Alexander Isak Faces Hostile Reception in Liverpool Draw
Alexander Isak walked back into St James’ Park and straight into a wall of noise.
Booed from the warm-up to the final whistle, branded “greedy” in a chant that rolled around the ground all afternoon, the former Newcastle striker endured a brutal first return to Tyneside since his £125 million move to Liverpool. Every heavy touch drew jeers. Every missed chance fed the fury.
When Lewis Hall flew into a thunderous challenge that left Isak rolling on the turf, the roar that followed was almost as loud as either of Newcastle’s goals. The home crowd had their villain, and they made sure he knew it.
On the pitch, though, it was Liverpool who escaped as the villains-turned-survivors.
Iraola shields Isak after hostile return
Isak’s switch to Anfield, a record-breaking deal that has so far brought more frustration than fireworks, never caught light last season as injuries and poor form bit hard. On this evidence, the burden of that fee still weighs heavily. His finishing was wasteful, his overall display subdued.
Andoni Iraola, taking charge of Liverpool for the first time, refused to pin anything on his misfiring No 9.
“I think he expected a bit the atmosphere, it was not a big surprise for him,” the Spaniard said afterwards. “He has tried everything, given us good positions on the ball, has had a couple of situations to finish in the box but not the clearest but I value that he has continued pushing, fighting.”
Isak did keep running. He kept offering himself. The cutting edge, though, never arrived.
Liverpool needed rescuing without him.
Defensive frailties return – and late drama erupts
The old problems at the back resurfaced quickly. The same soft underbelly that cost Liverpool so often last season was on show again, and Newcastle pounced.
Anthony Elanga struck early, punishing slack defending to give Matthias Jaissle the perfect start to his reign. Liverpool, disjointed and vulnerable, staggered through the first half and only truly stirred after the break.
Cody Gakpo dragged them level soon after the interval, a goal that briefly shifted the mood and hinted at a reset under Iraola. The revival didn’t last long.
Jaissle turned to his bench and was rewarded almost instantly. Joe Willock stepped on, found space, and restored Newcastle’s lead with the kind of direct, incisive impact every manager craves from a substitute.
Liverpool looked beaten. The Iraola era, 90 minutes old, seemed set to open with a defeat that would have felt painfully familiar.
Then came stoppage time. Then came chaos.
Hall, already a hero to the home support for that early challenge on Isak, lunged clumsily into Victor Munoz deep into added time. Contact, a tangle, and the referee pointed to the spot. St James’ Park exploded in disbelief.
Dominik Szoboszlai ignored the noise. He thumped the penalty high into the roof of the net, a ruthless finish that silenced the stadium and snatched a 2-2 draw with virtually the last kick.
Iraola could finally breathe.
“We scored at the end, so probably you have a better taste. But before the game we wouldn't have signed for this result,” he admitted. Relief, yes. Satisfaction, not quite.
Jaissle fumes at ‘soft’ penalty but sees promise
On the opposite bench, Jaissle looked stunned. Appointed after Eddie Howe’s surprise resignation earlier this month, the new Newcastle boss had been seconds away from a statement win. Instead, his first Premier League afternoon ended with anger and what-ifs.
“It was indeed a game of mixed feelings, especially in the end when you get a decision, two points away, it is really hard to digest,” he said.
“For me it is a really soft penalty as you call it here, if you give these penalties then you need to give a lot in the season.
“But there is also a lot of confidence and we are really proud of what we saw, the young lads were doing an amazing job with all the challenges of a transition period.”
He had reason to be encouraged. Without injured pillars Dan Burn and Joelinton, Newcastle still outplayed Liverpool for long stretches, snapping into tackles, pressing high and attacking with purpose.
“This was special, already delivering on a high level and it makes us proud. We've a really good base to build on,” Jaissle said, clinging to the performance if not the result.
A point, a storm, and a long road ahead
For Liverpool, the draw came wrapped in drama but also warning signs. The defensive lapses remain. The reliance on late heroics lingers. And their marquee striker, battered by boos and still searching for form, has yet to look like a £125 million solution.
For Newcastle, there was style, intensity and a glimpse of what Jaissle wants this team to become. There was also the sting of two points dropped in stoppage time, and a sense that this season might be defined by how quickly they learn to close games like this out.
Isak walked off to another chorus from the Gallowgate End. The scoreboard said 2-2. The noise around him told a different story.
How long before he writes a new one?
