Anthony Elanga Shines as Newcastle Defeats Liverpool

Anthony Elanga stunned Liverpool and put Andoni Iraola’s reign under immediate pressure as Newcastle flew out of the blocks at St James’ Park.

On a day framed as a fresh start for both clubs, it was Matthias Jaissle’s side who hit stride first. Liverpool had opened with intent, Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo both threatening from early chances, but Newcastle needed only one clean break to rip through the visitors.

The warning signs were there. Then Elanga exploded.

William Osula dropped off the Liverpool back line, took possession and turned with far too much ease. One pass later, Elanga was away, burning past Milos Kerkez down the right. The Swede simply powered clear, left the full-back trailing and drilled a ruthless finish into the far corner past Alisson.

The Liverpool goalkeeper found himself under the microscope almost instantly.

“Alisson might be a little close to that near post and it leaves a gaping hole for Elanga to find. That gap is far too big,” Gary Neville said on Sky Sports commentary, highlighting the space the winger was able to exploit.

The move summed up Newcastle’s approach under Jaissle: front-foot, direct, unforgiving.

“Newcastle's best form of defense is attack and it turns into a sprint between Kerkez and Elanga. Liverpool can't catch him and he has to find the finish and he does,” Neville added, as replays showed just how quickly Liverpool’s defensive structure had been shredded.

Neville didn’t stop at the goalkeeper. His focus turned to the heart of Liverpool’s new-look defence, where Van Dijk lined up alongside Jeremy Jacquet, preferred to fellow summer signing Ronald Araujo.

“You would expect Van Dijk and Jacquet to go with Osula but they let him drop in and turn,” Neville said. “They don't push in. They are 15-20 yards deep of where they should be. You see Arsenal's defenders do it to perfection.”

That gap in aggression, that hesitation to step up, gave Osula all the time he needed to ignite the move that Liverpool never recovered from.

Jacquet’s selection had already been one of the talking points before kick-off. Iraola, taking charge of Liverpool competitively for the first time, backed the Frenchman’s composure in and out of possession.

“It was a difficult call. Both of them played well in the last friendly,” Iraola explained. “Jeremy is comfortable with and without the ball. Playing against Osula and Wissa, who are good players, will not be easy. We have Ronald ready to go if we need him.”

The call underlined Iraola’s intent to build from the back, but Newcastle’s opener exposed the fine margins that will define his early weeks in England. One loose defensive line, one slow reaction, and Elanga punished them without hesitation.

Liverpool had started with purpose, pinning Newcastle back and carving out those early openings for Van Dijk and Gakpo. Yet when the game’s first clear chance fell at the other end, Jaissle’s side were clinical, and Elanga’s strike set the tone for a season in which every step of Iraola’s rebuild will be scrutinised just as fiercely as that first defensive lapse.