Newcastle vs Liverpool will kick off at St. James’ Park in a thrilling Premier League fixture on Sunday, August 23, 2026. The match will be played at 4:30 PM BST (9:00 PM IST). Both teams are stepping into a new chapter with their respective managers, Matthias Jaissle and Andoni Iraola. Along with Alexander Isak playing against his former team, it promises to be an interesting and high-scoring affair.
Liverpool head to St James’ Park as favorites for Sunday’s Premier League opener, unbeaten in their last 19 league meetings with Newcastle and in each of their last 13 season openers. Expect a tight, entertaining contest, but Liverpool’s superior squad depth should be enough to edge it 2-1.
Newcastle will be without Joelinton and Tino Livramento, both ruled out through injury, while defenders Dan Burn and Lewis Miley are doubts due to fitness concerns. Manager Jaissle, just 17 days into the job, said he needs to be smart with load management for his doubtful players but confirmed there is progress.
Liverpool has longer-term absentees, with Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni, and Conor Bradley all sidelined. Fortunately for the visitors. Ibrahima Konaté has returned to training and is expected to start after working his way back from his own fitness issue.
Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): GK: Lukas Hornicek DEF: Amar Dedic, Sven Botman, Malick Thiaw, Lewis Hall MID: Sean Steur, Aladji Bamba ATT: Anthony Elanga, Nick Woltemade, Harvey Barnes, Yoane Wissa
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): GK: Alisson DEF: Jeremie Frimpong, Jeremy Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez MID: Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch ATT: Rio Ngumoha, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak
Sunday’s opener carries extra weight thanks to Isak’s return to Tyneside as a Liverpool player. His relationship with Newcastle broke down during a prolonged transfer saga before his eventual move to Anfield. This adds a personal edge to an already heated fixture for home supporters.
Newcastle enters the new season having sold Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali, and Anthony Gordon for a combined fee north of £240 million this summer. This makes a significant rebuild under first-time manager Jaissle. That turnover makes Sunday a genuine unknown for a Newcastle side still finding its identity under new leadership.
The recent head-to-head strongly favors Liverpool, including a 4-1 win at Anfield in January 2026. A dramatic 3-2 Liverpool win occurred at St James’ Park in August 2025, when Rio Ngumoha struck a late winner against 10-man Newcastle. Its biggest recent scalp came in the 2025 League Cup final, where they beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley.
Newcastle has also gone winless in their last nine Premier League home matches against Liverpool. While Liverpool hasn’t won at St James’ Park since 1995 in isolated historical context, their overall recent record in this exact fixture remains dominant.
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Given that this is a competitive debut for both managers, the Newcastle vs Liverpool clash will definitely turn out to be an interesting. It will likely be a goal-laden opening encounter of the Premier League season.
The two teams will face off at St James’ Park on Sunday, August 23, with the kick-off set for 4:30 PM BST (9:00 PM IST). This match will signal a new era for the two sides, with Jaissle taking charge of Newcastle and Iraola leading Liverpool into the new season. The arrival of Isak at St James’ Park wearing a Liverpool kit is another reason why this match is highly anticipated. Moreover, the past encounters between the two sides have also been goal-laden, which makes this an interesting Matchweek 1 fixture.
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