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4 min: It’s a high-octane start, as pretty much everyone would have predicted. Newcastle getting their press going early doors. Their passing game, not so much.
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2 min: … Kerkez heads clear, and then Joelinton clips a high boot into Gakpo’s face. Later in the game, and that’d have been a booking for sure. The referee playing it cool for now.
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Updated at 15.02 EDT
44 secs: Elanga chases down the right and wins the first corner of the game. From which …
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A huge St James’ Park roar as the two teams huddle, then Liverpool get the ball rolling. Plenty of boos as they kick off. Then another roar as Burn heads clear. What an atmosphere!
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The teams are out! Newcastle in black and white, Liverpool in red. Fair to say there’s quite the atmosphere at St James’ Park, a heady mix of love and hostility. We won’t insult your intelligence by detailing what’s being directed at whom. Liverpool got a volley of boos earlier while getting off the team bus, and when the teams were announced over the tannoy, Hugo Ekitike, a one-time transfer target for Newcastle, got some special treatment. Speaking of which, a banner displayed in the Gallowgate End may also be directed at one particular individual. “NOTHING IS ACHIEVED ALONE.” But who? No prizes. Off in a couple of minutes!
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It’s true that this article is more than 11 years old … but retro enthusiasts are surely the last people on earth who’ll care about us regurgitating old stuff. Enjoy the memories.
… and here’s a wee bonus courtesy of The Blizzard.
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Updated at 14.37 EDT
It’s Arne Slot’s turn to talk to Sky Sports, and despite some heroic filibustering to avoid the question†, he eventually succumbs and confirms that Dominik Szoboszlai will deputise at right-back for Liverpool tonight. “Eh … yes it is … yes … yep … who else should it be?! … yeah, Curtis Jones could have played there as well, he played there once … against Everton by the way, and he did really well … two right full-backs injured … Joe Gomez not ready to start yet … can have an impact for 15-20 minutes again … we think [Szoboszlai] is able to play there but it all depends on the team performance as to whether it’s a good choice.”
†: 1m 01s of free-jazz waffle about last season’s 3-3 and the supposedly threadbare composition of Liverpool’s bench this evening, an opinion put forward by Sky pundit Jamie Carragher, onto whom Slot sprinkles some light banter-grade shade
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More from Eddie Howe’s chat with Sky. “It’s not where we want to be at this moment in time … entering the new season without a recognised centre-forward … what I would say is that Anthony Gordon has played the position really well for us historically … and last week, though he didn’t score … he led the line really well … I expect him to do the same today … he enjoys the position … he wants to play there … counter-attacking is not fundamentally the most important thing in our performance … defensively our off-the-ball structure has to be right … we have to minimise their threats … but we are at home and we believe with the creative players we have on the pitch … we can cause any team problems.”
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Sky Sports get Eddie Howe on the mic, and immediately ask if there are any updates on the Alexander Isak saga. “No, absolutely nothing to update you with, unfortunately,” he straight-bats.
What about Newcastle’s reported £50m bid for Wolves striker Jørgen Strand Larsen? “I’m not going down well here, am I, because I’ve got nothing to tell you on that! I’ve been preparing the game and I’ve had no updates on anything … the focus for me is purely on this game as I think you’ll understand.”
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Toon unchanged; Reds welcome back Gravenberch
Newcastle did everything but score in their opening Premier League match at Villa Park. No big surprise, then, that they name the same starting XI as they did for that goalless draw last Saturday. Jacob Ramsey, the new arrival from Villa, is named as a sub.
Liverpool make two changes in the wake of their emotional 4-2 victory over Bournemouth two Fridays ago. Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch come into the midfield; Jeremie Frimpong is injured, while Alexis Mac Allister is missing due to personal reasons. Frimpong’s place at right back will be taken by … either Jones or Dominik Szoboszlai. Let’s see.
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Updated at 13.58 EDT
The teams
Newcastle United: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento, Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton, Elanga, Gordon, Barnes.
Subs: Ramsdale, Hall, Botman, Thiaw, Osula, Jacob Murphy, Willock, Ramsey, Miley.
Liverpool: Alisson, Jones, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike.
Subs: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Endo, Bradley, Chiesa, Leoni, Elliott, Robertson, Ngumoha.
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).
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Updated at 14.27 EDT
Preamble
Things tend to happen when these two meet. Newcastle United’s first domestic trophy in 70 years, to pluck one random example out of thin air …
… or the 3-3 thriller in this fixture last season …
… or the most famous Premier League match of them all, rendered here in retro style …
… and all of this is before considering the summer transfer saga which continues to rumble away. Once more with feeling, then. Kick-off is at 8pm UK time. It’s on!
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