Newcastle United begin the 2026-27 Premier League season against Liverpool, hosting the Reds at St James’ Park on Sunday, Aug. 23.
The fixture marks Matthias Jaissle’s first competitive match in charge following a summer that saw Eddie Howe depart and Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon leave the club on their way to greener pastures.
Newcastle finished a disappointing 12th in the Premier League last season and ended their preseason run with three games without a win, losing to Everton
and Bayer Leverkusen before drawing with Strasbourg — all of those matchups already managed by Jaissle. The Magpies, however, have avoided defeat in their last four Premier League opening fixtures, winning three and drawing one.
Liverpool also begin the season under a new manager, with former Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola replacing Arne Slot. The visitors finished the preseason with back-to-back clean sheets against Como and are unbeaten in their last 13 opening-day league fixtures.
A couple hours before kickoff, it was revealed captain Dan Burn has suffered an injury that will sideline him for a few weeks. Meanwhile, Joelinton will miss the opener for Newcastle with a groin injury, while Tino Livramento remains unavailable with a calf problem. New arrivals Sean Steur, Aladji Bamba and Amar Dedic — the latter of whom will start — will likely play a role on Sunday, while Lukas Hornicek is expected to start in goal as he’s done in all preseason friendlies under Jaissle.
Regarding Liverpool, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Hugo Ekitike, Stefan Bajcetic and Joe Gomez are unavailable, while Federico Chiesa is doubtful to play and Alexis Mac Allister has only recently returned following the World Cup, making it hard to expect a full 90 minutes from him.
Here are some of Jaissle’s Wisdom Nuggets, courtesy of NUFC.co.uk
On Dedić, who joined the Magpies from SL Benfica on his 24th birthday…
“Amar is a perfect addition to the squad. He is versatile in his approach and he knows the playing style due to our time together at Salzburg which is always beneficial when you don’t have much time to train together.
“New signings need to adapt and that will be the same for Amar. I am confident he is ready.”
On Livramento and Joelinton’s fitness…
“It is too early to say on Tino. He was partially involved so we need to be smart with his progress now. We need to wait until he is 100% ready. He has huge potential and we can’t wait to have him back.
“Joelinton is out for a couple of weeks. I am really confident that he will be back as soon as possible.”
On making his Premier League debut as a manager…
“I’m excited. I am looking forward to it. First match at home. It will be sold out. It is an amazing privilege to be head coach of Newcastle United. I can’t wait to be there.”
On his message to the supporters…
“Have belief, be consistent in their approach, how they support us. I am a big fan of what I have seen already.
“The togetherness, all in together, that is the biggest message to them and that could be the biggest benefit this season.”
On Sunday’s tribute to Kevin Keegan…
“It will be really special. We will feel that on Sunday. He is a legend and it’s hard to describe what he did for our club. That’s the reason why the club is, right now, on that level.
“Everyone in the stadium will show the tribute for him on Sunday and it will be a special moment.”
On the club’s acquisition of the Woolsington Hall estate as the site for a new world-class training complex….
“First of all, I am really pleased that we could solve that and announce it today. It will be a world-class training facility and sets the standards for this ambitious club.
“It is a great sign towards the future. I can’t wait to see that development now. It shows the ambitions of the club.”
Howay!
- Date: Sunday, August 23rd
- Kick-off: 16:30 BST / 11:30 EST
- Location: St. James’ Park, Newcastle (England)
For all your watching needs, check LiveSoccerTV.
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