"The opening match week displayed contrasting fortunes for Monday's opponents, as the home side was frustrated by 10-man Aston Villa, while Liverpool weathered a frenetic Bournemouth to come out on top. While Newcastle looked toothless up front, with Anthony Gordon playing as a makeshift centre forward in the absence of Alexander Isak, Liverpool were far too vulnerable on the counterattack. The blistering pace of Harvey Barnes, new signing Anthony Elanga, and Gordon will be key if the Magpies are to breach Liverpool's backline."
"Throughout pre-season and their first two games, Arne Slot's side have shown a tendency to overcommit when searching for a goal, which has resulted in defensive capitulation one too many times for the current Premier League title holders. However, Jeremie Frimpong's hamstring injury and fitness concerns for Conor Bradley may prompt Slot to be more conservative on the right-hand side, with Joe Gomez and even Dominik Szoboszlai in contention to start at St James' Park."
Liverpool secured a last-minute win against Bournemouth but travel to St James' Park will provide a stern assessment of title prospects. Newcastle displayed contrasting fortunes and lacked a settled striker, relying on Anthony Gordon as a makeshift centre forward. The Magpies possess elite pace in Harvey Barnes, Anthony Elanga and Gordon, which threatens Liverpool's vulnerable counterattack. Arne Slot's side have occasionally overcommitted offensively, causing defensive lapses. Injuries to Jeremie Frimpong and concerns over Conor Bradley could force more conservative right-side selections, potentially bringing Joe Gomez or Dominik Szoboszlai into contention. Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton offer combative midfield presence against Liverpool's midfield.
Read at Rush The Kop
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]