Newcastle vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League latest score and goal updates as Alexander Isak faces hostile return

Alexander Isak will be at the centre of ex-club hostility today – and a former Liverpool man will know exactly how that feels.

“The booing and disappointment from Liverpool supporters is something I’m absolutely able to shoulder,” he told the Mirror. “I can understand it, in my own way.

“I heard a lot during that period that Liverpool fans didn’t want to be told how to feel or think, and I agree. But I hope one day there’ll be a degree of understanding about the decisions I wanted to make around my own life.

“It hurts because of how much I’ve put into the club over the course of 20 years and the sacrifices I made for the club during that period. So of course it hurts, but I understand the disappointment. I even understand anger expressed through booing.”

An August trip to St James’ Park for Liverpool and an occasion that threatened to revolve around Alexander Isak. Not just this Sunday, either. A year ago, the reigning champions’ trip to Tyneside came when the Swede was the on-strike striker, subject of a tug of war that, arguably, both Liverpool and Newcastle lost. Isak was conspicuous by his absence, meeting the United hierarchy earlier in the day, telling them he wanted to leave.

A spectacular game featured a goal by the striking signing who did prove a success for Liverpool, in Hugo Ekitike, and the player who ended the season as Newcastle’s first-choice No 9, in Will Osula. It was decided in dramatic fashion by Rio Ngumoha, a 16-year-old scoring in the 100th minute.

Isak had no such moment in his debut year on Merseyside. Liverpool’s £125m bought them a player whose injuries limited him to 22 appearances, whose ineffectiveness reduced him to four goals, only three in the Premier League. Newcastle squandered the record proceeds on Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa. Isak’s first return to St James’ Park promises to be hostile – and a contrast to the tributes to Kevin Keegan, another to play for both clubs, but celebrated at each – and comes with the sense neither Liverpool nor Newcastle have recovered from a costly saga.

Andoni Iraola said he is “excited” for the Premier League’s return this weekend, but that his squad “are not at 100%”.

“But I am happy in the sense that I think we are at a level where we can compete, win games and still be a good team. We definitely need to improve. We will improve. We will try to do it as quickly as possible, but there are always processes,” he explained.

“I think we are in a good place, but I want us, just like the team, to improve our working relationships, connections and half-time processes because that is the best way to help the players,” he added.

“It will be an amazing privilege to be the coach of Newcastle United against a top team in the league,” said Matthias Jassle on his first game in charge.

“If there’s good synergy with the fans, and they will back us, I’m 100% convinced that, together with players and staff members, they can create this benefit and we want to use that,” he explained.

“The togetherness, all in together – I think that could be the biggest message and the biggest benefit for this season. At home, anything is possible,” he added regarding his team talk for today’s game.

Alexander Isak faced chants of ‘rat, rat, rat’ as he got off the Liverpool bus and entered St James’ Park.

The Reds striker of course left the Magpies in messy circumstances last summer.

In another world, Andoni Iraola would be in the Newcastle dugout this afternoon making his bow as Eddie Howe’s successor. The Spaniard was said to be targeted by the Magpies towards the end of last season.

Instead, he’s with the opposition, carrying the Liverpool torch from Arne Slot.

Here’s Richard Jolly inside St James’ Park:

Alexander Isak leads the line on his return to St James’ Park, preparing to assume the role of public enemy number one at his former stomping grounds.

Jeremy Jacquet also makes a debut in the centre of defence alongside captain Virgil Van Dijk, while there’s a start for young starlet Rio Ngumoha ahead of fellow new boy Victor Munoz.

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Frimpong, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak.

Newcastle new boy Lukas Hornicek starts in between the sticks while Amar Dedic and Sean Steur also make their Premier League debuts.

Yoane Wissa is preferred to Nick Woltemade up front.

Newcastle XI: Hornicek; Dedic, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Steur, Miley; Elanga, Osula, Barnes; Wissa.