Dominik Szoboszlai Takes Late Penalty for Liverpool Against Newcastle
Andoni Iraola has lifted the lid on why Dominik Szoboszlai – and not Alexander Isak – grabbed Liverpool’s late penalty at St James’ Park.
Isak’s first return to Tyneside since his £125million move last summer was always going to be hostile. Once adored, the Sweden striker is now firmly cast as the villain in this part of the world after effectively forcing his way out, refusing to train or play as he pushed through a British-record switch to Liverpool on Deadline Day.
The boos started early and never really stopped. Every touch, every run, every half-chance was met with a wall of noise from the home crowd. Yet deep into stoppage time, it looked as though the script was about to flip.
Liverpool, trailing and desperate, saw Victor Munoz tumble under a challenge from Lewis Hall in the box. The referee pointed to the spot. With Mohamed Salah gone, there was no obvious, established penalty taker. All eyes went straight to Isak.
The cameras followed him. The jeers rose again. The narrative wrote itself: the former hero, now the villain, silencing the same fans who once sang his name.
Then Szoboszlai walked in, took the ball, and took control.
The Hungary international stepped up and hammered his spot-kick into the roof of the net, an emphatic finish that salvaged a point for Liverpool in their Premier League opener and stunned the home crowd into brief silence.
After the match, Iraola explained the thinking behind the decision.
“I think we have not only Dom and Alexander [Isak] – we have more very good specialists,” the Liverpool boss said. “Alexis [Mac Allister] also was on the pitch and he's a very good penalty-taker, Cody [Gakpo] – we have a lot.
“But I think Dom showed the level. It's an almost impossible penalty to stop. I was happy obviously because at the end we recovered one point.”
The late drama might not have ended there. Iraola felt Liverpool could easily have had another spot-kick before the one Munoz won.
“I also think there is a clearer penalty before the Victor [Munoz] one to Victor again, but I think the referee whistles just before, so they cannot give it to you, but I think it was even more clear than the second one.
“I'm happy also for Victor because he has created problems to his opposition and I think these players from the bench that can alter games are going to be important for us.”
If Szoboszlai stole the moment, Isak still carried much of the story. Iraola insisted the striker handled the occasion and the hostility exactly as expected.
“I think he expected a little bit the atmosphere, I don't think [it] has been a big surprise for him,” he said. “I think he has tried everything, has given us good positions on the ball.
“[He] probably has had a couple of situations to finish inside the box, but probably not the clearest that he wanted or we wanted, but I value that. He has continued pushing on in the game, fighting, and I think it's a good step for Alex for being the first game.”
The boos followed Isak down the tunnel. The point followed Liverpool back down the road. And on a day built around one returning star, it was Szoboszlai who walked away with the decisive kick and, perhaps, the first real claim to Liverpool’s new penalty throne.
