Premier League: Magpies are in a Lose-Lose Situation With Liverpool

Newcastle United vs Liverpool

Newcastle United have drawn Liverpool as their opponents in matchday 2 of the 2025-26 Premier League season, and the timing of it is far from ideal. Besides missing out on maximum points last week, following a goalless draw against Aston Villa, manager Eddie Howe continues to deal with the team’s ongoing transfer saga involving their star striker, Alexander Isak.

Isak made it known that he no longer wants to play for the Magpies. And because Newcastle United still have Isak in their ranks, the Swedish striker will be forced to watch on Monday night at St. James Park instead of playing for his preferred side, Liverpool.

The Reds’ title defence is off to an auspicious start, as they are fresh from a 4-2 win against Bournemouth in their opening match. Arne Slot’s men are gunning for their second consecutive league victory to take the top spot in the English top-flight standings.

Without further ado, here’s today’s SBOTOP preview.

 

Talking Points

Newcastle United get lineup boosts amid Isak saga

As mentioned, Alexander Isak will not feature against the club he’s desperate to join. However, manager Eddie Howe made it clear that he is open to reintegrating Isak into the squad, especially if the Swedish international stays beyond the summer transfer window.

Last weekend, Howe fielded the front three of Harvey Barnes, Anthony Elanga, and Anthony Gordon, with Gordon as the No. 9 and William Osula coming off the bench. However, even if they outshot 10-man Aston Villa 16-3, they lacked the clinical finish to see the game through. 

Amid the Isak saga, Newcastle United managed to acquire Jacob Ramsey, who will look to fight for a spot in midfield. The 24-year-old could make his Magpies debut against the Reds, though he’ll likely come off the bench because Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes, and Sandro Tonali are at the top of the pecking order.

Fellow summer signings Malick Thiaw and Aaron Ramsdale also didn’t play against Aston Villa. But the former could do so against Liverpool, likely as a substitute for either Dan Burn or Fabian Schar. Joe Willock is fit again and could come off the bench if needed.

 

Liverpool can cope with latest injury blow

Liverpool suffered an injury blow to their backline during last weekend’s opening day win against Bournemouth, as Jeremie Frimpong strained his hamstring and had to be taken off in the 60th minute. Arne Slot confirmed that the Dutch right-back is out until the next international break.

With Frimpong sidelined, Slot could go with Conor Bradley or Joe Gomez against Newcastle United, and both players are ready to go after returning from their respective injuries. Wataru Endo is an emergency option since he replaced Frimpong against the Cherries.

Ryan Gravenberch is also available for selection after serving his suspension and attending the birth of his child. We won’t be surprised if the Dutchman starts in the middle alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz, which might send Dominik Szoboszlai to the bench.

 

History

Newcastle United actually defeated Liverpool in their last meeting, beating them 2-1 in the EFL Cup final last March. Dan Burn and Alexander Isak scored for the Magpies, and Federico Chiesa’s stoppage-time goal prevented a shutout loss for the Reds. It was Newcastle United’s first domestic trophy since 1955.

Liverpool are undefeated in their last 17 Premier League matches against Newcastle United (W12, D5). Their last league loss against the Magpies was a 2-0 result in December 2015. The Reds have won five of their last seven Premier League away matches against the Magpies (D2) and have gone one goal down in each of their last two visits to St. James Park before recovering to win (2-1 in 2023-24) and draw (3-3 in 2024-25).

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2025 odds predict the Reds to take the maximum points at the expense of the Magpies on Monday. Liverpool are pegged to win at 2.04, whereas Newcastle United aren’t far behind at 3.07, and a draw is at 3.51 in the 1X2 market.

These two teams tend to light up the scoreboard, and football fans can expect new Premier League 2025 highlights at St. James Park. Besides going for a Liverpool victory, it would be tempting to add Over 2.75 at 1.66, Over 3.00 at 1.91, Over 3.25 at 2.11, and Total Goal 4-6 at 2.57 to the parlay. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 2-0 in favour of Liverpool – the result of their last league encounter – is on offer at 12.50.

   

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