Isak Returns as Newcastle Hosts Liverpool in Premier League Opener
St James’ Park rarely needs an excuse to crackle. On Sunday, it has a perfect one.
Newcastle welcome Liverpool in a fierce Super Sunday showdown on the opening Premier League weekend, with both clubs under new management and one storyline towering over the rest: Alexander Isak’s return to Tyneside in Liverpool red.
Kick-off is 4.30pm on Sunday, August 23, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage from 4pm in the UK and Ireland.
New Eras, New Wounds
The dugouts tell their own story. Newcastle have turned to Matthias Jaissle after parting ways with Eddie Howe, banking on a fresh voice to jolt a side that limped to 12th last season.
The squad has been stripped of its core. Captain Bruno Guimaraes is gone. Sandro Tonali has moved on. Anthony Gordon has departed too. Three pillars, all out the door in one summer.
Liverpool arrive with their own reset. Andoni Iraola is in after Arne Slot’s sacking, handed the task of repairing a title defence that fizzled out 25 points behind champions Arsenal and ended in fifth place.
He must do it without three senior giants. Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate have all left on free transfers. A new spine has to form, and fast.
Last season, Liverpool owned this fixture. They won 3-2 at St James’ Park in a thriller, then dismantled Newcastle 4-1 at Anfield. That history lingers. So does the sense that this time, the stakes are different.
The Isak Flashpoint
The emotional centre of the game is obvious.
A year ago, Alexander Isak detonated his relationship with Newcastle, declaring it “cannot continue” and accusing the club of broken promises and a lack of trust. The fallout was ugly, the exit even more so: an acrimonious £130m move to Liverpool and a summer of fury on Tyneside.
Now he walks back into the lion’s den.
Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones has zero doubt about the atmosphere around him. The most intriguing angle for him isn’t whether Isak scores. It’s whether Newcastle simply kick him.
Sky Bet’s “to be fouled” market has turned that narrative into numbers. Isak’s historical fouls-won figures are relatively low, which has led the bookmakers to price the market as if this were just another game. It isn’t.
He’s 10/11 to be fouled once or more, and 4/1 to be fouled twice or more. Jones calls both “fantastic wagers” because the market is rating Isak’s usual profile, not the hostility he is about to walk into.
Every time he takes a touch, the volume will spike. Every time he spins a defender, the temperature will rise. One clattering challenge and St James’ Park will explode.
There is a simple, visceral way for a Newcastle player to plug straight into that energy: put Isak on the turf. Not through anything pre-planned, Jones stresses, but through the natural aggression of an opening-day contest supercharged by a crowd that has not forgotten.
His score prediction? Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool. His best bets: Isak to be fouled at least once (10/11 with Sky Bet) and at least twice (4/1 with Sky Bet).
How to Watch the Clash
For those glued to the first big Sunday of the season:
- TV: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm for Sky customers.
- App: Sky Sports subscribers can stream via the Sky Sports app by heading to the ‘Watch’ section from 4pm and selecting the Sky Sports Premier League channel, signing in with their Sky iD.
- Streaming (non-Sky customers): NOW offers Day and Month memberships, giving instant access to all 12 Sky Sports channels and every Sky Sports+ stream, contract-free.
- Online: Live coverage and minute-by-minute updates will run on Sky Sports’ dedicated match blog.
- Highlights: Free Premier League highlights will be available shortly after full-time.
Team News: Debuts and Decisions
Jaissle’s first Premier League teamsheet will be missing key names. Joelinton and Tino Livramento are both ruled out of the opener.
That could open the door to a wave of new faces. Lukas Hornicek, Amar Dedic, Sean Steur, Aladji Bamba and Bazoumana Toure are all in line to make their Premier League debuts if called upon.
Liverpool’s big question lies at the heart of their defence. New signings Ronald Araujo and Jeremy Jaquet are jostling to partner Virgil van Dijk at centre-back after both featured in a recent outing against Como. Victor Munoz is another who could taste league action for the first time in a Liverpool shirt.
A Season’s Tone, Set in 90 Minutes?
Two new managers. Two reshaped squads. One returning villain in the eyes of the home crowd.
Newcastle need to prove they can rebuild on the fly. Liverpool need to show they can chase again without Salah, Robertson and Konate. And Isak must walk straight into the noise he helped create.
For an opening weekend, this feels anything but gentle.
