Szoboszlai's Last-Minute Penalty Rescues Point for Liverpool
Dominik Szoboszlai held his nerve deep into stoppage time to rip up Newcastle’s script and salvage a point for Liverpool on a day that belonged, in spirit at least, to Kevin Keegan.
The Hungary midfielder buried a 99th-minute penalty in front of a stunned St James’ Park, dragging Liverpool to a 2-2 draw and stretching their unbeaten run on Tyneside to 10 games. Lewis Hall was judged to have tripped substitute Victor Munoz in the box, and after a brief pause, Szoboszlai did the rest from 12 yards.
Newcastle looked shattered at the final whistle. They thought they had won it. They thought Joe Willock had written the perfect punchline.
A day for Keegan, a night for chaos
Before a ball was kicked, this felt like Keegan’s kind of occasion. Both sets of players emerged for the warm-up in Keegan number seven shirts, Tyneside and Merseyside briefly united to honour the man who lit up both clubs. The emotion in the stands quickly gave way to hostility once the whistle went.
Alexander Isak, back at St James’ Park in opposition colours and carrying the weight of a £130 million price tag, walked into a wall of noise. The home crowd turned on their former hero from the first touch.
Five minutes in, the jeers turned into a roar.
Newcastle’s new-look side, still being moulded by Matthias Jaissle, struck with a move Keegan would have appreciated. Amar Dedic, impressive on debut, slid a clever ball into Will Osula. One touch, head up, and Osula threaded a perfectly timed pass into Anthony Elanga’s stride. The Sweden international burned away from Milos Kerkez and passed a crisp right-foot finish across Alisson Becker into the far corner.
Liverpool were rocked but not rattled. Their reply came quickly, if not on the scoreboard then in intent. Lukas Hornicek had to react sharply on 18 minutes, springing to his right to beat away Florian Wirtz’s deflected effort. The visitors saw more of the ball, but they kept gifting Newcastle chances with loose possession and sloppy passing.
Jaissle’s side sensed it. Lewis Miley sprayed a superb 22nd-minute diagonal for Dedic, whose strike clipped Kerkez and flew behind for a corner. Jeremy Jacquet then did just enough to stop Osula latching on to a through-ball from Yoane Wissa, who was turning in his best performance yet in black and white.
For all Liverpool’s dominance of the ball, they created little of real substance. Szoboszlai smacked a 26th-minute free-kick straight into the wall after being pulled back by Wissa. The half-time whistle went with Newcastle’s 1-0 lead intact and the home crowd in full voice.
Gakpo hits back, Willock answers
Liverpool emerged sharper after the break. Szoboszlai’s early corner caused panic, but it was Newcastle who almost landed the first blow of the half. Harvey Barnes and Elanga broke at speed, racing into space, yet the final ball let them down and the Reds escaped. Moments later, Miley’s 48th-minute effort failed to trouble Alisson.
The warning signs were there for Newcastle. The equaliser felt inevitable. It arrived from Cody Gakpo.
On 53 minutes, the forward curled a shot just over with Hornicek rooted. Two minutes later, given too much time and room 25 yards out, he didn’t miss. Gakpo stepped onto the ball and drilled a skidding drive beyond Hornicek, the keeper beaten before he could set himself.
St James’ Park bristled. The momentum swung. And then, just as Liverpool looked ready to press on, Newcastle punched back.
Wissa, who had tormented the visitors all afternoon, danced through a gap with quick feet and slipped the ball into substitute Joe Willock. Barely seconds after coming on, Willock stepped inside and whipped a low shot across Alisson and into the far corner. Ruthless. Clinical. 2-1.
Jaissle, only weeks into the job and still waiting to see how his squad will look when the window closes, prowled the touchline as his team went hunting for a third. Jacob Ramsey, another substitute, lashed a 70th-minute volley wide when he should have done better. Alisson then stood tall one-on-one to deny Wissa, who might easily have killed the game.
Those misses lingered.
Late twist, long questions
Liverpool, dragged along by sheer will as much as structure, refused to fold. Newcastle dropped a yard, then another. The clock ticked into stoppage time, the noise turned anxious, and the game’s final act arrived.
Victor Munoz darted into the box. Hall stepped across. Contact, a tangle, and referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot. Hall stood in disbelief, hands outstretched, but the decision stood.
Szoboszlai, ice-cold, stepped up and drove his penalty home. No flourish, no doubt. Just precision under pressure.
For Newcastle, the point felt like a defeat. For Liverpool, it was a rescue job that still left Andoni Iraola with plenty to ponder. His side had dominated spells, clawed their way back twice, yet never fully controlled the chaos.
On a day built around Keegan’s legacy of drama and daring, neither team held back. If this is a glimpse of what lies ahead for both clubs this season, the script is far from finished.
