Football writer Adrian Clarke identifies the key players, team tactics and where matches could be won and lost in Matchweek 27.
Player analysis: Alexander Isak (Newcastle) and Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Newcastle United often reserve their best performances for the big occasion.
In all competitions they have beaten Arsenal (three times), Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur already this season, while also picking up draws against Manchester City and Liverpool.
Eddie Howe has set his team up in a physical, mid-to-low block in all those matches, sacrificing the bulk of possession in a counter-attacking formula that regularly disrupts the flow of big-name opponents.
Can he repeat these tactics and end leaders Liverpool’s 23-match unbeaten run on Wednesday night?
With a top-four place now firmly within their sights, and an EFL Cup final against Arne Slot’s side still to come, Newcastle will not be lacking motivation to claim victory at Anfield.
Key Duel: Isak v Van Dijk
This season’s best Premier League striker will take on the division’s most accomplished central defender at Anfield and it promises to be an elite battleground you cannot take your eyes off.
With 19 goals to his name in the top flight, Isak is in the form of his life.
When you study his record compared to other centre-forwards this season, excluding the Reds’ irrepressible right-winger Mohamed Salah, there is no question Isak has been the top performer.
The Swede has been exceptional, netting a goal every 104.21 minutes.
Minutes per goal compared 24/25
| Player | Mins per goal |
| Alexander Isak | 104.21 |
|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | 116.47 |
| Chris Wood | 117.11 |
| Yoane Wissa | 154 |
| Ollie Watkins | 158.92 |
Even when you bring 25-goal superstar Salah into the conversation, Isak’s finishing prowess is still the best of the bunch.
His 69.39 per cent shooting accuracy tops the rankings of all 19 players who have scored at least eight goals.
And in terms of successfully converting big chances, there is no other Premier League player that has been more clinical than Newcastle’s talisman in 2024/25.
Isak is quite simply lethal, finding the back of the net with 60 per cent of those opportunities.
Best big-chance converters 24/25*
| Player | Big chances | Big-chance conversion |
| Alexander Isak | 25 | 60.00% |
|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Salah | 33 | 57.58% |
| Luis Diaz | 16 | 56.25% |
| Bryan Mbeumo | 15 | 53.33% |
| Chris Wood | 21 | 52.38% |
*Minimum 15 big chances
But if anyone can handle Isak right now it would be Van Dijk, who has enjoyed yet another exemplary campaign in the heart of Liverpool’s back four.
Showing no signs of age, the 33-year-old has not made a single error that has led to a shot or goal this season.
Since returning from a torn ACL suffered in October 2020, Van Dijk has been the division’s best defender by some distance.
Across the last four campaigns, among the group of 77 centre-backs who have completed at least 3,000 minutes of action, Liverpool’s captain easily has the best stats.
Confirming his status as the top defender, Van Dijk leads the way with the highest success rate in both duels and aerial duels over that period.
Where Van Dijk's defensive stats rank 24/25
| Statistic | Total | Rank (out of 77)* |
| Aerial duel success | 76.6% | 1st |
|---|---|---|
| Duel Success | 72.3% | 1st |
| Dribbled past by opponent/90 | 0.20 | 73rd |
| Fouls conceded/90 | 0.45 | 70th |
*Among PL centre-backs who have played at least 3,000 minutes
It is often overlooked but Van Dijk makes very few fouls, helping Liverpool avoid an excessive number of free-kicks to defend.
He is also only dribbled past once every five matches, which means he is still one of the toughest defenders to get around in 1v1s.
Isak could not be more confident heading into this clash, scoring twice at the weekend and recently outplaying Arsenal's William Saliba across the last two months, with three outstanding displays that showcased his speed, skill and movement.
But repeating that level of dominance against Van Dijk won’t be easy.
How Isak can cause Van Dijk problems
Isak will not be fazed by the challenge as he has scored three goals in five appearances against Liverpool in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, in one of the matches where he failed to score, Isak drew a foul from Van Dijk that saw the latter handed a straight red card.
Van Dijk's red card v Isak
Isak’s movement has the potential to unnerve Van Dijk as the Swede is always looking to run down the side of the defender.
Isak is a master at drifting back from innocuous offside positions to offer himself for through-balls from Newcastle team-mates.
This caused Slot’s side problems in the 3-3 draw earlier on this season, when he did this before scoring and assisting a goal for Anthony Gordon.
Here (below) Isak was initially standing in an offside position.
He quickly jumped back into an area on Van Dijk’s blind side to receive a pass, before his brilliant touch took him past the Dutchman to create an angle for the shot (below).
When you look back at his assist for Gordon’s 62nd-minute goal, a similar story unfolded.
Isak was out of the Liverpool defence’s eye-line as play built up in front of them, but he then popped up at the last moment to receive a pass on the half-turn, before releasing a through-ball of his own (below).
Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will both have to be aware of this ploy from Isak, who has scored in each of his two appearances for Newcastle at Anfield.
On his Premier League debut, he finished emphatically after drifting into space between defenders, and last season Isak sprinted between both centre-backs from deep to run onto a through-ball.
His threat from counters and transitions is huge.
Away day optimism
Winning 2-0 at Emirates Stadium in the EFL Cup semi-final will give Newcastle added belief that they can prevail at Anfield too.
Home advantage seems to have diminished in the Premier League this season as well, with 36 per cent of all victories coming from the visiting side in 2024/25.
That is a rise from 32 per cent last campaign, and 29 per cent the year before.
Remarkably, after the weekend’s action – where seven away teams claimed victory - we currently have perfect home/away equilibrium for goals scored.
Home teams v away team goals scored compared
| Statistic | Home team | Away team |
| Matches | 261 | 261 |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 396 | 396 |
| Goals per game | 1.52 | 1.52 |
These numbers may give Newcastle encouragement, and so too will Isak’s performance levels on the road this season.
Ten of the Swede’s 19 strikes have come away from St James’ Park, with Salah, Justin Kluivert and Matheus Cunha the only other players in double figures who have been more prolific on their travels than at home.
Players with most away goals 24/25
| Away goals | First-half goals | Goals in first 60 mins | |||
| Salah | 16 | Isak | 13 | Isak | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isak | 10 | Haaland | 12 | Haaland | 15 |
| Haaland | 9 | Wood | 10 | Wood | 15 |
| Kluivert | 9 | Mbeumo & Palmer | 8 | Palmer | 10 |
Newcastle’s best chance of causing an upset against Liverpool at Anfield will be to create chances for Isak within the first half, or before the hour-mark.
That is when he is at his best, scoring 18 of his 19 goals within the opening 60 minutes of matches this season.
If they can get Isak to strike fast again, Newcastle could put a slight dent in Liverpool's title charge.
