All eyes are on Tyneside today as Andoni Iraola takes charge of his first official Premier League match as Liverpool boss, opting for a bold backline for the season opener at Newcastle United.
Jérémy Jacquet has been handed his full Liverpool debut, lining up alongside Virgil van Dijk in the heart of defence. Up front, former Magpies hero Alexander Isak returns to face his old club for the first time since completing his £125 million move to Anfield, spearheading a potent front line as Iraola's reign officially gets underway at St. James' Park.
After a Saturday of big upsets on the opening weekend of the Premier League, Manchester United and Tottenham on the wrong end of surprise defeats on the road, Liverpool are seeking to avoid one of their own in the North East.
Andoni Iraola will take charge of the Reds for the very first time, taking on Newcastle United at St James' Park in the prime time Sunday afternoon slot. So, here is the XI the new hed coach has selected.
Liverpool's confirmed lineup vs Newcastle United
- Alisson.
- Jeremie Frimpong, Jérémy Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk & Miloš Kerkez.
- Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai & Florian Wirtz.
- Rio Ngumoha, Alexander Isak & Cody Gakpo.
- Substitutes: Giorgi Mamardashvili, Ronald Araújo, Kostas Tsimikas, Wataru Endō, Trey Nyoni, James McConnell, Alexis Mac Allister, Lewis Koumas & Víctor Muñoz.
Iraola's XI is identical to the team that beat Como 2-0 in last Sunday's pre-season friendly at Anfield. Alexander Isak will certainly be under the spotlight, given that this is his first meeting with Newcastle since going on strike to force through his move to Liverpool.
Elsewhere, new signing Jérémy Jacquet makes his debuts in defence, while Jeremie Frimpong has been chosen over Ronald Araújo at right-back. Víctor Muñoz first appearance for the club is likely to come off the bench, only named among the substitutes due to a truncated pre-season following his involvement at the World Cup.
Instead, teenager Rio Ngumoha starts in attack, back at St James' where, almost a year ago, he scored a famous last-gasp winner as the Reds prevailed 2-1. This makes him just the second 17 year old to start an opening day Premier League fixture for the club, the other being Michael Owen at Selhurst against Wimbledon in 1997.
Federico Chiesa is not in the squad due to a lack of fitness that saw him miss training throughout the week. Harvey Elliott also is not even among the substitutes, despite being available, with Lewis Koumas prefered by Iraola. This has fuelled speculation that Elliott will leave the club next week.
Lastly, perhaps James McConnell's name was a surprise one among the substitutes. Following a loan to Ajax, the 21 year old could feature for the Reds for the first time since a win over Luton Town in February 2025, a whopping 548 days ago. Perhaps his inclusion underlines a lack of midfield depth.
Newcastle United's confirmed lineup vs Liverpool
- Lukáš Horníček
- Amar Dedić, Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman & Lewis Hall.
- Lewis Miley & Sean Steur.
- Anthony Elanga, Yoane Wissa, William Osula & Harvey Barnes.
Led by new head coach Matthias Jaissle, there are three debutants in the Newcastle XI. New signings Lukáš Horníček, Amar Dedić and Sean Steur all start, with Ewen Jaouen, Aladji Bamba and Bazoumana Touré in reserve.
The Magpies are without Joelinton and Dan Burn due to injury, the latter only first reported earlier on Sunday.
Which Liverpool players are currently injured?
Joe Gomez suffered a muscle injury during the fist match of Liverpool's pre-season tour against Sunderland in Tennessee, so is currently sidelined. Meantime, Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley, Stefan Bajčetić and Hugo Ekitiké are all recovering from long-term issues.
Is Alexis Mac Allister available for selection?
Yes, Alexis Mac Allister has been named among Andoni Iraola's substitutes. The 27 year old is being eased back into full fitness, having only featured in one pre-season friendly. The midfielder returned late following his mandatory three week break, having player almost every minute of every game as Argentina reached the World Cup Final earlier this summer.
What time does Newcastle United vs Liverpool kick off?
The Reds' Premier League opener kicks off at 4:30pm local time in the United Kingdom. That is a 11:30am kick off ET and 8:30am PT in the Unitd States.
How can I watch Newcastle United vs Liverpool in the Premier League?
This Premier League fixture is live on USA Network in the United States, as well as on Telemundo in Spanish. In the UK, you can watch it on Sky Sports Main Event, while the game is being broadcast by Fubo Sports Network 3 in Canada, Stan Sport in Australia and SuperSport MaXimo 1 in Africa.
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