Having played for both clubs and lived some of the Premier League’s most dramatic nights, Michael Owen looks ahead to another Liverpool v Newcastle clash that promises goals, tension and late twists.
Firstly, I would like to say how delighted I am to have been appointed as one of Hollywoodbets’ Ambassadors and having already visited Durban earlier this month, I am very excited about working with such a great team of people.
We’re starting my Ambassador role off gently and will build up the content as the weeks go by but for now I wanted to take a look at the big game of Premier League Matchday 24 and one with special memories for me. Liverpool v Newcastle United has probably been the most exciting fixture in the history of the Premier League and it seems that whenever these two teams face each other, drama and goals are guaranteed.
I clearly remember being in the stands as a youngster when Stan Collymore scored a last-minute goal at the Kop End to give Liverpool a 4-3 win, and that was probably the most excited I have ever been when watching a football match.
I was fortunate to play for both these teams and actually scored more goals against Newcastle than against any other team throughout my career.
Inconsistency plaguing both teams
Despite spending massively in the summer, Liverpool’s squad is surprisingly not as strong as many of their rivals. The squad that Arne Slot is working with seems a bit unbalanced and given their injury problems this season, it appears that he doesn’t have too many options at the minute.
It’s interesting that Slot doesn’t seem to trust a few of his squad and that’s proven by some of his team selections, when, despite all the injuries and the number of players who have left the club, he still seems reluctant to start with players such as Endo, Chiesa etc.
Liverpool are conceding far too many goals and looking very shaky at the back. In fact, they have conceded five goals in injury time already this season and have lost seven points as a consequence. If only they could have hung on to those points, they would have been right in the mix at the top of the table.
Newcastle United on the other hand, are also a little inconsistent this season and it’s difficult to know which team will turn up every week. I think Eddie Howe is a brilliant young manager and is doing a fantastic job at my old club. I think we all expected massive investment on the playing side when the new owners came in but as a result primarily of the Financial Fair Play rules, that big spending just hasn’t happened. However, the club has certainly improved since Eddie became manager and he has built a really exciting and high-quality squad.
Added needle following Isak transfer
The fans of both teams have always got on very well with plenty of good-humoured banter on match days, but since Liverpool signed Alexander Isak in the Summer transfer window, there seems to be an added spice to the atmosphere when these two teams come face to face.
Certainly, when Liverpool faced Newcastle at St James Park on Premier League Matchday 2, the Geordie fans were almost frenzied in their desire to secure the win. Unfortunately for them, Rio Ngumoha scored in the 100th minute to snatch a 3-2 win for Liverpool! That was the second game of a five-match winning start to the campaign for Liverpool but things have gone drastically downhill from there.
So for the game itself, I fancy another entertaining game with both teams set to score. I’m not sure it will be a repeat of the 4-3s of the past but I’m going for Liverpool to pick up all three points with a 2-1 victory.
