The atmosphere at St. James’ Park is at all times raucous, but it surely reaches a brand new level Monday afternoon when Newcastle hosts Liverpool.
Not only are these clubs expected to battle at the highest of the Premier League table this season, but their fan bases have been hurling barbs at each other over the Alexander Isak transfer saga.
Isak, 25, established himself as probably the greatest strikers on this planet during his three seasons with Newcastle, however the Swedish striker now has his sights set on a move to Liverpool, though his current club doesn’t seem keen on the concept.
That’s an issue whenever you’re under contract, but Isak won’t relent.
The striker has gone public, saying his relationship with Newcastle is over, and his manager, Eddie Howe, has responded by having the goal-scorer train on his own, away from his perturbed teammates.
Premier League: Newcastle vs. Livepool odds, prediction
| Result | Odds |
|---|---|
| Liverpool | +100 |
| Draw | +280 |
| Newcastle | +240 |
The transfer deadline is Sept. 1, so there’s still time for more twists and turns on this soap opera, but Monday’s contest between the Magpies and Reds shall be memorable, because the 52,000 fans in St. James’ Park may have their fangs out.
The Isak drama may feel just like the principal attraction Monday, but there’s also a very important match to be played between two of one of the best teams on this planet.
Liverpool began their title defense with a win over Bournemouth at Anfield in Matchweek 1, but things were a bit more nervy than the Reds would have expected.
The defending champions went ahead, 2-0, with goals on either side of the halftime break, but they put things into cruise control way too early, and Bournemouth made them pay with two quick tallies.
Liverpool rescued the win, but they benefited from a fortunate deflection for the eventual game-winner.
The Reds were in a position to get away with some shaky defense at home against Bournemouth, but they’ll be punished harshly in the event that they don’t clean things up before heading to Tyneside to tackle Newcastle.
Even without Isak, Newcastle must be a good attacking team, with Anthony Gordon, Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes expected to guide the road for now.
The early returns for that unit, and Newcastle, may not seem encouraging after a nil-nil draw with Aston Villa of their opener, but they created 1.4 expected goals and were clearly the higher team in that matchup.
Liverpool’s attacking options are way more robust, but they might find space and time hard to come back by Monday. Unlike Bournemouth, Newcastle will do every part it may well to maintain this match from unfurling right into a back-and-forth battle with possibilities at each ends.
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Liverpool does its best work in high-event matches, so priority No. 1 for Newcastle shall be to take among the volatility out of the sport.
You may as well expect Newcastle, playing in front of its rabid fan base, to be physical, knowing that the final thing Liverpool will want is to get twisted up in a wrestling match.
Liverpool answered every query that was thrown at them last 12 months en path to the title, so there’s no doubt that the Reds must be favored on this match, but this can be a unique situation against a world-class opponent.
The champs are a vulnerable favorite Monday afternoon.
The Play: Newcastle +240 (bet365)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience within the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to assist punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn tips on how to beat the market in mainstream and area of interest sports.
