Newcastle United supporters will almost certainly be enjoying Liverpool's ongoing struggles especially after Arne Slot's sly remark. The two Premier League clubs had been at odds over the summer after Alexander Isak's controversial late move from St James Park to Anfield.

Having not had a pre-season, the Sweden international has been managed carefully, though regular starts have began arriving. Isak has not yet hit the heights reached on Tyneside however, with a new injury only likely to further disrupt his start to life at Liverpool.

The 26-year-old picked up the problem during their 5-1 Champions League win away at Eintracht Frankfurt earlier this week and was subsequently absent for Saturday's defeat to Brentford.

Prior to losing 3-1 in west London, Slot delivered a verdict on Isak which appeared to include a subtle dig at Newcastle. "I don’t think there’s a rule that every single player has the same," he said when asked about Isak's fitness and preparations.

"But it also depends on what he did when...