once more.