Midfield tweak, right-back dilemma — 4 things to watch out for in Newcastle Vs Liverpool
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Liverpool resumes its Premier League campaign away to Newcastle today after an unusual 10-day gap between games.
The Reds kicked off the season with a Friday night game on gameweek one which resulted in a 4-2 win over Bournemouth, and they will now bring the curtain down on gameweek two with a trip to the North East.
There are plenty of interesting subplots heading into the game — the main one being Alexander Isak's desire to quit Newcastle and move to Anfield — but that is not the only talking point surrounding the game.
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Right-back choice
Slot confirmed during his pre-game press conference that Jeremie Frimpong is not available due to a hamstring problem, and Conor Bradley only returned to training toward the end of the week after picking up an injury in preseason.
It will be interesting to see whether Slot throws Bradley straight back into the team.
Liverpool and Newcastle have played some of the most memorable games in Premier League history, including last season's 3-3 draw at St
If Liverpool can escape with a positive result, it will say a lot about the team's character.
Gravenberch back in
Liverpool missed Ryan Gravenberch against Bournemouth, with the midfield lacking defensive balance without the Dutchman anchoring it.
He was absent due to suspension after being sent off against Crystal Palace on the final day of last season, which was effectively a dead rubber after Liverpool wrapped up the title with four games to spare.
Ryan Gravenberch was suspended against Bournemouth
Thankfully for Slot, Gravenberch's absence did not result in Liverpool dropping points against Bournemouth, but it came perilously close to doing so, with an 88th-minute Federico Chiesa strike required to secure victory.
Front four selection
Slot selected an extremely offensive front four comprising Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike against Bournemouth, while the deeper-lying midfield two of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai hardly reeked of defensive stability.
While Liverpool looked brilliant going forward against Bournemouth, the team did look extremely vulnerable when out of possession, and Slot could be asking for trouble if he selects a similarly offensive line-up at Newcastle.
Eddie Howe's team is known for its intensity, both with and without the ball, and the Reds could get overrun if they are not careful — it might be wise for Slot to pack three central midfielders into the line-up instead of two.