Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool: Szoboszlai 99th-Minute Penalty Rescues Reds in St. James' Park Thriller
Dominik Szoboszlai buried a 99th-minute penalty to salvage a dramatic 2-2 draw for Liverpool against Newcastle United at St. James' Park after Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock strikes had put the Magpies on the brink of victory.
Published 23 Aug 20263 min read
In one of the most explosive opening-weekend encounters in recent Premier League history, Dominik Szoboszlai coolly converted a 99th-minute penalty to rescue a 2-2 draw for Liverpool against Newcastle United at a deafening St. James' Park on Sunday evening.
Elanga Strikes Early as Isak Endures Hostile Tyneside Reception
Following a moving pre-match tribute commemorating the late Kevin Keegan—beloved icon of both historic clubs—the atmosphere turned rapidly incandescent. The home faithful unleashed relentless vitriol toward former hero Alexander Isak, making his competitive Liverpool debut following a British-record £125m summer transfer.
Feeding off the raucous crowd energy, Matthias Jaissle's Magpies took the lead inside five minutes. Anthony Elanga seized on a misplaced pass in midfield, surged past Virgil van Dijk, and drilled an emphatic low drive into the bottom corner beyond Alisson Becker to send St. James' Park into delirium.
Gakpo Equalizer and Willock Stunner Ignite Second Half
Liverpool emerged from the halftime interval with heightened urgency under new manager Andoni Iraola. In the 55th minute, the Reds restored parity when Cody Gakpo received a deft flick on the edge of the area and arrowed a clinical strike past Nick Pope.
However, Newcastle struck back almost immediately. Just two minutes after the restart, substitute Joe Willock made an instant impact, pouncing on a loose ball inside the eighteen-yard box to blast a 57th-minute shot into the roof of the net, putting the Magpies back in front at 2-1.
99th-Minute Penalty Heartbreak and Jaissle's Post-Match Fury
As Newcastle defended valiantly into extended stoppage time, drama struck in the 98th minute. Liverpool substitute Victor Muñoz broke into the box and went down following a challenge from Lewis Hall. Despite vehement Newcastle protests, the referee pointed to the spot.
Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up in the 99th minute with ice in his veins, sending Pope the wrong way to secure a share of the spoils for Iraola's men in an extraordinary finish.
For me, it is a really soft penalty. If you give this as a penalty, then you need to give a lot during this match and a lot during the season, and I do not know if this is good for football. It is really hard to digest to lose two points in such a manner, but I am proud of the fight the team showed.— Matthias Jaissle, Newcastle United Head Coach
Match Statistics & Key Moments
| Metric | Newcastle United | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 2 (Elanga 5', Willock 57') | 2 (Gakpo 55', Szoboszlai 90+9' pen) |
| Possession | 42% | 58% |
| Shots (On Target) | 11 (5) | 16 (6) |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 1.42 | 1.85 |
| Corners | 4 | 8 |
| Yellow Cards | 4 (Hall, Joelinton, Burn, Pope) | 2 (Szoboszlai, Mac Allister) |
Managerial Reactions: Iraola Praises Reds' Resilience
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola reflected on his first official Premier League fixture in charge, praising the mental fortitude of his squad in surviving the intense St. James' Park cauldron.
Coming to St. James' Park is one of the toughest tests in world football, especially on an opening weekend with this atmosphere. We didn't play our best football in the first half, but we showed tremendous character to keep fighting until the final second and earn a deserved point.— Andoni Iraola, Liverpool Head CoachWhere to watchSee the full watch guide
Image Credits: St. James' Park: Photo by Arne Müseler / arne-mueseler.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 de via Wikimedia Commons. Alexander Isak: Photo by Rolandhino1, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.