The opening weekend of the Premier League brings us a genuine heavyweight clash. Forget what happened last season: Newcastle and Liverpool are both starting again under new managers after major summer rebuilds. Matthias Jaissle begins a new era at St James’ Park, while Andoni Iraola takes charge of Liverpool for the first time in a competitive match. Which revolution will make the better start?
Newcastle
After a disastrous campaign that ended with Newcastle down in 12th place, the club decided it was time for a major reset. Eddie Howe departed and was replaced by 38-year-old German coach Matthias Jaissle.
The early signs, however, have hardly been convincing. Newcastle won only two of their seven pre-season friendlies, beating Darlington 3-0 and Valencia 2-1. They drew with Gateshead and Strasbourg and suffered defeats against Bristol City, Everton and Bayer Leverkusen.
More worrying than the results was the defending. Newcastle conceded regularly throughout the summer and rarely looked comfortable without the ball, which is hardly ideal preparation before facing Liverpool.
The squad itself has also changed dramatically. Newcastle made around £244 million from player sales but lost several footballers who had been central to the team in recent years. Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier are all gone, while Alexander Isak left for Liverpool last summer and now returns to St James’ Park as an opposition player.
Newcastle have invested heavily in younger talent, with Bazoumana Touré among the biggest additions, while Lukas Hornicek was brought in to strengthen the goalkeeping department. There is plenty of potential in this squad, but expecting so many young players to immediately replace proven Premier League performers is a huge ask.
Jaissle also has problems ahead of his first league game. Joelinton and Tino Livramento are among the notable absentees, leaving an already inexperienced side even more stretched.
Liverpool
Liverpool are also entering a new chapter after finishing fifth last season. Arne Slot departed and former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola was chosen to replace him.
Iraola's aggressive, vertical football should make Liverpool one of the more interesting teams to watch this season, and there were already glimpses of it during pre-season.
The Reds beat Sunderland 4-2, Wrexham 1-0 and Como 2-0, but defeats against Leeds and Monaco showed that the transition is far from complete. Most concerningly, Liverpool led 2-0 in both of those games before eventually losing 4-2 and 3-2.
That probably tells us plenty about what to expect during the opening weeks: Liverpool should create chances, but Iraola still has work to do when it comes to controlling games and finding the right defensive balance.
There has been significant turnover at Anfield as well. Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konaté and Andy Robertson have all left, while Liverpool responded by bringing in Jérémy Jacquet and Víctor Muñoz. Ronald Araujo's arrival on loan from Barcelona could prove particularly important given the defensive issues seen during the summer.
Liverpool are not at full strength either, but their probable XI still contains considerably more established quality than Newcastle's. Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo give Iraola plenty to work with, while Alexander Isak will have extra motivation on his first return to St James’ Park since leaving Newcastle.
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Stuart Attwell will take charge of the game.
He was among the Premier League's strictest referees last season, averaging 21.72 fouls and 4.68 yellow cards per match. Across 25 league appearances, he also awarded eight penalties and showed three red cards.
With two aggressive teams and what should be an intense atmosphere at St James’ Park, Attwell could have a busy evening.
Newcastle vs Liverpool Prediction
There are too many question marks around Newcastle to trust them at the moment.
They finished only 12th last season and have since lost several of their most important players. Jaissle has been handed a young squad that may eventually develop into something exciting, but the Premier League rarely gives teams much time to learn on the job.
Liverpool have also changed manager and lost some major names, so this is hardly a finished team. The difference is that Iraola still has a strong core of established players and enough individual quality to punish Newcastle's defensive problems.
The head-to-head record makes the case for Liverpool even stronger. The Reds are unbeaten in their last 19 Premier League meetings with Newcastle, winning 14 and drawing five. Their record at St James’ Park is similarly impressive, with six wins and three draws from their last nine league visits.
At odds of 1.95, Liverpool to win looks like our main bet.
Main prediction: Liverpool to win — 1.95
Goals Prediction
The other angle we like is goals, particularly from Liverpool.
Neither side looked especially secure defensively during pre-season. Newcastle conceded in six of their seven friendlies, while Iraola's Liverpool were involved in several wild games, including a 4-2 win over Sunderland, a 4-2 defeat against Leeds and a 3-2 loss to Monaco.
The way Iraola wants Liverpool to play naturally creates transitions. That can leave them exposed at one end, but against this Newcastle defence it should also produce plenty of opportunities at the other.
Liverpool have also scored at least twice in eight of their last ten meetings with Newcastle.
That makes Liverpool over 1.5 team goals at 1.62 an attractive option. For those looking for something more aggressive, over 3.5 total goals at 2.27 is worth considering.
Main bet: Liverpool to win — 1.95
Goals bet: Liverpool over 1.5 team goals — 1.62
Riskier option: Over 3.5 total goals — 2.27
Published by Patrick Jane
23.08.2026