Two Premier League teams were in action in Asia on Wednesday: Alexander Isak‘s (£10.5m) current employers and his potential future ones.
Here’s what we spied as Liverpool won but Newcastle United fell to a third straight loss.
YOKOHAMA F MARINOS 1-3 LIVERPOOL
- Goals: Wirtz, Nyoni, Ngumoha
- Assists: Jones, Frimpong, Robertson
EKITIKE’S BOW
Hugo Ekitike (£8.5m) made his Liverpool debut on Wednesday, getting through 45 minutes in sweltering conditions in Japan.
Such was Roberto Firmino‘s impact on English football that you can’t help but liken any deep-dropping link-up man to the Brazilian. And, inevitably, there were superficial comparisons of Firmino with Ekitike after the win over Yokohama. Variously roaming into deeper positions and running in behind, the Frenchman also produced a flicked effort on goal that most definitely had echoes of ‘Bobby’.
It wasn’t all good: he still looked like he was getting up to speed and appeared a little lost at times. But heck, it’s his first outing of the summer, in ridiculously hot weather, with a new bunch of teammates. Let’s spare any more knee-jerk judgment for now.
WIRTZ IMPRESSES
Someone who very much is looking the part already is Florian Wirtz (£8.5m). After leading the line at the weekend, here he was in the ’10’ role that perhaps better suits him. That saw Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.5m) move into a deeper midfield position, the one typically occupied by Alexis Mac Allister (£6.5m), alongside Ryan Gravenberch (£5.5m).
Arne Slot will love Wirtz’s off-the-ball contributions. Purists will love his touch and on-point passing. But FPL managers want end product – and a first Liverpool goal here was welcome in that sense.
The German arrived late in the box, Lampard-like, to sweep home Mohamed Salah‘s (£14.5m) cut-back, which had taken a touch off Curtis Jones (£5.5m) on the way.
Wirtz was also on corners, albeit with most of his deliveries (from either side) being nodded away. Still, set-piece responsibilities, or at least a share of them, would be welcome.
SALAH THE CREATOR
How many times have we heard over the years that Salah is too wide and it’s the death knell for his FPL potential?
The Egyptian has been written off more times than Rocky Balboa but still keeps boinging back, and is fresh from a record-setting 2024/25 campaign. Here he was more creator than goal threat, unfortunate not to get an assist for Wirtz’s goal and deprived of another when Darwin Nunez missed an absolutely sitter.
It’ll still be worth monitoring Slot’s tactics and personnel choices over the coming weeks. It’s noticeable how much Conor Bradley (£5.0m) has been ‘underlapping’ in pre-season, popping up as a right-sided 10 with Salah outside of him. There was more of that in Japan.
But if you throw Jeremie Frimpong (£6.0m) into the equation, for instance, Salah’s role changes, as the Dutchman seems more of a width-holder. It was from Frimpong’s inch-perfect cross that Trey Nyoni (£4.5m) prodded in Liverpool’s second.
Cody Gakpo (£7.5m) was more of a threat on the opposite flank, with Milos Kerkez (£6.0m) less of a space invader: the winger hit the post and saw a one-on-one chance snuffed out.
DIAZ DEPARTS, ANOTHER STAR IS BORN?
Liverpool are one left-winger down now that Luis Diaz (£8.0m) has departed for Bayern Munich.
Do they even need to replace the Colombian in the transfer market, however?
Rio Ngumoha, who isn’t even listed in FPL, has been the breakout star of the summer. Replacing Gakpo on the left in the second half, the teenager again dazzled with his trickery, going inside and out.
And a third attacking return of pre-season arrived late on when he collected Andrew Robertson‘s (£6.0m) pass, drove upfield and infield, and fired in Liverpool’s third of the night.
As you would expect, Slot is keen to keep the 16-year-old grounded – but we may have a future FPL star in the making here.
“Rio again showed the quality he has and that’s nice for us because we have a lot of very good players.
“To get some very good players through the Academy is always helpful and always gives energy to a team as well. It’s always nice to see young players from 16, 17 or 18 years old already impacting a game.
“There was also a moment in the game where he should have squared it to Macca [Alexis Mac Allister] or Curtis. So, [there were] also learning parts for him. If you are 16 and you can impact the game like he did, that’s definitely worth a compliment.” – Arne Slot
ALISSON ABSENCE EXPLAINED
There was no Alisson (£5.5m) here, with Giorgi Mamardashvili (£4.5m) handed the full game.
Don’t get too excited about the prospect of a £4.5m starting Liverpool ‘keeper, however: Alisson was only absent for personal reasons.
“He had to go back to Brazil for private reasons.
“That’s far from ideal – first of all for the private reasons, second of all for him to not be there in a game like this and in pre-season it’s also not ideal if you miss out on part of the pre-season.
“But again, private life is more important in these matters than joining a game today.” – Arne Slot on Alisson
Defensively, Liverpool again didn’t convince – they particularly looked susceptible to breaks. It’s an exciting squad that Slot is assembling for 2025/26 but the creases still need ironing out at the back.
Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili, Bradley (Frimpong 64), van Dijk (Endo 59), Konate (Tsimikas 64), Kerkez (Robertson 64), Gravenberch (Jones 46), Szoboszlai (Elliott 64), Wirtz (Mac Allister 64), Salah (Nyoni 64), Ekitike (Nunez 46), Gakpo (Ngumoha 64).
TEAM K LEAGUE 1-0 NEWCASTLE UNITED
Another soul-deflating defeat for the Magpies amid dispiriting off-the-field events but, as is the case elsewhere in pre-season, context is key.
Only four of the 10 starting outfielders sent out in the searing heat of Suwon are what you would call likely 2025/26 starters: Tino Livramento (£5.0m), Sandro Tonali (£5.5m), Anthony Gordon (£7.5m) and new boy Anthony Elanga (£7.0m).
Even the substitutes brought on in South Korea were all rookies.
So, no surprise that, with the temperature in the mid-30s and the team understrength, Newcastle were anaemic.
OSULA NOT THE ANSWER
Elanga was arguably the brightest spark, seeing a first-half effort tipped over and teeing up Will Osula (£5.5m) for a couple of chances after the interval. Fellow summer signing Seung-soo Park, a teenager expected to hook up with the B team in 2025/26, was also lively in a late cameo.
But all this friendly did was ram home how much the Magpies need a striker. Callum Wilson is gone, and Alexander Isak (£10.5m) is presumably following suit. Osula, based on the evidence of this summer, is a long way from being the answer.
A frustrating, chance-wasting evening in Korea was capped off by his 80th-minute withdrawal, with Gordon going up front for the remainder. If we had to guess how Eddie Howe would line up in Gameweek 1 with no Isak or any replacement aboard, it’d probably be with Gordon through the middle.
Reports in the media on Wednesday claimed that Isak is currently working on his fitness at his former club, Real Sociedad.
BOTMAN INJURY UPDATE
At the back, Nick Pope (£5.0m) was solid amid talk that Aaron Ramsdale is coming aboard. He could do little about Team K League’s winner.
Sven Botman (£5.0m) missed this match with a relatively minor issue, while Joe Willock (£5.0m) came off late on with what looked like a more serious ankle injury.
The good news, however, is that Lewis Hall (£5.5m) is fit (sort of) again: he was an unused substitute here.
Newcastle United XI: Pope (M.Thompson 72), Livramento, A. Murphy, Lascelles, Krafth (Ashby 72), Tonali (Hernes 77), Willock (Al. Harrison 90), L. Miley, Osula (Park 82), Elanga, Gordon.
