Szoboszlai’s Late Penalty Secures Draw for Liverpool Against Newcastle
Dominik Szoboszlai held his nerve deep into stoppage time to snatch a 2-2 draw for Liverpool at Newcastle United, ripping the points from the hosts’ grasp just as St James’ Park was ready to celebrate.
Newcastle thought they had it. They could almost feel the release, an opening-day win under new head coach Matthias Jaissle, the noise rolling down from the stands. Then came the twist.
With the clock in the red, Lewis Hall clipped Liverpool debutant Víctor Muñoz inside the area. The stadium fell silent in an instant. Szoboszlai stepped up in the ninth minute of added time and drilled the penalty home with icy precision, dragging Andoni Iraola’s new-look Liverpool level at the death.
It had all started perfectly for Newcastle. Only five minutes in, Anthony Elanga struck the first blow, pouncing to give the hosts an early lead and ignite the home crowd. Liverpool, still feeling their way into Iraola’s system, looked rattled.
The visitors needed time to settle. When they did, they began to force Newcastle back, and the equaliser arrived on 55 minutes. Cody Gakpo found a pocket of space and lashed in the leveller, a clean, drilled finish that shifted the mood and briefly quietened the stands.
Newcastle’s response was instant and ruthless. Barely two minutes after Gakpo’s goal, Elanga surged upfield again, this time turning provider. He released Joe Willock, who stepped onto the ball and bent a superb long-range effort beyond Alisson. The shot arced away from the Liverpool goalkeeper and into the net, restoring Newcastle’s lead and sending the place into uproar once more.
From there, Jaissle’s side looked to manage the game, to lean on the noise and the energy. Liverpool pushed, but Newcastle held firm, inching towards the line. Alexander Isak, back in the north-east after an injury-disrupted first season at Liverpool following his move from Newcastle, barely had a sight of goal. The home defence kept him quiet, a sub-plot that never quite caught fire.
Then came Hall’s late challenge on Muñoz. One rash moment. One debutant fouled, another stepping up to decide it. Szoboszlai’s penalty was emphatic, a finish that left no doubt and stripped Newcastle of the win they had almost banked.
On the touchline, both new managers had to settle for a point on their league debuts. Jaissle and Iraola walked away with shared spoils, but very different emotions.
Before any of that drama, the day had carried a different weight. Both clubs united before kick-off to pay an emotional tribute to Kevin Keegan, the beloved figure of both Newcastle and Liverpool, who recently died at the age of 75. The applause, the reflection, the shared history — it set a poignant backdrop to a match that swung wildly between joy and frustration.
By the final whistle, Keegan’s old stage had witnessed another chaotic, breathless finish. The season is only just underway, but both sides have already been reminded how thin the line is between jubilation and regret.
