Liverpool is ready for the welcome to Newcastle on Monday evening while the Alexander Isak Transfer Saga continues to attract hostile emotion in St James’ park.
Newcastle vs. Liverpool
Premier League (2) | St James’ Park
August 25, 2025 | 8 pm (BST)
Liverpool started their Premier League title defense in the only way they know how, in a dramatic way after surrendering a lead of two goals before she won 4-2.
The side of Eddie Howe has offered a lonely point in their scoreless draw at Aston Villa if their start of the campaign is dominated by Isak and an inability to pass on to their team.
Here is everything you need to know prior to Monday’s trip to Newcastle.
1. Alexander Isak will not play
The Saga that is the future of Isak continues to rumble, and while he continues to train alone from the first team of Newcastle, he will not play on Monday evening.
On Friday Howe spoke his opinion about the constant situation and claimed that the Saga “looks like it is coming to an end, or that it will end fairly quickly.”
“The club must act in the best interest in Newcastle United. That will do that in every situation,” he explained.
It is still to be seen whether Isak and Liverpool will get their wish before the Deadline transfer on 1 September, because it depends on Newcastle who finally signs that elusive striker.
2. Jeremie Frimpong injury blow
Jeremie Frimpong is sidelined with a hamstring injury that he contracted against Bournemouth, with Arne Slot revealing that he will only be back in September after the international break.
Conor Bradley is still on the comeback trail, while Joe Gomez missed the sessions during the week to have big question marks about who right back starts.
Liverpool does not bear any other injuries in the competition, although Slot will have a selection filemma for his 20-man MatchDay team, which will probably see Kostas Tsimikas and Trey Nyoni among those who have to miss.
The newest signature Giovanni Leoni is free to play, but he can also be left on Merseyside as Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Gomez are all fit.
3. Who can start at Rechtsback?
With Bradley still not fit enough to return he has trained on Thursday individually, the question raises who will choose Right back in the absence of him and Frimpong.
As for Gomez, the manager explained: “He couldn’t train three days in a row”, and they will “see where he is on Monday and whether he can start.”
If the international English international is not suitable for starting with, Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai Right back and Curtis Jones were used in the position.
With Szoboszlai who was used there during the preseason, it would be no surprise to see the Hungarian move to the defense while Ryan Gravenberch returns to midfield after his suspension.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Archives; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike
4. Anthony Gordon to lead the Newcastle attack
As the above, Isak will not be in the MatchDay team, but it is expected that it is a place for Howe’s newest signing Jacob Ramsey, who joins Aston Villa.
Malick Thiaw will be contrary to his debut, but probably from the bank, while Joe Willock has been training again after a calf injury during the preseason.
In all likelihood, Howe will mention the same starting setup from the opening match of the season – a scoreless draw against Villa – who will see Anthony Gordon lead the attack because they will remain without a recognized striker.
Possible Newcastle XI: Pope; Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Elanga, Barnes, Gordon
5. Arne Slot: Federico Chiesa is “Totally different now”
Federico Chiesa delivered the competition -winning moment against Bournemouth and that led to questions about the role of the Italian from the press, on which Slot said:
“If he is more available, he already has more opportunities to influence our results or his playing time.
“So yes, but then it’s about staying just as fit as he’s in the moment.
“I now see a completely different Federico than through large parts of last season.
“That is completely normal, because he missed the entire preseason and then entered a Premier League rhythm in terms of quantity of competitions and in terms of intensity.
“He is now in a much better place.”
6. Expect a “raw” St James’ park
With Isak dominating newspaper heads, there has been a strange desire to point the finger at Liverpool for their behavior (unfair), and it is to cause the reaction on Monday.
This is Anfield spoke with Newcastle fan and writer Dave Black to discuss what we can expect in the ground:
“Raw. It’s a holiday, so both sets fans will probably be well oiled.
“There is a contempt for the way Liverpool is seen when all this has acted, but again, in fact, we only know that they have made an offer and Newcastle has rejected it.
“There has been some ‘chatter’ on social media between the two sets of fans, but I find all that pretty annoying.
“It is a big game anyway, and add the holiday and the Isak situation, and I expect it will be pretty wild.”
• Read: Alexander Isak has “badly abandoned” – expected “wild” crowd vs. Liverpool
7. Hugo Ekitike’s chance to match Daniel Sturridge
Hugo Ekitike started life in Liverpool quite a bit and scored in the Shield community and again against Bournemouth on the opening day of the season.
And if he scored against Newcastle, he would become the first Liverpool player since Daniel Sturridge in January 2013 who scored in his first three games for the club.
Especially a goal against Newcastle would be pretty nice!
8. Give us your score for prediction!
Of the last five visits of Liverpool to St James’ Park, they won three with last season’s game ending in a 3-3 draw after Liverpool led twice.
There has only been one 0-0 draw in the last 78 competition meetings (and 84 in all competitions) that go back to February 1974, so that is worth keeping in mind for your prediction!
9. Referee: Simon Hooper
The referee, who has to take control from the start, is Simon Hooper – and he will be assisted on the touchline by Adrian Holmes and Simon Long.
Hooper has history with Liverpool, after he took the lead over the 1-0 defeat in Tottenham in 2023/24, when Luis Diaz wrongly allowed a goal and Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were sent hard.
Tony Harrington is the fourth official at St James’, while John Brooks is on VAR, supported by Steve Meredith.
Last season was not exactly a fan of Brooks, let’s hope he doesn’t have to add any other reason why on Monday!
10. How do you follow the match with Tia!
The trip from Liverpool to Newcastle is the kick -off from 8 p.m. on Monday, which is shown live in the United Kingdom at Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, which is available for live stream here.
If you prefer our biased view of procedures, join Henry Jackson on our live blog from 7.15 pm while he keeps you informed and entertaining you.
In this, red!
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