Overview
Have you ever been overshadowed by a player who is unlikely to feature? The story of Alexander Isak has become the focus of the 2025 summer transfer window, when Liverpool cherished the hope of recruiting the Swedish striker from Newcastle for a record fee in English football.
With Isak almost no longer wanting to continue being involved with the "Magpies", the atmosphere at St. Petersburg is similar. James' Park promises to be more intense than usual. Liverpool players will step into a "lion's den", which has always been passionate but now is even heavier with emotions.
However, this was a good land for the "Red Brigade". They have been unbeaten at Newcastle since 2015, with five wins and three draws in their last eight visits.
The only person in the current Kop squad who has witnessed a defeat is Joe Gomez, but this central defender has not played due to injury. He has now returned from an Achilles heel and also missed three recent training sessions, leaving his chances of making a break.
This further narrowed the choice of coach Arne Slot, when Jeremie Frimpong had to miss mid-September due to a hamstring injury, while Conor Bradley had just returned to training. Luckily for Liverpool, Ryan Gravenberch will return from suspension, helping the midfield to be more balanced.
In contrast, Newcastle, in addition to Joe Willock's absence, has almost all the force. The biggest problem for coach Eddie Howe is not personnel. Instead, there is the question: how can his team score against Liverpool without Isak?
Statistics don't lie. In the last 4 Premier League games without Isak, Newcastle have not scored any goals, despite launching 47 shots, equivalent to 5.57 expected goals missed.
Anthony Gordon was promoted to the front in a goalless draw at Villa Park last weekend. He had seven shots - his highest tally in his Premier League career and more than any other player in the opening round.
In contrast, Liverpool did not have much difficulty in attack in the opening 4-2 victory over Bournemouth. All four of their strikers have scored, including Hugo Ekitike, Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah.
Salah is certainly the name that Newcastle fans are most concerned about. The Egyptian star has an impressive record, not only against Newcastle but also against every team led by Howe.
In the Premier League, Salah has directly contributed to 18 goals against Newcastle, and has assisted in all six of their most recent encounters. He is also the only player in the history of the tournament to achieve such a consecutive assist series against a club.
With their current form, Liverpool scoring against Newcastle is almost inevitable. Another goal was enough to equal their record for the longest consecutive scoring streak in the club's history in the Premier League.
That is a 36-match streak, established from March 2019 to February 2020. Under Slot, The Kop have scored 90 goals in 39 matches, achieving an average of 2.3 goals/match - the best number in Liverpool's coaching history in this tournament.
However, Liverpool's problem lies in their defense. They conceded two goals in just a few minutes against Bournemouth. Gravenberch's return may have partly reinforced the midfield, but Slot's open play will certainly add hope to Newcastle.
Head-to-head record
Newcastle beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final last season, but in the Premier League, the head-to-head record between the two sides over the past decade has tinched at the Reds.
The last time Liverpool lost to Newcastle in this tournament was in December 2015, just 2 months after Jurgen Klopp took office. Since then, Liverpool have been unbeaten in 17 matches, with 12 wins and 5 draws.
At Anfield last February, Liverpool continued to affirm their strength when they won 2-0, with goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.
Before that, the two teams drew 3-3 at St. Petersburg. James' Park in December 2024. This was a dramatic match when both teams continuously took the lead, before Newcastle regained 1 point thanks to an equalizer in the 90th minute.
Score prediction: Newcastle 0-2 Liverpool
The match between Newcastle and Liverpool takes place at 2:00 am on August 26 (Vietnam time).
