Liverpool Salvages Draw Against Newcastle After Chaotic Finish
Alexander Isak’s return to St James’ Park was supposed to be the homecoming that hurt. Instead, it just hurt him.
Booed and baited from the warm-up, the former Newcastle United striker walked into a wall of noise before kick-off, the home crowd reminding him exactly what he’d left behind. He tried to respond. He never really did. By the time Liverpool escaped with a 2-2 draw on the opening weekend, Isak’s afternoon had descended into open frustration and missed chances.
Liverpool escape after chaotic finish
Newcastle struck first, and easily. Liverpool were sliced open for the opener as Anthony Elanga finished a sharp move in the first half, exposing a defence that looked nowhere near ready for the new season. Andoni Iraola’s side staggered early, but clung on.
After the break, the visitors finally punched back. Cody Gakpo, under his own cloud of uncertainty amid transfer links, dragged Liverpool level with the initial equalizer, briefly silencing the home crowd and hinting at a momentum shift.
It didn’t last.
Almost straight from the restart, Newcastle carved Liverpool open again with a slick counter. This time it was substitute Joe Willock arriving to apply the finish, restoring the lead and restoring the noise. Liverpool still had more than half an hour to respond, but their attacking play in the final third disintegrated into slow passing and poor decisions.
The lack of conviction became glaring as the clock ticked past 70 minutes.
Isak’s frustration boils over
Isak, who had been prowling on the shoulder of the defence all game, finally found himself in a promising pocket of space. The ball came wide to Milos Kerkez, the cross seemingly routine. Kerkez overhit it horribly, sailing it nowhere near his striker.
“Milos!” Isak shouted, the anger obvious, before burying his head in his hands. It summed up his day.
He could hardly point the finger for long. Just minutes earlier, he had ballooned a presentable effort over the bar. Later, in the final 10 minutes, he mistimed a header that should at least have worked the goalkeeper. For all the energy and movement, the Swede’s finishing deserted him when it mattered most, and his return to Tyneside ended without the statement goal he clearly craved.
Munoz makes his mark
Liverpool, blunt for long spells, were rescued by a new face.
Victor Munoz, a summer signing, came off the bench for Rio Ngumoha in the second half and immediately offered more direct threat. Deep into stoppage time, as Newcastle tried to see the game out, Munoz drove into the box and drew a clumsy trip from Lewis Hall. Penalty. St James’ Park groaned.
Isak stayed on the pitch, but he wasn’t the man trusted with the moment. One of Liverpool’s newly appointed vice-captains, Dominik Szoboszlai, took the ball and the responsibility. Under huge pressure, he lashed his spot kick into the top corner, a ruthless finish that salvaged a point Liverpool could hardly claim to deserve.
Iraola exhaled on the touchline. So did every Liverpool supporter.
Big gaps, little time
The performance gave Iraola plenty to think about. The disjointed attacking display was one concern, but the problems ran deeper. Midfield looked fragile. The full-backs were exposed too often. For a first competitive outing, the flaws were hard to ignore.
The club’s hierarchy now has 10 days to fix what it can in the transfer market. Ronald Araujo has arrived on loan from Barcelona, Munoz has come in from Osasuna, but the most obvious issue still glares back at them: Liverpool have not replaced Mohamed Salah.
Targets are clear, solutions less so. Paris Saint-Germain pair Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye have both been heavily linked with moves to Anfield, yet talks with the French club have stalled. Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh is another name on the list, but he is expensive and currently injured, hardly a quick fix.
Then there is the Gakpo question. He scored here, reminding everyone of his value, yet rumors persist of interest from Tottenham and the possibility of a summer exit. Sell him now and Liverpool create another hole. Keep him and they may have to sacrifice elsewhere.
One game into the season, Liverpool have a point, a late hero, and a long to-do list. The clock is ticking.
