Eddie Howe's Magpies' side travel to Anfield to play Liverpool in seventh position in The Premier League table after picking up a point in a 1-1 draw at Molineux against Wolves that star man Allan Saint-Match rescued late on with a wonder goal on the volley to extend the club's unbeaten start to the new season to four games:
Liverpool, meanwhile, won their first game of The Premier League season - and how - beating former Newcastle midfielder Scott Parker's Bournemouth 9-0 at Anfield with another former United midfielder Lee Clark's son Bobby making his Reds debut:
Games are coming thick and fast in the English top flight and both clubs are feeling the effects of an early Premier League season start due to the World Cup in Qatar with Bruno Guimaraes missing the game against Wolves and several first team stars having late fitness tests ahead of the trip to Liverpool, who have had their own injury crisis already with Thiago, Diego Jota, Joel Matip, Naby Keita and others out.
These injuries are partly to blame for Liverpool's poor start to the season - draws against Fulham and Crystal Palace and a loss to Man United is not the start that Jurgen Klopp's "mentality monsters" would have wanted to make with Man City's consistency proving that any would-be title challengers can't afford too many dropped points although the Reds beat Man City 3-1 in The Community Shield curtain-raiser.
Yet until Saturday, Liverpool didn't look like the side that has chased Man City all the way in recent years and £80M man Darwin Nunez's red card against Crystal Palace didn't help matters and he will miss the Newcastle game as a result of a 3-match suspension.
One big money striker who will be playing some part in the game although he will likely be introduced from the substitues' bench will be Newcastle's new £60M Sweden international Alexader Isak, who missed the Wolves game due to a delay in his work permit but is inline to make his Newcastle debut five days after his big money move:
Isak will bring superb dribbling skills, pace and directness and hopefully the goals that will fire The Magpies up the table as number nine Callum Wilson recovers from his latest hamstring injury and Newcastle are still being linked with Joao Pedro and a host of other names so expect at least one big incoming transfer before the window shuts.
One ongoing issue affecting Newcastle United is big decisions from referees as yet again The Magpies should have had a penalty kick when Sean Longstaff, making his 100th appearance for his boyhood club, was held back in the box by Matheus Nunes:
VAR Lee Mason, whom this writer indicated before the game has an aversion to giving spot kicks to Newcastle:
didn't alter the referee's decision not to award a penalty but Dermot Gallagher, former Premier League referee stated on SKY Sports' 'RefWatch' that he ought to have done:
Back on the pitch and Eddie Howe and Newcastle will be looking to exploit the defensive frailties that have appeared in the Liverpool side this season particularly vulnerability to pace on the counter attack as demonstrated by both Manchester United's Marcus Rashford & Wilfried Zaha's goal at Anfield in the 1-1 draw at Anfield:
In his pre-match presser, Eddie Howe outlined that Newcastle have several injuries concerns including Allan Saint-Maximin and Bruno Guimaraes, both hamstrings, that Sweden defender Emil Krafth will be out for six months with a ACL injury but that Kieran Trippier should be fine after a late injury scare at Wolves:
Howe paid tribute to new defensive star Sven Botman:
and revealed The Magpies face a race against time to ensure Alexander Isak can play with the club still awaiting confirmation of his work permit:
Prediction - Newcastle 3 Liverpool 2
Potential Line-Ups:
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