Dominik Szoboszlai's Penalty Rescues Liverpool in St James' Park Draw
Dominik Szoboszlai walked into the noise of St James’ Park and walked out with Liverpool’s season already bending around him.
One swing of his right boot. One point rescued. One big question, perhaps, answered.
Szoboszlai grabs the spotlight – and the spot-kick
With the clock running down and Liverpool staring at defeat, Szoboszlai stepped up from 12 yards and treated the penalty like a training-ground drill. No hesitation, no stutter, just a ruthless drive into the top corner that left Lukas Hornicek grasping at air.
He has been working on this.
“I was practising a lot in the pre-season… in training, so thanks to the second and third goalies to be there for me,” he said afterwards.
The pressure around Liverpool’s new hierarchy from the spot has hung in the air since Mohamed Salah’s departure. On Sunday, in the most hostile of settings, Szoboszlai grabbed that responsibility. Alexander Isak was on the pitch. Alexis Mac Allister was on the pitch. Cody Gakpo was on the pitch. All are recognised takers.
Andoni Iraola made it clear the pecking order is crowded.
“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.”
The evidence from Gameweek 1 is hard to ignore. Szoboszlai not only buried the penalty, he owned Liverpool’s dead-ball duties. Every corner, every free-kick in range, he stood over it. This was a midfielder playing like a reference point, not a supporting act.
Before his late equaliser, it was Gakpo who dragged Liverpool back into the contest. The Dutchman found the bottom corner with a drilled strike from outside the box, a finish that matched his overall intent. He fired off six shots – the most of any player in Gameweek 1 so far – and his work off the ball pushed him over the DefCon threshold to a 12-point haul.
Liverpool finished with 27 attempts. The scoreboard said draw. The performance, at least going forward, hinted at something more dangerous brewing.
Isak muted on emotional return
For Isak, this was supposed to be a statement afternoon. A return to St James’ Park, a chance to reintroduce himself with a flourish.
Instead, it turned into a grind.
He was involved in five of Newcastle’s attacking moments, either shooting or creating, but never truly looked in rhythm. A header was blocked, a presentable chance from just inside the box flew over, and the crowd that once roared him on turned up the volume against him.
Iraola, though, saw value in the struggle.
“I think he expected a little bit the atmosphere, I don’t think [it] has been a big surprise for him. 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 also laboured. Deployed as part of a front two, the £7.5m man never quite found the pockets he thrives in and was withdrawn just after the hour mark. His brightest moment came early, when Hornicek denied him with a smart save.
Liverpool had their own disappointments. Both full-backs looked short of their usual authority, and Rio Ngumoha struggled badly down the right. He never settled, never looked comfortable, and was eventually replaced by Victor Munoz, who immediately offered more direct threat and won the late penalty.
At the back, Liverpool were anything but secure. Yet amid the chaos, Jeremy Jacquet put in a quietly impressive shift before coming off on 70 minutes.
“Jeremy [Jacquet] hasn’t done a proper pre-season, so it was kind of expected he didn’t finish the game,” Iraola explained. “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.”
They did. On both sides.
Wissa runs the show for Newcastle
Strip away the late sting of Szoboszlai’s penalty and Newcastle’s performance under new manager Matthias Jaissle carried real conviction.
Anthony Elanga and substitute Joe Willock took the goals, but the heartbeat in black and white belonged to Yoane Wissa.
He missed chances. Big ones. Yet his influence never dipped. Operating from a No 10 role behind Will Osula, he knitted Newcastle’s attacks together, drove at Liverpool’s back line, and carried the ball with purpose and aggression.
One of those surges opened the door for Willock’s strike, a move that summed up his day: energy, bravery, and constant forward intent.
“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,” Wissa said of Jaissle. “Because on the pitch you can’t always hear him so I need to make sure the guys are on alert.
“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, Tottenham will not enjoy facing him next weekend. Both Newcastle goals against Liverpool came from fast breaks, with runners bursting into space behind. Spurs, who like to squeeze high, have been warned.
Behind Wissa, Hornicek and Amar Dedic offered a solid platform. Lewis Miley, after a disrupted pre-season, looked composed and busy in midfield, growing into the contest as the minutes ticked by.
Burn blow and Osula concern
Not everything went Newcastle’s way.
Captain Dan Burn is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering an ankle injury in training. He had been pushing to feature against Liverpool but arrived at St James’ Park on crutches, a protective boot on his leg and frustration written all over his face.
Up front, Osula’s afternoon ended with a grimace. He battled on after a collision, trying to shake off the knock, but finally had to come off in the 56th minute. No update has yet emerged on the extent of the problem, with Jaissle expected to face questions before the EFL Cup tie against West Bromwich Albion in midweek.
By then, the dust from this breathless draw will have settled. The questions it raised will not.
Is Szoboszlai now Liverpool’s man from 12 yards? Can Wissa keep this level and drag Newcastle into a new attacking era under Jaissle? And when Tottenham roll into town next weekend, who will cope better with the space in behind – the hunters, or the hunted?
