Liverpool open PL season at Newcastle: key stats

Liverpool travel to St. James' Park on Sunday to open their 2026-27 Premier League campaign against Newcastle United, with the 4:30pm BST kick-off also marking Andoni Iraola's first competitive match as Liverpool head coach.

The two clubs have met twice before on the opening day of a league season, both at St. James' Park. Liverpool won on each occasion — 1-0 in 1931-32 and 2-0 in 1986-87.

Late drama has defined recent meetings at the ground. Each of the last three Premier League fixtures between the sides at St. James' Park produced a result-altering goal after 90 minutes: Darwin Nunez's winner in August 2023, Fabian Schar's equaliser in December 2024, and Rio Ngumoha's winner in August 2025.

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 19 Premier League matches against Newcastle, winning 14 and drawing five. In their last nine top-flight visits to St. James' Park, the Reds have won six times and drawn three.

Two goals in Sunday's match would take the all-time Premier League goal tally between the clubs to 200, making it only the third fixture to reach that milestone in the competition's history, after Liverpool v Tottenham (211) and Arsenal v Tottenham (200).

Liverpool have not lost their opening Premier League match in any of the last 13 seasons (10 wins, three draws), a run that stretches back to a 3-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion in 2012-13. It is the longest active such run in the division.

Newcastle striker Alexander Isak has been involved in 28 goals across his last 26 Premier League appearances at St. James' Park — 22 goals and six assists.

Iraola is unbeaten in six Premier League meetings with Newcastle from his time in charge of AFC Bournemouth, recording three wins and three draws.

Liverpool's 12 comeback victories against Newcastle are the most by one club against another in Premier League history.

The Reds have lost just one of their last 27 league matches played in August, winning nine of their last 10 in the month.

Newcastle have both scored (14 goals) and conceded (13) in each of their last seven home league fixtures at St. James' Park.

New Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle won his first game in charge at each of his three previous clubs: Liefering, Red Bull Salzburg and Al Ahli.