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By HARRY BAMFORTH, LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE REPORTER and LEWIS STEELE, FOOTBALL REPORTER and CRAIG HOPE, CHIEF FOOTBALL REPORTER and OLIVER HOLT, CHIEF SPORTS WRITER Updated: 06: 00 AEST, 26 August 2025 284 View comments Follow Daily Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Newcastle host Liverpool at St James Park in the Premier League, with Oliver Holt and Craig Hope reporting from the ground. Who saw that coming after 34 minutes? Newcastle were hammering Liverpool for most of the first half and could have easily been two to the good. But somehow, they end the half a goal down and a man down after a crazy 15 minutes. I mean, what a crazy 45 minutes of football that was. The Newcastle fans are not happy and are currently chanting that the Premier League is corrupt. I'm pretty sure when they watch the replay over a pint in the concourse, they will change their mind. A definite red. Anthony Gordon is being sent for an early bath. I didn't think that was a red at first, but Anthony Gordon clearly drags his foot down Virgil van Dijk's achilles. This half goes from bad to worse for Newcastle; they are down to 10 men. He can have no complaints there. A real blow for Eddie Howe's team - a stupid challenge that. Oooooooo. .. It really is getting tasty now, and Anthony Gordon flies through Virgil van Dijk; he is nowhere near the ball. A melee then ensues, and then Simon Hooper brandishes a yellow card. But now, he is being told to check the monitor. .. Ooooft, now that is what you call venting frustration. Dan Burn doesn't hack Mohamed Salah down just once, but twice, before picking up a booking. He really was gunning for the Egyptian there. That's a chance, a real chance for Liverpool. Mohamed Salah races down the right and curls a low cross into the box, with three of his team-mates steaming in. Curtis Jones gets to it and should surely slam home, but he gets his finish all wrong and just clips the ball past Hugo Eklitike. Salah throws his arms to the sky in frustration. Now that is why Newcastle need a striker. Anthony Elanga has caused Liverpool so many problems, and he whips a teasing cross into the box, which is begging to be headed home. Alexander Isak would normally be there, but we know that he isn't, and nobody else is. Deserves a finish, a cross like that. Football, eh? Newcastle have been lighting up Liverpool all match but just haven't supplied the finishing touch, and then bang, they are behind. Suddenly, the mood inside this stadium has changed. Like a balloon has been popped. OUT OF ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE! That is what Champions do. Liverpool have soaked up so much pressure and now Rayn Gravenberch silences St. James' Park with one of their first meaningful attacks of the match. The Liverpool midfielder takes his time 25 yards out and then just drills it low into the bottom corner. Nick Pope doesn't even move. A sickener for Newcastle. That may just be the biggest cheer of the game. Liverpool finally get up the top end of the pitch but the move ends with Hugo Ekitike passing the ball out of play. Pretty shocking, really. The Newcastle fans love it and produce a 'wheyyyy' so loud that they may just have heard it over on Merseyside. They then sing: 'You're just a s*** Will Osula. ' Liverpool can count their lucky stars that they are still level; Newcastle are battering them from pillar to post. You can see that the away side are now trying to take the sting out of this game, but it's not working in the slightest. They are in survival mode. Phoarrr. .. How are Newcastle not ahead here? It feels like I am watching the Aston Villa game all over again. Anthony Elanga finds Anthony Gordon in the six-yard box and he looks set to turn home, but Alisson manages to smother him. Moments later, Gordon gets on the end of a cross, but it drops wide. He just can't supply the finish! Ohhhh, I thought that was the moment? Newcastle's goal is coming, you can just feel it. Anthony Gordon looks like he is about to score as he gets on the end of a swinging cross. He gets a good head to the ball, but it lands on the roof of the net. Alexander Isak would have scored that. I find it hard to see Liverpool surviving here. Newcastle are winning all the second balls, having all the ball, and causing absolute chaos among the Reds backline. Just as I say that Mohamed Salah breaks free, but his end product leaves a lot to be desired. I mean, what is Ibrahima Konate doing? The Frenchman had a stinker against Bournemouth and he is not making a good account of himself here. He gets done by Anthony Gordon and ends up throwing him to the ground by the collar of his shirt. Does he realise this isn't wrestling? Liverpool just can't get out when they have the ball. Newcastle's forwards and midfield are