Newcastle host Liverpool at St James’ Park on Sunday, August 23 (11:30 AM ET / 10:30 AM CT / 8:30 AM PT).
Doubtful Valentino Livramento and Fabian Schar are being managed through fitness concerns, and the injured Joelinton is unavailable, but Newcastle can still call on Bruno Guimarães, Anthony Gordon and Nick Woltemade, who all played major roles last season. Liverpool’s list is longer: the injured Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley, Jayden Danns and Giovanni Leoni, plus the unavailable Joe Gomez, are all out, while doubtful Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones face late tests — leaving Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz to lead the attack at St James’ Park.
Both sides leaked goals as well as scored them at the back end of last season. Newcastle lost 1-2 at home to Bournemouth and were beaten without scoring at Arsenal, while Liverpool were beaten 4-2 at Aston Villa despite finding the net themselves. That points to a St James’ Park opener with goals in it, Newcastle’s Woltemade, Barnes and Gordon asked to match a Liverpool front line that still has Salah, Gakpo, Szoboszlai and Wirtz to call on even without the injured Hugo Ekitike.
Newcastle vs Liverpool: Best Bets & Predictions
Liverpool are favoured at St James' Park, but Newcastle's forward line means goals look likely in the Premier League opener.
Our approach: we lean on last season's data — goals, chances created and shots — alongside the latest fitness news to shape our best bets, rather than reputation alone.
Odds correct at time of writing and shown in American format for illustration; your local odds may vary. 19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC). Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON).
Season Form & Standings
Newcastle and Liverpool both begin the new season with a blank slate — zero points, zero games played, and no position yet to defend — when the Premier League gets underway at St James’ Park.
Premier League
| Team | Pos | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 14 | 0 | |||||||
| Newcastle | 17 | 0 |
Newcastle vs Liverpool Predicted Lineups
Predicted XI — updated for the latest team news.
Newcastle
4-2-3-1Liverpool
4-2-3-1Potential Match-Winners
- Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle): Bruno Guimarães scored nine goals and created forty-five chances last season, the complete midfield presence Newcastle will build around again.
- Nick Woltemade (Newcastle): Nick Woltemade scored eight goals last season and offers a physical focal point for Newcastle’s attack.
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): Mohamed Salah scored seven goals and created forty-nine chances last season, and remains central to how Liverpool break teams down.
Recent Form
Newcastle: L L W D W
- 2026-05-17: Newcastle 3-1 West Ham (W, home)
- 2026-05-10: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Newcastle (D, away)
- 2026-05-02: Newcastle 3-1 Brighton (W, home)
- 2026-04-25: Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle (L, away)
- 2026-04-18: Newcastle 1-2 Bournemouth (L, home)
Newcastle’s last five matches of last season went a 1-2 home defeat to Bournemouth, a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal, a 3-1 home win over Brighton, a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest, and a 3-1 home win over West Ham to finish the campaign.
Liverpool: W W L D L
- 2026-05-15: Aston Villa 4-2 Liverpool (L, away)
- 2026-05-09: Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea (D, home)
- 2026-05-03: Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool (L, away)
- 2026-04-25: Liverpool 3-1 Crystal Palace (W, home)
- 2026-04-19: Everton 1-2 Liverpool (W, away)
Liverpool’s last five matches of last season went a 1-2 win at Everton, a 3-1 home win over Crystal Palace, a 3-2 defeat at Manchester United, a 1-1 home draw with Chelsea, and a 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa to close out the campaign.
Newcastle vs Liverpool Prediction
We’re backing a 1-2 away win for Liverpool at St James’ Park. Both sides start the new season on zero points with no positions yet to separate them, but Liverpool’s remaining attacking options look sharper than Newcastle’s patched-up back line, and goals look likely at both ends.