Newcastle v Liverpool Match Result
Liverpool have a 50% chance of winning this Premier League clash according to the latest odds. The champions might be a touch on the skinny side based on a few factors. For starters, the Reds won eleven of their nineteen away matches last season. That meant that there were eight games where a victory wasn’t registered. That modest win percentage does not bode well for this clash.
Secondly, this contest ended in a 3-3 draw last term. In the first half, Newcastle blew Liverpool away before failing to sustain that level of intensity. Even so, they did more than enough to frighten their Merseyside opponents. There is also the Alexander Isak factor here. The Toon Army are going to generate a cauldron atmosphere against a Liverpool side who are aiming to sign the Newcastle star striker.
Eddie Howe’s side finished fifth in the Premier League table last term, with the Magpies winning twelve of their nineteen home games. They averaged more than two goals per game at St James’ Park and much depends on whether the likes of Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga can take advantage of chances that come their way.
Newcastle want to get Yoann Wissa on the books as early as possible although they might have to contend without the Brentford man until a game later. Even so, there was plenty to like about that classic midfield trio, with Joelinton, Bruno Guimares and Sandro Tonali being a quality triumvirate and it will be interesting to see how much joy Liverpool have in the middle.
Ryan Gravenberch will return to the Liverpool line-up and there’s the obvious elegance of riches, with Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo all quality operators. Then there’s the mercurial Mohamed Salah although the right-sided forward was kept relatively quiet by Bournemouth in the opening game of the season.
Goals Under/Over
There could be plenty of goals at St James’ Park based on last season’s fixtures. That 3-3 draw at St James’ Park last season involved six shots on target for Newcastle and five for Liverpool, with Mohamed Salah inspiring a comeback which suggested the Reds were going to take all three points before Fabian Schar’s late freak winner.
Newcastle had the upper hand when the teams met in the Carabao Cup at Wembley for a final where Eddie Howe’s side showed more intensity and desire. We know that this Liverpool team are highly attack-minded and that could lead to an open game, although the way in which the Magpies defence stopped Aston Villa in their tracks was impressive.
Therefore, we think the odds are fair for the match and the number of goals could be two or three. Much depends on whether Newcastle are able to finish any chances that come their way considering that they don’t have a recognised senior striker in their ranks.
BTTS
There’s a 66% chance that both teams will score at St James’ Park. There aren’t too many matches where Liverpool draw a blank, with Salah bidding to spearhead an attack that will also feature Ekitike and Gakpo. The Reds were able to score three times in this fixture last season and we might expect a similarly-fast tempo to the game against a Newcastle side who will want to be fast out of the traps.
Newcastle scored a very healthy forty goals in their nineteen home clashes last term and should also be good to find the net. The biggest issue is that the Magpies are fending without Alexander Isak right now and the signing of Yoann Wissa will come too soon for this fixture. The forward will add some much-needed magic although it will be Anthony Gordon who is operating in the centre forward position right now.
There’s the opportunity to combine a Liverpool win with BTTS Yes if you think that both outcomes are likely to happen. However, we actually think a Newcastle victory along with both teams finding the net could be the savvy bet to have.
First Goalscorer
Anthony Gordon was on the scoresheet in this fixture last season and is always super-motivated to operate against Liverpool. The former Everton man is likely to once again feature as the centre forward and he will also be on penalty duties for the north-east side. There’s a big price for the forward to find the net first and he might have some joy against a visitors’ defence which has started to creak already.
Anthony Elanga was also through one-on-one in the previous match and could well have broken the deadlock at Villa Park, with the former Forest man having the pace to cause issues for the Liverpool full-backs. However, it’s Liverpool who are favourites and there are any number of players who can find the net first.
Perhaps it’s worth swerving the obvious and looking beyond Mo Salah. Hugo Ekitike looks sharp and has scored in his opening two matches for Liverpool, with Cody Gakpo continuing to prosper on the left-hand side and the Dutchman is a reliable performer as part of the front three.