The 24th round of the English Premier League is getting underway, and this week carries particular intrigue for Azerbaijani football supporters.
According to İdman.Biz, the headline fixture for fans of Qarabag will undoubtedly be the clash between Liverpool and Newcastle — two clubs that have already become key reference points for the Agdam side in this season’s Champions League. The Merseyside team were Qarabag’s opponents in the league phase, while Newcastle are set to become their rivals in the upcoming play-off ties.
Liverpool – Newcastle (January 31)
The match will be played at the familiar Anfield stadium and will kick off at 23:59 Baku time.
For Qarabag, the focus is obvious: just three days ago Liverpool thrashed the Azerbaijani champions 6–0 in the Champions League on their home ground. In February, Newcastle will face Qarabag in the Champions League play-off round, with the first leg scheduled for February 18 in Baku and the return match on February 24 in England.
Arne Slot’s side approach the round in sixth place with 36 points and are going through a difficult spell in domestic competition, having gone five matches without a win — four draws and one defeat. Last week brought a particularly painful setback, conceding in stoppage time to lose 2–3 to Bournemouth. At his press conference, Slot stressed the need to avoid late lapses, underlining that every match is now critical in the race for a top-four finish.
There is also significant team news for the hosts. Jeremie Frimpong is ruled out for several weeks, Ibrahima Konate has returned to training and is expected to be available, Curtis Jones is back after illness, while Joe Gomez will miss the weekend fixture. Another subplot surrounds Alexander Isak, who moved from Newcastle to Liverpool last summer and is still recovering from injury, making him unavailable for this game.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle currently sit ninth on 33 points and remain within a tightly packed group where a single positive weekend could dramatically improve their standing. In midweek, Newcastle travelled to Paris Saint-Germain and narrowly missed out on direct qualification for the Champions League round of 16, instead heading into the play-offs.
In terms of squad updates, Bruno Guimarães remains a late decision, Joelinton will miss the trip but is expected back within weeks rather than months, and Tino Livramento is forecast to return closer to early March.
Adding further tension to the encounter, Howe has made it clear that any lingering effect of Isak’s transfer to Liverpool is no longer an issue inside the club, insisting the team has moved on and is focused solely on the present.
Other Matchweek 24 Premier League fixtures
January 31
Brighton – Everton
Leeds – Arsenal
Wolverhampton – Bournemouth
Chelsea – West Ham
February 1
Aston Villa – Brentford
Manchester United – Fulham
Nottingham Forest – Crystal Palace
Tottenham – Manchester City
February 2
Sunderland – Burnley
Premier League table before Matchweek 24
1. Arsenal – 50
2. Manchester City – 46
3. Aston Villa – 46
4. Manchester United – 38
5. Chelsea – 37
6. Liverpool – 36
7. Fulham – 34
8. Brentford – 33
9. Newcastle – 33
10. Everton – 33
11. Sunderland – 33
12. Brighton – 30
13. Bournemouth – 30
14. Tottenham – 28
15. Crystal Palace – 28
16. Leeds – 26
17. Nottingham Forest – 25
18. West Ham – 20
19. Burnley – 15
20. Wolverhampton – 8
