We spoke to Newcastle Chronicle reporter Sean McCormick to get the Newcastle view ahead of Saturday night's Anfield clash with Liverpool in the Premier League
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - AUGUST 25: Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United reacts having being shown a red card by referee Simon Hooper (not pictured) after an on-field VAR review overturns the decision to award a yellow card for a foul on Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park on August 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Anthony Gordon has been tipped to play a big role against boyhood club Liverpool on Saturday. Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images
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Liverpool, fresh off the back of a the 6-0 Champions League demolition of Qarabag at Anfield, are nonetheless desperate for a win in the Premier League.
The Reds were accused by Jamie Carragher of being "not suited to the Premier League" this week, and Arne Slot's position remains under scrutiny despite the positive form his side have shown in Europe.
Liverpool have no wins in the last five in the league ahead of Newcastle United's visit to Anfield on Saturday night. However, the Magpies are also struggling to find consistency despite a battling 1-1 draw in France against holders Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.
And the ECHO spoke to the The Chronicle reporter Sean McCormick to get the lowdown on Newcastle ahead of what could be a decisive game in the race for Champions League qualification.
Newcastle's form has been below par in the league but they're through in Europe and still in a position to shake things up in the second half of the season. What have you made of your season so far?
It's been a strange season so far and a season of transition as they bed in new signings and deal with the post-Alexander Isak era. A lot of new signings need time to adapt to the 'Newcastle Way' and, like Liverpool, the schedule is been so unrelenting for Newcastle there's been very little training time to help that teething process.
But, they remain in all four competitions, have performed well in the Champions League and are still within touching distance of the Champions League spots in the Premier League.
Their home form has been very good, on the whole, but their away form has been poor, which has put pressure on their league position. Newcastle have only won twice on the road in the Premier League this season but one of those was a 4-1 success at Everton so hopefully they can enjoy their second visit to Merseyside this term as well.
Who have been the key players for Newcastle?
It's hard to look anywhere else but Bruno Guimaraes. The Newcastle captain has really stepped into his leadership role this season and, at times, has put the team on his back in the way that Roy Keane did at Manchester United or, of course, Steven Gerrard at Liverpool.
His eight Premier League goals this season is already his seasonal best return since joining the club four years ago and if he isn't fit enough to start at Anfield it will be a big blow for the Magpies.
Isak hasn't been able to show his best since joining Liverpool, first lacking fitness and then breaking his leg. Do you still expect him to come good - and have you had any satisfaction from seeing him struggle?
I think Isak is too good not to come good but I think I would be lying if there wasn't a bit of satisfaction on Tyneside to see how much he has struggled to adapt at Liverpool.
With such little pre-season Isak was always going to struggle to hit the ground running and, it has to be said, that is an issue entirely of his own doing for the way he engineered his exit from St James' Park.
But you only need to look at the impact his exit has had on Newcastle. He had back-to-back 20+ goal seasons for the Magpies and while that obviously won't be the case this season at Liverpool, there's no reason why he shouldn't hit those levels at Anfield eventually.
Nick Woltemade hasn't been at his best lately, but has he shown enough to suggest he can be the main man for Newcastle post-Isak?
Woltemade hit the ground running at Newcastle, instantly scoring goals and offering a totally different dimension to what Isak offered. He has nine goals in all competitions, which for a young striker in his first season in English football is a more than respectable return.
The goals have dried up recently but that is to be expected for the aforementioned reasons. He was always going to have a blip at some point. But he is popular with his team-mates and the fans and Eddie Howe love him.
He can be more direct and he plays more like a number 10 than a number nine but that should come with time. He has been compared to Peter Crouch because of his height but his playing style is more akin to someone like Dimitar Berbatov.
Anthony Gordon hasn't shown a lot of end product this season and there's even been some talk of a summer exit. Do you expect him to stay or do Newcastle need to upgrade?
I expect him to stay. Gordon is the player who has divided opinion most among Newcastle fans this season and while his numbers in the Premier League have not been up to scratch, his goal record in the Champions League this season is phenomenal.
He would argue it is isn't as black and white as just the numbers and I still think he is the one winger Newcastle have who has the X-factor to change a game. He will be bang up for it against Liverpool tomorrow and you tend to see the best of him in the big games.
What's the mood in the fanbase after that battling performance against PSG? How confident are you of a positive result at Anfield?
The mood is really positive. Newcastle may have missed out on the top eight but their performance in Paris left plenty to be proud of, particularly given their away day struggles this season.
Eddie Howe changed the system in Paris and Newcastle played in a 5-4-1 out of possession and a 3-4-3 in possession and it made them more solid at the back and more dangerous in transition. If they play that way at Anfield it could cause Liverpool problems.
Where do you think the key battles will take place?
If Newcastle line up that way then the key battles will inevitably be out wide and in midfield. The Magpies got the better of Liverpool in the midfield battle in the Carabao Cup last season but I suspect Howe will stick with the system that worked in Paris and it will be a totally different game to that famous day in March.
Out wide will be huge for Newcastle and in Gordon, Harvey Barnes and Lewis Hall they have the weapons to hurt any team on their day.
What's your score prediction?
I'll go with a 2-2 draw. Newcastle can take heart from PSG but their away record hasn't been great and they have historically been poor at Anfield. But worse teams than Newcastle have proven they can hurt Arne Slot's side at Anfield this season so Newcastle should have no fear whatsoever.