Szoboszlai’s Late Penalty Secures Draw for Liverpool Against Newcastle
Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up in the ninth minute of stoppage time, the noise of St James’ Park hanging in the air, and buried a ruthless penalty to snatch a 2-2 draw for Liverpool and rip an opening‑day victory out of Newcastle United’s hands.
What had felt like a statement start for Matthias Jaissle’s new era on Tyneside dissolved in an instant. Lewis Hall’s late lunge on Liverpool debutant Víctor Muñoz handed Andoni Iraola’s side one last lifeline, and Szoboszlai didn’t waste it, driving his spot-kick past a beaten goalkeeper and into the corner as the home crowd fell silent.
Newcastle fly out of the blocks
Newcastle had begun like a team in a hurry. Inside five minutes, Anthony Elanga struck the first blow, capping a bright, front-foot start from the hosts. His finish gave Jaissle the perfect early platform in his first league match since replacing Eddie Howe.
Liverpool, under Iraola for the first time in the league after the departure of Arne Slot, struggled to find rhythm in the opening spell. The visitors saw plenty of the ball but carried little threat, while Newcastle looked sharper and more direct whenever space appeared.
The mood belonged to the home side. The noise, too.
Gakpo drags Liverpool level, Elanga answers back
The game flipped after the break. Liverpool came out with more edge, and on 55 minutes Cody Gakpo dragged them level, drilling in the equaliser to puncture Newcastle’s control and give the away end a surge of belief.
That belief barely had time to settle.
Two minutes later, Elanga exploded upfield on the counter, stretching Liverpool’s back line and choosing his moment perfectly. He slipped the ball to Joe Willock, who curled a superb long-range strike beyond Alisson, restoring Newcastle’s lead with style and restoring the roar around the ground.
Newcastle could smell three points. Liverpool, suddenly chasing again, looked vulnerable to the break and short of ideas in the final third.
Hall’s late mistake, Szoboszlai’s ruthless finish
As the clock ticked into stoppage time, Newcastle stood on the brink of a hard-earned win. Liverpool pushed, but clear chances were scarce. The tension rose with every clearance, every second burned.
Then came the twist.
Hall’s challenge on Víctor Muñoz inside the box changed everything, the foul cutting through the noise and drawing an instant sense of dread from the stands. The referee pointed to the spot. Szoboszlai took the responsibility, took a breath, and sent the penalty home with cold precision in the ninth added minute.
Liverpool’s bench erupted. Newcastle’s players dropped, knowing how close they had come.
New men on the touchline, quiet return for Isak
Both managers walk away with a point from their first league games in charge, though the emotions could hardly be more different. Jaissle’s Newcastle had led twice and defended doggedly, only to be undone at the death. Iraola’s Liverpool had trailed for most of the afternoon yet found a way to escape with something.
Alexander Isak, back in the north-east after an injury-disrupted first season at Liverpool following his move from Newcastle, endured a subdued return. The forward never truly escaped the grip of the home defence and rarely threatened to write his own storyline.
A day framed by Keegan’s memory
All of it played out against a poignant backdrop. Before kick-off, both clubs came together for an emotional tribute to Kevin Keegan, the iconic figure of both Newcastle and Liverpool, who recently died at the age of 75.
The match that followed swung wildly, full of the kind of drama he once lived for. On this evidence, both of his former clubs still have a flair for chaos.