hunting them down like a hungry pack of dogs, it's quite something. The Reds haven't gotten out of their own half for some time now. And another foul. .. I feel a bit like DJ Khaled right now because I am repeating myself over and over again. Liverpool's decent start is a distant memory, they are clearly rattled here and are flying into challenges. It's all Newcastle now. The crowd are still making a racket and the players are feeding off it. Tino Livramento does brilliantly down the left and has the Liverpool defence backpedalling with worry. However, Alisson deals with his cross. Remember the eight-second rule? Well, Alisson has gone way over it, but because Anthony Gordon is obstructing him, he is not being penalised. The crowd don't realise that, mind. .. Virgil van Dijk is not happy whatsoever. Hugo Ekitke is penalised for a foul, and the Dutchman races over to Simon Hooper and screams right at him. It didn't look like he was saying friendly words. This game has no flow whatsoever, and I feel for Hooper here. Not an easy game to ref. I very nearly gave Liverpool the commentator's curse! Ever since I stated that Arne Slot will be happy with his team, Newcastle have been all over them like a rash. Anthony Elanga chosts in down the right and pulls the ball back for Joelinton. He seems destined to score. But Dominik Szoboszlai does well to put him off and the Reds survive. I have to say, Liverpool have started rather well. They deal with Newcastle's ferocious counter-attack with Alisson getting to the ball before Anthony Elanga, and then put the pressure on. Florian Wirtz ends up bending one toward the top corner, and Nick Pope has to turn it past the post. I'm sure Anre Slot will be rather happy with his side, for now. My word, that is incredibly risky from Alisson. I know the keeper is brilliant with his feet, but I'm sure Liverpool fans have their hearts in their mouths as he allows Anthony Gordon to get too close to comfort. But the Brazilian then just knocks the ball past him coolly and passes to Dominik Szoboszlai. Risky, but quite brilliant. Oooooooh. .. It's fair to say Ryan Gravenberch is a little rusty. He flies into a nasty challenge on Bruno Guimaraes and gets a booking just eight minutes into his return. It's definitely a yellow, but I'm surprised it's the first after the first few challenges we saw from the home side. Newcastle are getting away with some feisty challenges here. .. Kieran Trippier now lays into Florian Wirtz but somehow avoids a booking. Not sure how. I'm sure there will be a lot more where that came from. Newcastle players love a crunching challenge. Who is playing the Joelinton foul bingo game? Well, if you predicted 110 seconds, then you have just won. Everybody has been going on about Newcastle's midfielder flying into challenges today, and he has already flown into the back of Cody Gakpo with a high boot. Somehow he avoids a booking. .. Anthony Elanga wins a corner and then gives a little fist pump as the Newcastle fans roar like they have scored a goal. Honestly, it's hard to explain just how loud this place is right now. Liverpool need to find a way to navigate the opening 20 minutes or they are in real trouble. To say this is a hostile atmosphere doesn't quite do it justice. There are boos as Liverpool get ready to take kick-off, and then a huge roar as this game gets underway. Newcastle will come out of the block flying, I have no doubt about that. There is another message from Newcastle fans for their players, and it's one we have seen before. 'Get into them. ' Yep, the words I have seen on my timeline a thousand times this week, and the same ones that they showed the players at Wembley in March. We all know what happened that day. The atmosphere inside St. James' Park is simply incredible right now. The players are out and are inside what is a cauldron of noise. This is going to be one hell of a contest. Well, that's as clear as day. The Newcastle fans have just unveiled a banner, and it's fair to say that it's directed at one man and one man only: Alexander Isak. 'Nothing Is Achieved Alone. We Are A City. A Whole Population. ' This place is already electric and the players haven't even emerged from the tunnel yet. It's almost deafening in here. It's only going to get louder in the next few minutes. Now that's what you call a bomb. I told you that Craig Hope was the man when it came to Alexander Isak updates, and well, that's one hell of an update. Newcastle really are going all out to keep Isak at the club, and at this point, given everything that the Swede has said, you just have to say fair dos. For the striker to throw his toys out of the pram because he was not given a new contract and still be wanted at the club just proves how immense a talent he is. It is yet to be seen whether he will sign a new deal, but that's huge news nevertheless. The Magpies