All About General Information PTV Sports Biss Key
The headline fixture in gameweek three of the 2023-24 Premier League season sees Newcastle United welcome Liverpool to St James’ Park for Sunday’s fascinating encounter. The Magpies were beaten 1-0 by treble winners Manchester City in their most recent affair, while the Reds came from behind to put Bournemouth to the sword 3-1 at Anfield. Having hit Aston Villa for five during a vivacious attacking display on the opening day, some Newcastle fans may have embarked on their journeys to the Etihad quietly hopeful of slaying a Manchester City side still feeling the effects of their UEFA Super Cup exploits.
It was not to be for Eddie Howe’s men at the Etihad, though, as the lively Phil Foden set up Julian Alvarez for the decisive goal in the 31st minute, and the Citizens could and probably should have won by more had Erling Haaland not left his shooting boots in the changing room. While Haaland endured an off day in front of goal, Howe also departed the Etihad with a bitter taste in the mouth, having felt that his side failed to hit their newly-established lofty expectations in the wake of their ruthless success over Aston Villa. The Magpies enter the third gameweek of the season sitting in eighth place in the table, although the early-season standings certainly count for little at this stage, but it is now just one clean sheet in 13 Premier League affairs for this weekend’s hosts.
On the flip side, Newcastle have only been beaten three times at St James’ Park in the Premier League since the start of 2022, although two of those defeats have come against Liverpool, who unlike Howe’s side did manage to turn around a one-goal deficit to triumph last weekend. Even before some fans had taken their seats at Anfield during Liverpool’s meeting with Bournemouth last weekend, chaos reigned supreme, as Antoine Semenyo broke the deadlock for the Cherries with just three minutes on the clock after Andoni Iraola’s side had already had a strike ruled out in the earliest stages.
With new signing Wataru Endo only deemed ready for a place on the bench, Liverpool’s distinct lack of a defensive presence in midfield was being exposed by Bournemouth, but the Reds soon found their rhythm and fought back through Luis Diaz’s acrobatic strike, Mohamed Salah’s penalty rebound and Diogo Jota’s tap-in.
Even a second-half red card to Alexis Mac Allister – which has since been rescinded – did not impact Liverpool’s momentum in the final half-hour, but as ever, Alisson Becker had to bail his side out on a couple of occasions in the dying embers to help the Reds get off the mark at the second time of asking.
As mentioned, Mac Allister’s controversial sending off in Liverpool’s success over Newcastle has now been overturned upon appeal, meaning that the Argentine is free to slot into his usual place in the Reds’ midfield, where Endo could also come in for his first Premier League start. Neither Curtis Jones (ankle) nor Thiago Alcantara (hip) will be ready just yet, while Ibrahima Konate has also emerged as a fresh doubt, but Klopp has reassured Liverpool fans that Trent Alexander-Arnold is good to go following an injury scare last week. Joel Matip and Joe Gomez are ready to be called upon if Konate is not given the green light, while Klopp has insisted that Mohamed Salah remains “100%” committed to Liverpool amid Al-Ittihad’s desperate attempts to prise him away from Merseyside before the transfer window shuts.
