Alexander Isak returns to St James' Park on Sunday with Liverpool for the first time since forcing a £125m move away from Newcastle last summer, in what promises to be an uncomfortable reunion with fans still angry over his exit. He effectively went on strike to engineer his departure, missing Newcastle's win over Liverpool on 25 August last year while holed up at his Northumberland home, before joining Liverpool days later; his subsequent injury-hit debut season on Merseyside failed to deliver the impact many expected.

The visit comes with Eddie Howe replaced by Matthias Jaissle at Newcastle, and against the backdrop of tributes to Kevin Keegan, who died in July and is revered by both clubs. Isak scored 54 goals in 86 Premier League games for Newcastle, including the winner in their 2025 Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool, but his stock among supporters has fallen sharply since the transfer saga. With Arne Slot and Mohamed Salah both gone from Liverpool, he now also faces the task of proving himself to new head coach Andoni Iraola.