Szoboszlai's Last-Gasp Penalty Secures Liverpool Draw

Andoni Iraola’s Premier League debut as Liverpool manager ended in chaos, controversy and, ultimately, relief.

Dominik Szoboszlai’s penalty in the ninth minute of stoppage time snatched a 2-2 draw at St James’ Park, denying Newcastle United a statement opening-day win and rescuing a point from a Liverpool performance that never truly caught fire.

Newcastle led twice. They let it slip twice.

Liverpool Salvage a Point at the Death

Anthony Elanga had given Matthias Jaissle’s reshaped Newcastle side the perfect start, punishing Liverpool in a first half where the visitors looked short of fluency and conviction.

Iraola’s team, though, refused to fold.

Early in the second half, Newcastle’s back line hesitated and paid for it. Allowed too much space, Cody Gakpo pounced to level, capitalising on the Magpies’ failure to close him down and dragging Liverpool back into a game that had been slipping away.

Newcastle responded, regaining the lead at 2-1 and, for long stretches, managing Liverpool’s threat with a mix of discipline and sheer hard running. The home crowd sensed a big win to launch a season overshadowed by a summer exodus of star names.

Then came the collapse.

With the match all but done, Lewis Hall dived into a clumsy challenge on Victor Munoz inside the box. The clock was almost at 100 minutes. Liverpool were staring at defeat. One rash decision changed everything.

Szoboszlai stepped up, held his nerve and buried the spot-kick. St James’ Park fell flat. Liverpool’s bench exploded.

Iraola: ‘We Didn’t Deserve to Lose’

For Iraola, the result carried a strange mix of frustration and satisfaction.

“It’s not the result you wanted before the game, but obviously finishing, scoring in the last minute, it gives you a better taste,” he said afterwards. “I don’t think we deserve to lose the game today.

“I value the effort from the players, they never gave up, and at the end it arrived, and we could recover at least one point.”

It was hardly a vintage display from Liverpool, who struggled to impose their usual tempo and rhythm. Yet they stayed in the contest, punished Newcastle’s lapses and found a way to leave with something.

Jaissle’s Newcastle Left to Rue ‘Soft’ Penalty

For Jaissle, three weeks into the job and already navigating a transition stripped of marquee names, this felt like a win thrown away.

“It was indeed a game of mixed feelings, especially in the end when you get a decision, two points away, it is really hard to digest,” he admitted.

“For me it is a really soft penalty as you call it here, if you give these penalties then you need to give a lot in the season.”

Newcastle had defended with courage for long spells and showed a clear structure under their new manager, only to be undone by that late, desperate challenge from Hall.

Jaissle, though, refused to dwell solely on the frustration.

“There is also a lot of confidence and we are really proud of what we saw, the young lads were doing an amazing job with all the challenges of a transition period,” he said. “This was special, already delivering on a high level and it makes us proud. (Newcastle have) a really good base to build on.”

Wissa: ‘That’s the Mentality We Need’

Forward Yoane Wissa captured the mood inside the Newcastle dressing room: pride, anger, and a sense of what might have been.

“It’s rough, especially 30 seconds before the end of the game, but that’s a huge step for us. That’s the mentality we need to have through the season,” he said.

“The manager (Matthias Jaissle) came three weeks ago and gave us a lot of information, now we show on the pitch we are ready for the season. We needed this win to make a statement, but in the end we draw. We have so much to work on.”

Many on Tyneside would have taken a point before kick-off, given the upheaval of the summer and the relative inexperience on show. Walking off at full-time, it felt like a loss.

For Liverpool, it felt like a warning. For Newcastle, a promise. Which of those emotions will define their seasons?