Szoboszlai's stoppage-time penalty rescues draw for Liverpool at Newcastle

Dominik Szoboszlai converted a stoppage-time penalty to rescue a 2-2 draw for Liverpool at St James' Park after Newcastle had stood minutes away from a statement victory in their Premier League opener.

The Hungarian midfielder drove his spot-kick high into the roof of the net deep into injury time after Lewis Hall brought down substitute Victor Muñoz inside the area, denying the hosts a famous start to Matthias Jaissle's reign. For the second consecutive year, Liverpool have stolen points at Newcastle in the dying moments.

Elanga strikes early as Osula shines

The match erupted into life within five minutes when William Osula capitalised on Ryan Gravenberch's loss of possession near Newcastle's box. The young Danish striker turned sharply before spotting Anthony Elanga's run down the right flank, and Elanga's shot flashed past Alisson to give the hosts a perfect start to Jaissle's tenure.

Osula tormented Liverpool's centre-back pairing of Jérémy Jacquet and Virgil van Dijk throughout the opening period, with his pace and unpredictability leaving the visitors struggling to contain Newcastle's swarm pressing. Elanga repeatedly exposed left-back Milos Kerkez, who found few answers to the winger's directness.

Gakpo and Willock trade second-half strikes

Liverpool levelled early in the second half through Cody Gakpo, whose first-time shot from outside the area gave goalkeeper Hornicek no chance after Florian Wirtz briefly imposed control on the match. Newcastle's midfield had inexplicably stood off the German playmaker in the buildup.

The lead lasted barely minutes. Joe Willock, introduced after Osula's injury, restored Newcastle's advantage with a curling effort that found the inside of the post after Yoane Wissa produced a wonderful piece of individual skill to evade three markers. Willock, who faces an uncertain future at the club amid links to Beşiktaş, was mobbed by every outfield teammate and the substitutes who raced the length of the pitch to celebrate.

Jaissle impresses in debut despite late heartbreak

Jaissle, who took charge just three weeks ago after succeeding Eddie Howe, extracted a remarkable performance from a squad stripped of last season's key figures Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães. The 38-year-old German entrusted 18-year-old Sean Steur, recently signed from Ajax, alongside Lewis Miley in holding midfield roles within his 4-2-3-1 system, and the pair held their own against Liverpool's midfield for long stretches.

Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman excelled in central defence whilst Amar Dedic impressed on his debut at right-back following his £30 million arrival from Benfica.

"The guys were fighting till the end, they put their heart on the pitch and this is something we said that's not negotiable," Jaissle told Sky Sports after the match. The Newcastle boss admitted the penalty decision was "soft" and warned that awarding such fouls would lead to many more penalties in future matches.

Isak endures miserable return

Alexander Isak, who left Newcastle for Liverpool in a record £125 million deal last summer after mounting a one-man strike, was greeted with chants of "rat, rat, rat" as he arrived at his former home. The Sweden striker failed to register a single shot on goal in the first half and managed only one miscued chance in the entire match, leaving minimal imprint on proceedings.

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola, overseeing his Premier League debut with the club, acknowledged his side should have won but recognised the difficulty of securing victories in England's top flight. "We should have won. But that's football. You don't win easy in the Premier League - doesn't matter who you play against," Szoboszlai reflected afterwards.

The match featured 40 shots and 31 fouls in a frenetic encounter that served as a fitting tribute to Kevin Keegan, the late manager and player adored by both clubs. A banner in the Gallowgate End before kick-off had carried his words: "I want people to dream about their football. We should all be dreamers at heart".