Dominik Szoboszlai rescued a point for Liverpool in a dramatic 2-2 draw against Newcastle United, converting a penalty with the final kick of the match. The result marked Andoni Iraola’s first game in charge of the Reds, signaling the start of a new era following the sacking of Arne Slot and the high-profile departure of Mohamed Salah to Trabzonspor.
The match was preceded by an emotional tribute to Kevin Keegan, the former Newcastle manager and Liverpool striker who recently passed away at age 75. In contrast, the atmosphere surrounding Alexander Isak was hostile; the striker, who moved to Liverpool for £125 million ($170 million) last year, faced deafening boos and chants of “greedy” from the home crowd upon his return to St James’ Park.
Newcastle seized an early lead in the fifth minute when William Osula set up Anthony Elanga, who sprinted past Milos Kerkez to finish clinically. Liverpool’s defensive struggles were evident throughout the first half, with debutant defender Jeremy Jacquet appearing erratic alongside Virgil van Dijk, while Ryan Gravenberch was caught out of position during the opening goal.
Liverpool leveled the score in the 55th minute through Cody Gakpo. Collecting a pass from Gravenberch, the Dutch forward turned and fired a 25-yard strike past Lukas Hornicek. However, the parity was short-lived as Joe Willock restored Newcastle’s lead just two minutes later, dancing past Jeremie Frimpong to score from the edge of the area following a burst of pace from Yoane Wissa.
The visitors were eventually saved in stoppage time after Lewis Hall was penalized for a foul on debutant Victor Munoz. Szoboszlai stepped up to lash the spot-kick into the top corner, salvaging a draw in a performance that highlighted significant defensive vulnerabilities for Iraola to address.
This campaign marks a major transition for Liverpool, who are playing without Salah for the first time since 2016. Furthermore, key defensive figures Ibrahima Konate and Andrew Robertson have moved to Real Madrid and Tottenham, respectively. Seventeen-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha struggled to fill the void left by the Egyptian forward, while Iraola acknowledged the urgent need for further reinforcements on the wings.
Iraola, who earned acclaim for his tactical success at Bournemouth, faces a daunting task in rebuilding a squad that finished fifth last season. While his team displayed resilience by refusing to concede defeat, the unconvincing display against Newcastle underscored the gap between Liverpool and current champions Arsenal. The report also notes that anthony Elanga put Newcastle ahead inside five minutes before Cody Gakpo equalised shortly after the interval. The report also notes that but Szoboszlai held his nerve to convert a stoppage-time penalty after Lewis Hall was deemed to have fouled Victor Munoz, joe Willock’s first Premier League goal since 2024 restored Newcastle’s advantage. The report also notes that iraola earned plaudits for leading Bournemouth to European qualification last season with his astute tactics and high-energy style of play. The report also notes that while 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha was unable to fill the void left by Salah, who scored his first goals for Trabzonspor while his old club were struggling, debutant defender Jeremy Jacquet was erratic alongside Virgil van Dijk at centre-back. The report also notes that the Sweden striker was greeted by deafening boos and chants labelling him “greedy”, once a hero to the Toon Army after helping end Newcastle’s 56-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup in 2025. The report also notes that the chorus of disapproval for Isak was soon replaced by huge roars of celebration after Newcastle’s electric fifth-minute opener. The report also notes that william Osula started the blistering move with an incisive run and pass that sent Elanga sprinting clear of the flat-footed Milos Kerkez for a clinical finish into the far corner.
