Szoboszlai's Late Penalty Rescues Liverpool in Draw Against Newcastle
Dominik Szoboszlai walked into the noise at St James’ Park and walked out with Liverpool’s season already tilted on its axis.
One swing of his right boot. One ruthless penalty. One very loud question answered – or maybe just asked a little more sharply.
Szoboszlai seizes the moment
With the clock running down and Liverpool staring at defeat, Szoboszlai took the ball, ignored the chaos and lashed his penalty into the top corner. No hesitation, no fuss. Alexander Isak was on the pitch. Alexis Mac Allister was on the pitch. Cody Gakpo was on the pitch. None of them went near it.
The £7.0m midfielder had been working for this.
“I was practising a lot in the pre-season, obviously we didn’t have any [penalties during the friendly games], but in training, so thanks to the second and third goalies to be there for me,” he said afterwards.
The strike itself was brutal. High, hard, unsaveable. The sort of penalty that ends debates, or at least starts a new one: has Liverpool already found its post-Mohamed Salah taker from 12 yards?
Andoni Iraola, though, wasn’t ready to pin the job on one man.
“I think we have not only Dom [Szoboszlai] and Alexander [Isak] – we have more very good specialists. 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.”
Szoboszlai’s influence went beyond the spot. He owned Liverpool’s dead balls, on every corner and free-kick, dictating delivery and tempo. In a team still adjusting to life without Salah, he looked like a player ready to grab responsibility rather than wait for it.
Before the late drama, Gakpo had already dragged Liverpool back into the contest with a drilled finish from outside the box, arrowed low into the corner. The Dutchman was relentless: six shots, more than any other player in Gameweek 1 so far, and a hefty DefCon contribution that took him to 12 points. He buzzed around the final third, always available, always looking to pull the trigger.
Liverpool’s attack carried threat. Their defending did not.
Jeremy Jacquet, at least, emerged with credit. The £5.0m defender handled himself well for 70 minutes before tiring, his lack of a full pre-season catching up with him.
“Jeremy [Jacquet] hasn’t done a proper pre-season, so it was kind of expected he didn’t finish the game,” Iraola admitted. “All the substitutes gave us energy. We need it because it’s difficult to last the full 90 minutes with the same players the way we want to play. Players coming off the bench can affect the game.”
Victor Munoz did exactly that. On for an uncomfortable Rio Ngumoha down the right, he attacked with purpose and forced the late penalty that Szoboszlai buried.
Isak quiet, Wirtz hooked
This was supposed to be Alexander Isak’s grand return to St James’ Park. Instead, it became a lesson in frustration.
Liverpool racked up 27 shots. Isak was involved in five of Newcastle’s efforts as shooter or creator, but nothing quite clicked. A header was blocked. A decent opening inside the box was skied over. The noise from the stands never really turned into a roar for him.
“I think he expected a little bit the atmosphere, I don’t think [it] has been a big surprise for him,” Iraola 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.”
Alongside him, Florian Wirtz struggled just as much. Used in a front two with Isak, the £7.5m man never truly settled and was withdrawn shortly after the hour. He did at least draw a smart early save from Lukas Hornicek, but his influence faded quickly.
Ngumoha’s afternoon was even tougher. Deployed on the right, he never looked at ease and was eventually replaced by Munoz, whose direct running and willingness to take on defenders changed the tone of Liverpool’s right flank.
Wissa shines in Jaissle’s new Newcastle
Strip away the late sting and this was a strong opening statement from Matthias Jaissle’s Newcastle.
They led through Anthony Elanga and substitute Joe Willock, both goals born from fast, ruthless counter-attacks. The pattern was clear: win it, turn, go. Liverpool were repeatedly exposed by balls slipped in behind, and that blueprint will not have gone unnoticed by Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle’s next opponents.
The star of the show in black and white, though, was Yoane Wissa.
Nominally in a No 10 role behind Will Osula, Wissa roamed, linked, drove. He missed a couple of big chances, yes, but he stitched Newcastle’s attacks together and carried the ball superbly on the break, including for Willock’s goal.
“With the new role he’s given me it’s given me a lot of confidence. I’m one of the leaders so I need to back him. Because on the pitch you can’t always hear him so I need to make sure the guys are on alert,” Wissa said of Jaissle.
“The manager expects me to be a leader and lead the group. He wants me to be winning balls, making sure everyone is going forward, going for the kill, and sometimes just be calm. He wants me to keep up the energy. He wants a lot of energy and that’s the role he gave to me and I am very happy.”
On this evidence, Spurs’ back line will have their hands full next weekend.
Hornicek, behind him, was composed and sharp when called upon, while Amar Dedic offered security at right-back. Lewis Miley, thrust into midfield after a limited pre-season, grew into the game and impressed with his composure and range of passing.
Burn blow and Osula concern
There was bad news before a ball had even been kicked for Newcastle. Captain Dan Burn, £5.0m and a defensive pillar, arrived on crutches and in a protective boot after suffering an ankle injury in training. He is expected to miss the next few weeks, a significant blow to Jaissle’s early plans.
Osula, so lively in tandem with Wissa, also provided a scare. After a heavy collision he tried to run it off, fought on, but eventually had to come off in the 56th minute. Newcastle have yet to issue a clear update, though their EFL Cup tie against West Bromwich Albion in midweek should bring more clarity when Jaissle faces the media.
So Liverpool escape with a point, powered by Szoboszlai’s nerve and Gakpo’s persistence. Newcastle walk away with credit, a new identity taking shape, and a sense that this draw could easily have been more.
Next week, with Spurs waiting and the season’s rhythm still forming, does this feel like a platform for both sides – or an early warning of how thin the margins will be?
