The will be something missing from Liverpool's shirts when they begin their Premier League campaign
Virgil van Dijk
There has been a notable change to Liverpool's kit for this season(Image: Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Liverpool have made an enforced change to their kit ahead of the new season. The Reds begin their 2026/27 campaign with a trip to Newcastle United on Sunday for the start of the Andoni Iraola era.
Liverpool's fetching new home kit features a notable change from last season. The gold Premier League badge, which is added to the sleeve of the champions' shirt, has been removed and given to Arsenal.
The gold badge was first added to the champions' kit for the 2015/16 season, meaning the Reds have had the honour for two seasons, having also won the title in 2019/20. This will be the Gunners' first season with the patch, as they have not previously won the league since 2004.
Liverpool have been handed a tough start against a Newcastle side also embarking on a fresh start following the departure of head coach Eddie Howe and numerous key players, including Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon.
For the Reds, Alexander Isak is getting ready to face his former club for the first time following the transfer saga that dominated last summer's window. Isak hadn't quite signed when the sides met at St James' Park last August and then missed the reverse fixture at Anfield.
There are arguably more concerns about Liverpool's defence, with Virgil van Dijk accepting it will take time to build a connection with new signings Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo.
The gold badge that adorned Liverpool's shirt last season
The gold badge that adorned Liverpool's shirt last season(Image: Getty)
View 2 Images
Jacquet is likely to start at Newcastle and Van Dijk knows, for all their time on the training ground, it is only in matches that they will be able to build a proper relationship.
The Dutchman said: "I won't say it's the only way, but games are totally different than training. Jeremy's English is, I would say, a bit better than Ronald's.
Content Image
Content Image
"But at the end of the day, we are all pretty good footballers, we can see and smell some moments on how to defend certain situations.
“But it's pretty clear that you need to form a connection together and that takes a bit of time. That’s absolutely normal, but hopefully we can get that going as quickly as possible."
FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page