have called in the big guns to convince him, that's for sure. Arne Slot, Liverpool boss, speaking on Sky Sports: On whether Dominik Szoboszlai is at right-back: Now, I know plenty of Liverpool fans and not a single one of them has predicted a win for their team tonight. One said: 'We'd be lucky to leave with a point. ' Their pessimism is understandable given the atmosphere their players are about to be hit by. The narrative before this game has been that Newcastle are the favourites due to the motivation they have been handed from the Alexander Isak saga. However, history tells us that the Premier League champions should be confident tonight. Liverpool have won five of their last seven away Premier League games against Newcastle (D2) and have gone 1-0 down in each of their last two visits to St James’ Park before recovering to win (2-1 in 2023-24) and draw (3-3 in 2024-25). In fact, Newcastle have gone 17 Premier League matches without a win against Liverpool (D5 L12) since winning 2-0 back in December 2015 under Steve Mc Claren. In their league history, they’ve had longer winless runs against Man City (22 between 2006 and 2018) and Man Utd (18 between 2002 and 2011). These runs always come to an end at some point, though. I'd get used to it, Hugo. It appears that the Newcastle fans have not forgotten the fact that Hugo Ekitike snubbed them to join Liverpool. They have just jeered his name as it was read out by the stadium announcer. The Frenchman seemed very close to a move to Tyneside before the Reds swooped in, and many believe that transfer is the reason that Alexander Isak is not a Liverpool player right now. Personally, I'm not so sure. Liverpool had been interested in Ekitike for some time, and the striker just wanted to make the move to Merseyside. Even if he had gone to Newcastle, I imagine the Magpies hierarchy would still have tried to hold on to Isak. Eddie Howe, Newcastle manager, on Sky Sports: What a game this would be to make your debut, eh? Well, there is a possibility that Newcastle's latest signing, Jacob Ramsey, and Liverpool's new 18-year-old defender, Giovanni Leoni, may just get their first taste of action in their new threads tonight. Both are on the bench, and I imagine Leoni will stay there given the magnitude of this match. But we will see. If Alexander Isak is to join Liverpool, a fair few things need to happen. The main thing is that Newcastle need a replacement. They have already lost Callum Wilson this summer, so they are very short up top. Earlier today, they had a £50million bid for Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen rejected. However, it is believed that he would not be a replacement for Isak, but rather for Wilson. Newcastle need to sign two strikers of the right quality if they are to let Isak go, which frankly seems unlikely. A deal for Strand Larsen is not said to be dead in the water, but Wolves have said that he is not for sale. Sound familiar? Liverpool have already had a taste of what is to come. They aren't silly; the Premier League champions will know they are in for one of their toughest nights in years. This is not going to be a regular Premier League game. As their bus pulled up to St. James' Park, there were fairly loud boos from the Newcastle fans in the area. Times that noise by a million, and that's what will greet them come kick-off at 8pm. It's going to be hostile. Jamie Carragher, former Liverpool defender, on Sky Sports: Alan Shearer, Newcastle legend, speaking to Betfair: 'Alexa, play Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash. ' I reckon that is a request Alexander Isak may have asked a fair few times this season. I mean, it's not exactly his choice, but still. Right now, he is sitting at home, probably tussling with the idea of who to support. Does he want his current employers to win, or the team that he so desperately wants to join? In just over a week's time, his future will become clearer. There are seven days until the transfer window shuts, and by September 2, we will know where Isak will play his football for the next few months. But where will it be? Newcastle or Liverpool? An interesting line-up, to say the least. Ryan Gravenberch returns to the fray for Liverpool, sitting in front of the back four, but who will be alongside him remains unclear. Curtis Jones comes in for Alexis Mac Allister, who is out for personal reasons, but we don't quite know whether he will be in midfield or at right-back. Conor Bradley is on the bench, as is Joe Gomez, but we will have to wait and see who starts in their position from the off. Of course, there is no Alexander Isak, as expected. That means that Anthony Gordon remains up top for Newcastle, with Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes sitting either side of him. I mean, that is one hell of a speedy attack. Summer signing Malick Thiaw remains on the