Liverpool somehow rescued a point from an incredible opening-day clash at St James’ Park as Dominik Szoboszlai scored a dramatic stoppage-time penalty to earn the Reds a 2-2 draw with Newcastle United.
It looked as though Newcastle were heading for a famous victory after goals from Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock, either side of Cody Gakpo’s equaliser.
But with virtually the last kick of the game, Víctor Muñoz was brought down inside the box by Lewis Hall.
Szoboszlai stepped up.
And the Hungarian showed incredible composure to smash the penalty into the roof of the net.
2-2.
Liverpool had escaped.
A fitting tribute to Kevin Keegan
Before the football began, both sets of supporters came together to honour the legendary Kevin Keegan, who sadly passed away last month at the age of 75.
A huge “King Kev” tifo was displayed inside St James’ Park, while a moving mosaic of shirts was created in the centre circle.
After a minute’s applause, the game got underway.
And Newcastle certainly didn’t hang around.
Elanga gives Newcastle the perfect start
Newcastle made the dream start when Anthony Elanga scored after just five minutes.
William Osula sent the winger through and Elanga showed the clinical finishing that Newcastle supporters will hope becomes a regular feature this season, calmly finding the far corner.
It was exactly the start new manager Matthias Jaissle would have wanted.
Liverpool suddenly had to chase the game.
Liverpool dominate but struggle to create
Despite going behind, Liverpool controlled much of the possession.
The Reds finished the game with around 60% of the ball and 27 attempts, but there was a frustrating lack of creativity in the final third.
Liverpool moved the ball around well but too often struggled to turn possession into genuinely clear-cut opportunities.
Florian Wirtz was unable to influence the game as much as Liverpool supporters would have hoped, while Alexander Isak endured a quiet return to his former club.
It was becoming increasingly frustrating for Iraola’s side.
Gakpo gets Liverpool level
Liverpool finally found their breakthrough after the break.
And it was Cody Gakpo who provided it.
The Dutchman produced an excellent finish from distance, finding the corner beyond Newcastle goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.
Suddenly, Liverpool were level.
But they weren’t level for long.
Willock restores Newcastle’s lead
Just two minutes later, Newcastle struck again.
Substitute Joe Willock found space and produced a clinical finish into the bottom corner.
St James’ Park erupted.
Newcastle were back in front and suddenly Liverpool were staring at defeat.
It looked like the perfect start to Jaissle’s reign.
The dramatic finale
Liverpool refused to give up.
And in the dying seconds, Muñoz found himself inside the Newcastle penalty area before being brought down by Lewis Hall.
Penalty.
There was no hesitation from Szoboszlai.
The Hungarian stepped up with enormous pressure on his shoulders and hammered the ball into the roof of the net.
2-2.
A dramatic ending to an extraordinary game.
Newcastle players were left devastated at the final whistle, having been seconds away from claiming all three points.
👀 What did we learn about Liverpool?
There were certainly positives.
Liverpool showed character.
They refused to accept defeat.
They had plenty of possession.
They created 27 attempts.
And they fought until the very final whistle.
But the performance also exposed some serious concerns.
Liverpool looked vulnerable whenever Newcastle attacked quickly, particularly when possession was lost.
The full-backs struggled to impose themselves, while Wirtz and Isak couldn’t produce the attacking influence Liverpool desperately needed.
And that will concern Iraola.
Gakpo was Liverpool’s biggest threat
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect for Liverpool supporters was that their most dangerous attacking player was Cody Gakpo.
The Dutchman scored Liverpool’s first goal and looked far more threatening than some of the players expected to lead the attack this season.
That makes the ongoing speculation about his future particularly interesting.
Tottenham continue to be linked with the forward, but Liverpool would surely think very carefully before allowing one of their best performers from this game to leave.
Iraola has plenty to fix
This was only the first game of the season, so there is no need to panic.
But Iraola will have seen plenty that needs improving.
Liverpool cannot rely on dominating possession to win games.
They need more creativity.
They need better protection when they lose the ball.
They need their biggest attacking players to influence games.
And perhaps most importantly, they need more squad depth.
Liverpool are expected to compete across four competitions, and this game showed how quickly things can become difficult when key players aren’t performing at their best.
Player of the Match: Gakpo deserves credit
While Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa was named Player of the Match, Gakpo was Liverpool’s standout performer.
His goal was excellent and he looked like Liverpool’s biggest attacking threat.
Szoboszlai also deserves enormous credit for keeping his nerve when it mattered most.
A point gained or two points lost?
For Newcastle, this will feel like two points dropped.
They were seconds away from beating Liverpool and giving Jaissle the perfect Premier League start.
For Liverpool, it is probably a point gained.
The Reds weren’t at their best.
There were plenty of weaknesses.
But they showed character to keep fighting until the final whistle.
And perhaps that’s the biggest positive Iraola can take from the afternoon.
The season is only one game old
Liverpool haven’t suddenly become a bad team because of this result.
But they have been given an early warning.
Possession isn’t enough.
Creativity needs to improve.
The counter-attack vulnerability has to be fixed.
Wirtz and Isak need to become more influential.
And Liverpool’s squad depth remains a major concern.
There is still plenty of time to address those issues.
But with the transfer window closing soon, Liverpool’s recruitment team now have some very important decisions to make.
Because if Liverpool want to compete for everything this season, this squad needs to be stronger than what we saw at St James’ Park.
For now, though, the Reds have a point.
And thanks to Szoboszlai’s last-gasp penalty, the Iraola era has at least avoided defeat on the opening day.
Team
Alisson, Frimpong, Van Dijk, Jacquet, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Ngumoha, Isak, Gakpo.
Subs: Mamardashvili, Endo, Mac Allister, Tsimikas, Munoz, Araujo, Nyoni, McConnell, Koumas.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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