Dominik Szoboszlai produced a dramatic 99th-minute penalty to rescue Liverpool from defeat against Newcastle United, securing a 2-2 draw at St James’ Park in Andoni Iraola’s first match in charge.
Newcastle looked set to mark the beginning of the new era with a memorable victory after Anthony Elanga and substitute Joe Willock twice put the hosts ahead.
Cody Gakpo’s superb equaliser had briefly restored parity, but Liverpool struggled for long periods and appeared unlikely to escape with anything.
That changed in the final moments when Lewis Hall brought down Victor Munoz inside the penalty area.
Szoboszlai stepped forward and smashed the resulting spot-kick beyond Lukas Hornicek to leave Newcastle devastated.
Elanga Sets the Tone in Hostile St James’ Park
The atmosphere was fierce from the opening whistle, with Newcastle supporters making their feelings clear towards Alexander Isak on his return to the club.
The Swedish forward was booed almost every time he touched the ball, but the attention surrounding his homecoming was overshadowed by Newcastle’s energetic performance.
Elanga provided the breakthrough with a brilliant burst of pace before calmly finishing the move.
Will Osula’s assist was equally impressive, while Elanga showed considerable composure after creating the opening himself.
Newcastle’s attacking play repeatedly caused problems for Liverpool, particularly when the home side transitioned quickly into space.
Gakpo Gives Liverpool a Lifeline
Liverpool were struggling to impose themselves but found an answer through Cody Gakpo.
The forward, who has been heavily linked with a possible move to Tottenham, produced one of the visitors’ few moments of real quality when he unleashed a stunning strike to beat Hornicek and make it 1-1.
Gakpo almost completed the turnaround moments later, but he took an extra touch when presented with another opportunity and allowed Newcastle to recover.
Despite Liverpool’s difficulties, he remained the most dangerous member of their attacking unit.
Willock Puts Newcastle Back in Front
Newcastle regained control after the interval and eventually restored their advantage through Joe Willock.
The substitute arrived in the second half and made an immediate impact, capitalising on Liverpool’s defensive vulnerability to put the hosts back in front.
Liverpool repeatedly struggled with Newcastle’s movement and direct balls behind their defensive line.
Virgil van Dijk looked uncomfortable at times, while Jeremie Frimpong offered little going forward and Liverpool’s midfield left too much space for counter-attacks.
Newcastle appeared increasingly confident that they were heading towards a statement victory.
Hall’s Late Mistake Changes Everything
The decisive moment arrived deep into stoppage time.
Lewis Hall had enjoyed an excellent game and looked on course for one of Newcastle’s stronger individual ratings.
However, his performance unravelled when he brought down Munoz in the penalty area.
The foul gave Liverpool a lifeline they had scarcely looked capable of creating themselves.
Szoboszlai accepted the responsibility and delivered with enormous power, firing the penalty into the net in the 99th minute.
The goal denied Iraola a dream opening victory and left Newcastle to reflect on a match they had controlled for significant stretches.
Newcastle’s Standout Performers
Yoane Wissa was arguably the home side’s outstanding player.
Operating in a No 10 role, he caused Liverpool constant problems and looked transformed after a difficult first season at Newcastle.
Will Osula also impressed, combining physicality with intelligent movement and producing the assist for Elanga’s opener.
On a day when Isak attracted much of the attention, Osula arguably outperformed the £125million forward.
Lewis Miley was another major positive. With Newcastle having lost midfield figures including Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, while Joelinton was unavailable through injury, there had been questions about the strength of the central area.
Miley answered them with an assured display.
Manager Matthias Jaissle also received credit for his tactical approach and substitutions.
Newcastle were minutes away from giving him the perfect Premier League introduction before Hall’s costly error.
Liverpool Left With More Questions Than Answers
Liverpool’s performance offered little evidence that Iraola has inherited a side ready to meet its ambitions without further additions.
Alisson made several important saves but was questionable in his positioning for Newcastle’s first goal. Van Dijk and Frimpong were also below their best, while Florian Wirtz endured an especially quiet afternoon.
Wirtz did come close in the opening period, forcing a good save from Hornicek, but otherwise struggled to influence proceedings.
Isak’s return was also disappointing. The former Newcastle striker found some promising positions but received little help from his team-mates and was unable to make a decisive contribution against his old club.
Szoboszlai Becomes Liverpool’s Last-Minute Hero
For Liverpool, Szoboszlai ultimately emerged as the man who prevented a damaging defeat.
His overall performance was not enough to disguise the team’s shortcomings, but his penalty was emphatic and timely.
With Liverpool seemingly heading towards defeat, the midfielder kept his nerve and delivered one of the most dramatic moments of the opening weekend.
The draw, however, may feel more like a point gained for Liverpool than two points dropped by Newcastle.
What the Ratings Say
Newcastle’s strongest performers included Wissa, who received an 8.5, while Elanga, Osula, Ramsey and Willock were all rated highly after contributing significantly to the hosts’ performance.
For Liverpool, Gakpo and Szoboszlai were among the few attackers to emerge with credit, while Wirtz received a low rating after failing to influence the game.
At the back, Van Dijk and Frimpong struggled, while new signing Jeremy Jacquet showed flashes of promise but faced a demanding introduction in one of English football’s most intimidating atmospheres.
Referee Stuart Attwell was rated 6 after an early flurry of bookings but was judged to have handled the major decisions correctly.
What’s Next?
The result gives both managers plenty to consider.
Newcastle can take considerable encouragement from the performance, particularly the organisation, midfield intensity and attacking threat displayed for most of the contest.
However, the collapse in the final minute will underline the importance of concentration when matches reach their decisive stages.
For Liverpool and Iraola, the need for reinforcements appears even clearer.
The manager will be expected to strengthen his squad before the transfer window closes if Liverpool are to compete seriously across their ambitions for the season.
Summary
Newcastle were seconds away from celebrating an impressive victory over Liverpool in Iraola’s first match in charge, but Hall’s late foul allowed Szoboszlai to dramatically change the outcome.
Elanga and Willock scored for the hosts, while Gakpo and Szoboszlai replied for Liverpool.
Newcastle can take confidence from a performance that exposed several Liverpool weaknesses, while Iraola will leave St James’ Park knowing his new team still requires significant improvement — and potentially new arrivals — if it is to challenge at the highest level.
