Dominik Szoboszlai scores stoppage-time penalty as Liverpool draw 2-2 with Newcastle
Dominik Szoboszlai converted a late spot kick after Lewis Hall fouled Victor Munoz, cancelling out goals from Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock at St James' Park.
Pre-match tributes to Kevin Keegan
Before kick-off at St James' Park, supporters from both clubs gathered to honour Kevin Keegan, who died last month at the age of 75. In the Gallowgate End, fans unveiled a large tifo displaying images of the former Newcastle and Liverpool manager alongside the words "King Kev", accompanied by a quotation from Keegan.
I want people to dream about their football. We should all be dreamers at heart.
In the centre circle, organisers laid out a mosaic formed from shirts left outside the ground following his passing. Players and supporters observed a minute of applause before the start of the Premier League opener, which marked the first competitive match for both clubs under new managers.
Early Newcastle opener and first-half pressure
Newcastle took the lead five minutes into the match through Anthony Elanga, who scored his first goal for the club. The move started after Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch conceded possession outside the Newcastle penalty area. Forward William Osula gathered the loose ball, outpaced central defenders Jérémy Jacquet and Virgil van Dijk, and slid a pass to Elanga on the right wing. Elanga outpaced left-back Milos Kerkez before striking past goalkeeper Alisson into the far corner. Newcastle, fielding 18-year-old Sean Steur and recent £30 million signing Amar Dedic from Benfica, maintained an aggressive pressing structure under new head coach Matthias Jaissle. Liverpool attempted to control tempo through playmaker Florian Wirtz, whose first-half effort forced a low save from debutant goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.
- Anthony Elanga scores opening goal for Newcastle from a William Osula assist
- Joe Willock and Jacob Ramsey enter as substitutes for Newcastle
- Cody Gakpo scores from distance past Lukas Hornicek to equalise for Liverpool
- Joe Willock scores from Yoane Wissa pass to restore Newcastle's lead
- Dominik Szoboszlai scores penalty after Lewis Hall fouls Victor Munoz
Second-half exchanges and rapid goals
Liverpool responded after the interval by creating further openings, including an Alexander Isak header pushed away by Hornicek. Cody Gakpo brought Liverpool level in the second half with a strike from distance that beat Hornicek. The parity lasted two minutes before Newcastle regained the lead. Yoane Wissa carried the ball forward from an attacking midfield position and found substitute Joe Willock, who had replaced Osula in the 55th minute. Willock placed a finish into the bottom corner to make the score 2-1. Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola, overseeing his first Premier League fixture since succeeding Arne Slot, made subsequent attacking substitutions as the visitors chased another equaliser against a deep-sitting Newcastle backline.
- Lukas Hornicek
- 7 /10
- Amar Dedic
- 7 /10
- Malick Thiaw
- 7 /10
- Sven Botman
- 6 /10
- Lewis Hall
- 6 /10
- Lewis Miley
- 7 /10
- Sean Steur
- 7 /10
- Anthony Elanga
- 7 /10
- Yoane Wissa
- 8 /10
- Harvey Barnes
- 6 /10
- William Osula
- 7 /10
Stoppage-time equaliser and player returns
With seconds remaining in added time, Liverpool substitute Victor Munoz drew a foul from Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall inside the penalty box. Dominik Szoboszlai took the resulting penalty and placed the ball into the roof of the net to make the final score 2-2. The draw concluded a tense fixture for striker Alexander Isak on his first return to St James' Park since moving to Liverpool last summer. Newcastle supporters subjected the Swedish international to loud boos and chants whenever he touched the ball, while centre-backs Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman limited his influence in open play. The result leaves both Jaissle and Iraola with one point from their opening Premier League match of the season.
