Szoboszlai's Late Penalty Secures Dramatic Draw for Liverpool

Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up in the 99th minute with St James’ Park raging around him and Liverpool’s opening day hanging by a thread. One clean strike later, the noise died. A stoppage-time penalty, lashed into the net, turned Newcastle’s victory march into a 2-2 draw and ripped the points from their grasp at the death.

Newcastle had felt this game was theirs from almost the first whistle.

Anthony Elanga needed just five minutes to light up the afternoon, finishing a sweeping move to give the hosts the perfect start. Liverpool looked rattled, their new-look side struggling to settle as black-and-white shirts snapped into tackles and surged forward.

For a while, Newcastle smelled blood.

Liverpool, though, edged their way back. On 55 minutes, Cody Gakpo dragged them level, drilling a low finish that cut through the tension and briefly quietened the home crowd. It felt like a turning point.

It wasn’t. Not yet.

Barely two minutes later, Elanga exploded into space again, driving at a stretched Liverpool back line. He slipped the ball to Joe Willock, who took aim from distance and curled a superb shot beyond Alisson. St James’ Park erupted once more, convinced the momentum had swung back for good.

Newcastle managed the chaos, slowed the tempo, and crept towards what looked like a statement win for Matthias Jaissle on his first league outing since replacing Eddie Howe. Across the technical area, Andoni Iraola, making his own league bow as Liverpool manager after succeeding Arne Slot, prowled and cajoled, but his side kept running into a disciplined Newcastle wall.

Then came the twist.

Deep into added time, Liverpool debutant Víctor Muñoz burst into the box, chasing one last sliver of hope. Lewis Hall mistimed his challenge, Muñoz went down, and the referee pointed to the spot. The roar turned to a stunned murmur as the reality sank in: one kick to decide everything.

Szoboszlai didn’t blink. His penalty was ruthless, arrowed home in the ninth minute of stoppage time to snatch a point that had seemed beyond Liverpool minutes earlier.

Amid the late drama, one subplot stayed curiously quiet. Alexander Isak, whose previous season at Liverpool had been disrupted by injury after his move from Newcastle, barely figured on his return to the north-east. The former home favourite never found the space or rhythm to trouble his old club, his comeback overshadowed by others’ headlines.

Before any of that, both clubs had paused for something more important than the scoreline. An emotional tribute rang around the ground for Kevin Keegan, the iconic figure who shaped eras at both Newcastle and Liverpool and recently died at the age of 75. Scarves were raised, applause rolled around the stands, and for a few moments, the rivalry softened.

Once the whistle went, the edge returned. By the time it ended, Jaissle and Iraola walked away sharing the points, but with very different feelings about what had slipped away — and what had just begun.