Liverpool’s predicted XI vs Newcastle: Andoni Iraola chooses attack which may never be seen again
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Liverpool begin a new era this Sunday as the 2026/27 Premier League campaign sputters into life.Plenty has changed since the Reds’ last game in the division, when Arne Slot was still expected to lead the team into the new season and Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate were still Liverpool players.The changes have largely been positive ones, and the Reds have had a promising pre-season under Andoni Iraola, but the Basque still has some question marks over his best team going into the game against Newcastle at St James’ Park. With transfer work going on in the background, here’s the XI we think Iraola will see as giving Liverpool the best chance of three early points.
Who would be your choice to partner Virgil van Dijk in central defence for Liverpool against Newcastle? Based on his brilliant debut against Como, though, we think it’ll deservedly go to Jacquet for a Premier League debut.READ MORE: Andoni Iraola has two big decisions to make about Liverpool’s XI in Premier League opener vs NewcastlePhoto by Lewis Storey/Getty ImagesMidfieldLiverpool’s midfield will lose a body before Sunday’s match gets underway, with Jones finalising his move to Inter Milan.That will not affect Iraola’s starters, however, as Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch start as Liverpool’s holding pair.Trey Nyoni has had an excellent pre-season and is set to step up following Jones’ exit, but this is not the game to hand him a first Premier League start in.Meanwhile, Florian Wirtz will hope to kick off his second season with the Reds in positive fashion in a more orthodox No.
10 role.Attack Liverpool’s attack could look very different by the time the second Premier League fixture comes around six days after the first one. That it comes away at the club he pushed so hard to leave to join Liverpool should serve as extra motivation for the Swede.Isak will very likely have some new wingers to get to know in the coming week or so, but for the time being he will hope to rekindle some understanding with Cody Gakpo, who should start from the left, and Rio Ngumoha, who continues his rapid rise with a start on the right.With rumours continuing that Gakpo could leave Liverpool before the September 1st deadline, and two new wingers coming in in the meantime, it feels very probable that this will be the one and only time Iraola uses this three-man attack.