Newcastle's recent encounter resulted in a narrow 1-0 defeat to treble winners Manchester City. In contrast, Liverpool showcased their prowess by recovering from a deficit to defeat Bournemouth 3-1 at Anfield. After a scintillating attacking performance against Aston Villa, some Newcastle fans may have embarked on their trip to the Etihad Stadium with hopes of upsetting a Manchester City side still recovering from their UEFA Super Cup endeavors. However, Eddie Howe's team couldn't pull off the upset, as Phil Foden's lively play led to Julian Alvarez's decisive goal in the 31st minute. Erling Haaland's lackluster finishing prevented Manchester City from securing a more comfortable victory.
While Haaland had an off day in front of the goal, Eddie Howe's disappointment stemmed from his team's failure to meet their heightened expectations following their dominant win over Aston Villa.
As the third gameweek approaches, Newcastle occupies the eighth position in the league standings. Yet, early-season rankings hold limited significance at this point. However, the hosts have managed just one clean sheet in their last 13 Premier League matches.
Conversely, Newcastle has suffered only three defeats at St James' Park in the Premier League since the beginning of 2022. However, two of those losses came against Liverpool, who managed to overturn a one-goal deficit and secure victory last weekend. Chaos ensued at Anfield as Antoine Semenyo scored for Bournemouth within three minutes, even though Andoni Iraola's side had an earlier goal disallowed.
Despite the absence of new signing Wataru Endo from the starting lineup, Liverpool gradually found their rhythm. Luis Diaz's acrobatic strike, Mohamed Salah's penalty rebound, and Diogo Jota's tap-in enabled their comeback. Even a second-half red card for Alexis Mac Allister, later rescinded, failed to disrupt Liverpool's momentum. Alisson Becker's interventions in the final moments ensured Liverpool's victory at their second attempt.
Liverpool's win extended their unbeaten streak in the Premier League to 13 matches since their heavy defeat against Manchester City in April. In this period, they have found the net in 12 of those matches. Furthermore, their 113 goals against Newcastle make them the highest-scoring opponent for the Magpies in the Premier League era.
In February, Liverpool secured a 2-0 victory over Newcastle at St James' Park, aided by Nick Pope's sending off. This marked their fourth consecutive win against the Magpies. Notably, almost a year ago, Fabio Carvalho's last-minute winner at Anfield added to Newcastle's memorable experiences against Liverpool.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Newcastle's experience at the Etihad took a turn for the worse when Joelinton sustained an injury in the second half. Nonetheless, manager Howe confirmed on Friday that the Brazilian should be fit for the upcoming weekend fixture.In case Joelinton doesn't recover in time, either Sean Longstaff or the emerging talent Elliot Anderson will contend for the starting position in his absence. Meanwhile, Emil Krafth (ACL) and Joe Willock (thigh) are unavailable for selection. However, Javier Manquillo (groin) has returned to training.
Despite his impactful appearances off the bench against Villa in the first gameweek, Harvey Barnes lost out to Anthony Gordon for the left-wing position against Manchester City. Howe could consider starting the former Leicester City player in this match.
New signing Lewis Hall might also have an opportunity for his debut this weekend, although Dan Burn is expected to continue at left-back for now.
Regarding the recent developments, Alexis Mac Allister's contentious red card in Liverpool's victory over Newcastle has been overturned on appeal. This clears the way for the Argentine midfielder to return to his regular spot in the Reds' midfield. There's also a chance that new signing Wataru Endo could make his first Premier League start.
Curtis Jones (ankle) and Thiago Alcantara (hip) are not yet fit for action. Additionally, Ibrahima Konate's availability has come under question. However, Klopp has reassured Liverpool supporters that Trent Alexander-Arnold is fully fit after an injury scare the previous week.
Should Konate be unavailable, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez are prepared to step in. Klopp has also emphasized Mohamed Salah's unwavering commitment to Liverpool, countering Al-Ittihad's persistent efforts to lure him away from Merseyside before the transfer window closes.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Isak, Barnes
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Endo, Szoboszlai; Salah, Jota, Diaz
EXPERT PREDICTION
Newcastle 3-3 Liverpool
However, even if Liverpool is not very strong defensively, they are often strong in attack. Since Newcastle has not been very good at defending recently, the game might end in an exciting tie.
