By Francis Onyach - Reporter
UK , August 23, 2026 - Liverpool were forced to settle for a point at St James' Park after Dominik Szoboszlai converted a stoppage-time penalty to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw against Newcastle United in the Premier League.
The result was a hard-fought start to the Andoni Iraola era at Liverpool, with the Reds twice coming from behind in an entertaining contest against a Newcastle side also beginning a new chapter under Matthias Jaissle.
Newcastle made the perfect start in front of an emotional St James' Park crowd.
The hosts took the lead after just five minutes, with Anthony Elanga finishing a rapid counter-attack. Liverpool had lost possession in Newcastle territory before the ball was quickly moved forward, allowing Elanga to burst into space and finish calmly.
Liverpool controlled much of the possession after falling behind but struggled to turn that dominance into a breakthrough before half-time.
Iraola's side had to find a different approach after the interval, and eventually their pressure paid off.
Liverpool equalised in the 55th minute through Cody Gakpo, who produced an excellent finish from outside the penalty area.
The goal appeared to shift the momentum towards the visitors, but Newcastle responded almost immediately.
Just two minutes later, substitute Joe Willock restored Newcastle's lead with a superb strike into the bottom corner.
Once again, Liverpool were forced to chase the game.
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Liverpool continued to push forward during the closing stages, with Iraola making tactical changes as his team searched desperately for an equaliser.
Their persistence finally paid off deep into stoppage time.
A late challenge involving Newcastle defender Lewis Hall and Liverpool's Victor Muñoz resulted in a penalty, giving Liverpool one final opportunity to rescue something from the match.
Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up and made no mistake, confidently converting the penalty in the ninth minute of added time.
The Hungarian's late intervention secured Liverpool a valuable point and denied Newcastle what would have been an impressive opening-day victory.
Although Liverpool will be relieved to leave Newcastle with something, the performance will give Iraola plenty to consider.
The Reds showed character by recovering from two deficits, but their defensive vulnerability and difficulty controlling Newcastle's transitions were obvious.
Liverpool's new manager has inherited a team undergoing significant changes, and this performance demonstrated that his tactical ideas will take time to fully settle.
Newcastle, meanwhile, will be frustrated after coming within seconds of claiming all three points.