Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool Begins New Era at St James’ Park
Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool steps into the light for the first time this afternoon, and the new era begins in one of the most unforgiving arenas in English football: St James’ Park.
Everything about his debut Premier League line-up feels settled. Almost. One call still looms large.
The big question: Who stands next to Van Dijk?
Virgil van Dijk wears the armband and anchors the defence. That much is non-negotiable. The issue is who slots in beside him.
Joe Gomez is out after a pre-season injury. Giovanni Leoni is a long-term absentee. That strips the options back to two senior centre-backs: Araujo and summer signing Jeremy Jacquet.
Both were given 45 minutes in the final friendly against Como, a dress rehearsal of sorts. Jacquet seized his moment, marking his Anfield bow with a goal just before half-time. It was a glimpse of why Liverpool moved for him.
But goals in July and August don’t erase the reality of his last six months. The Frenchman has been playing catch-up after shoulder surgery at Rennes in February. His pre-season has been fragmented, his fitness not fully battle-hardened. Throwing him straight into one of the most intense away grounds in the league would be a bold call.
Araujo, by contrast, knows what awaits. He has already felt the noise, the hostility, the relentlessness of St James’ Park. He has shown he can cope with it. For a manager about to take charge of his first Premier League game, reliability may trump romance.
The safe money is on Araujo getting the nod.
A new shape, but familiar spine
Beyond that central defensive dilemma, Iraola’s first Liverpool XI almost writes itself.
Alisson starts in goal. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez are expected to operate as the full-backs, completing a back five that blends experience, energy and aggression.
In midfield, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai should form the core. Trey Nyoni turned heads in pre-season, the teenager showing he belongs in this company, but opening day away at Newcastle is a different type of examination. Iraola is likely to lean on players who have already lived through the Premier League grind.
Alexis Mac Allister is another complication. He has just 54 minutes under his belt this summer after an extended post-World Cup break. Dropping him straight into a high-octane contest would be a risk with so little rhythm in his legs. Curtis Jones, who might once have been an option here, is no longer in the equation after his move to Inter Milan.
Wide options shaped by the market
Out wide, the transfer market has had its say. Liverpool have yet to get Bradley Barcola or Ibrahim Mbaye through the door, while talks continue over Yankuba Minteh. That leaves Iraola turning to what he already has.
Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo are expected to start on the flanks, tasked with stretching Newcastle and feeding the man in the middle. Florian Wirtz, the new No10, should slot in behind the striker, the creative hinge in Iraola’s attacking plan.
On the bench, Victor Munoz waits. If the game allows, this could be the afternoon he steps onto the pitch for his Liverpool debut.
Isak’s return to a hostile home
And leading the line? That storyline almost writes itself.
Alexander Isak walks back into St James’ Park for the first time since his British record £125 million move to Liverpool last summer. Once the darling of Tyneside, he now arrives in red, spearheading Iraola’s new project.
He will not be greeted kindly. The manner of his departure still stings in these parts, and the home crowd will make sure he feels it from the first whistle.
A new manager, a reshaped squad, a familiar cauldron, and a centre-back decision that could define the tone of the afternoon. Iraola’s Liverpool doesn’t get a gentle introduction. It gets Newcastle away.