bench as Eddie Howe sticks with the same side that drew away at Aston Villa on the eopening weekend. Jeez, I can't contain my excitement. Honestly, I have been waiting for this match all weekend, if not longer, and it's now just over 75 minutes away. Both teams have now arrived at St. James' Park, and the team news will be out in just a few minutes. It's going to be interesting to see how they both line up. Daily Mail Sport has been the hub of all the Alexander Isak news this summer. My colleague Craig Hope exclusively broke the news that Alexander Isak wanted out at the back end of July, and has been on top of all the updates ever since. If you want to know the inside info, Craig is your man! His latest piece delves into why the Isak saga won't just help Newcastle tonight, but in the long run. Sounds interesting, right? Well, go and have a read of it. Unlock more from Craig Hope inside the Newcastle camp with a Daily Mail+ subscription - brilliant exclusives, in-depth insight, analysis and more Right then, let's talk about what has actually happened. I know the majority of you will know, but nevertheless, it's my job to unpick what has happened in this saga. In a nutshell, Alexander Isak expressed his desire to explore new opportunities to Newcastle at the back end of last season, reiterating that desire during the transfer window. He was told that he was not for sale, and then all hell broke loose. Liverpool tabled a £110m bid for Isak after what they perceived as encouragement, with Isak wanting to make the switch to Anfield. It was rejected swiftly, and the Reds have since not returned with another bid. Then Isak threw his toys out of the pram. He didn't travel on their pre-season tour, has since been exiled from the squad, and is now training on his own while refusing to ever play for Newcastle again. Yeah, it's pretty bad. Things then got worse last week when Isak released a statement on social media suggesting that Newcastle had broken his trust. 'When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can’t continue, ' he said. Newcastle responded publicly, reiterating that he is not for sale, and that's where we are at. Isak is in exile, but the Magpies want to reintergrate him, while Liverpool are biding their time and waiting to see if a deal is possible. It's all one big huge mess, to be honest. If I were a Liverpool fan tonight, I would be worried. .. very worried. Never in my life have I seen a build-up to a game like this one. The war of words between Geordies and Scousers has been quite something. The two sets of fanbases have always had respect for each other, which only grew after the Carabao Cup final in March. The way Liverpool supporters graciously accepted defeat that day, congratulating many Geordies, only saw them go up in the Newcastle faithful's estimations. Well, that respect seems to have diminished now due to the Alexander Isak saga, most certainly amongst supporters online. It may not be quite the same for match-going fans, but the relationship has certainly changed nonetheless. I can't recall the number of times I have seen 'Get into them, Newcastle' written on my X timeline; there have been that many. The saga has clearly lit a fire in the belly of supporters, which we will hear through the noise they make. And it will undoubtedly have had the same effect on the players. To say this is going to be tasty is an understatement. Are you ready for fireworks? By the time the clock strikes 8pm tonight, St James' Park will very much resemble your local hill on Bonfire night. The place is going to be a fiery furnace when both Bruno Guimaraes and Virgil van Dijk lead both Liverpool and Newcastle onto the pitch. Honestly, I'm worried for my ears. The noise that is going to be generated ahead of kick-off, and thereafter, will most likely be enough to register on the Richter scale. We all know the reason why, don't we? Well, if you don't, then you're either not a football fan or have been living in a cave like you belong in the Stone Age. A certain Magpies striker throwing a tantrum is what makes this match so highly anticipated. Now, Newcastle and Liverpool always have feisty affairs. They have two of the most passionate fanbases in the Premier League, and some of the best players, too, which makes for great watches. However, this will be another level. The Alexander Isak transfer saga that has dominated the summer window has thrown bucketloads of flavour into this contest. It's now mouthwatering. The not-so-nice emotions that Newcastle feel towards Isak are about to be unleashed on the Premier League champions, and it's going to be interesting to see how they deal with what will be a cauldron of hatred. I, for one, can't wait for this mammoth match. Let's get cracking. Why is it a grudge match because they have a playe. ..

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