Alexander Isak Faces Hostile Return to St James’ Park
Alexander Isak walked back into St James’ Park and straight into a wall of noise.
Booed from the moment he emerged, branded “greedy” in a furious chant that rolled around the ground all afternoon, the Liverpool forward endured a bruising first return to Tyneside since his acrimonious £125 million move to Anfield last year. Every miscontrol, every heavy touch, every wayward finish was seized upon. When Lewis Hall thundered into a tackle that left Isak on the turf, the roar almost matched the celebrations for Newcastle’s goals.
On the pitch, he offered little in the way of a response. Off it, his new manager refused to blame the hostility.
Iraola shields misfiring Isak
Andoni Iraola, taking charge of Liverpool for the first time, insisted the occasion had not rattled the 26-year-old despite a tepid display in the 2-2 draw.
“I think he expected a bit the atmosphere, it was not a big surprise for him,” Iraola said. “He has tried everything, given us good positions on the ball, has had a couple of situations to finish in the box but not the clearest but I value that he has continued pushing, fighting.”
The words were protective, almost defiant. The evidence on the grass was harsher. Isak’s move to Liverpool was supposed to be a statement signing; instead last season drifted by in a haze of injuries and poor form. On this showing, the question of when – or if – he will start to justify that fee remains wide open.
Liverpool, though, escaped with a point that felt like a steal.
Late drama spares Liverpool’s blushes
The defensive frailties that haunted Liverpool last season were back on display. Newcastle sliced through them early and often, and for long spells Iraola’s side looked on course to start a new era with a familiar, damaging defeat.
Anthony Elanga struck first, punishing slack defending to give Newcastle an early lead and ignite an already hostile crowd. Liverpool staggered, then slowly found their feet after the interval. Cody Gakpo’s equaliser shortly after half-time briefly quietened the noise and hinted at a turnaround.
Newcastle hit back almost immediately. Joe Willock came off the bench and wasted no time, restoring the advantage with the kind of impact every manager craves from a substitute. St James’ Park bounced again; Liverpool’s back line wobbled once more.
The clock ticked into stoppage time. Newcastle looked set to hand Matthias Jaissle a statement win in his first Premier League outing. Then came the twist.
Hall, who had revelled in the physical battle all afternoon, clattered into Victor Munoz in the box deep into added time. The challenge was clumsy, reckless in that moment of maximum jeopardy. The referee pointed to the spot. Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up and thrashed the penalty into the roof of the net, ripping away two points from Newcastle with virtually the last kick.
Iraola, hired from Bournemouth to replace the sacked Arne Slot, could finally exhale.
“We scored at the end, so probably you have a better taste. But before the game we wouldn't have signed for this result,” he admitted, acknowledging both the relief and the lingering concern over his team’s fragility.
Jaissle fumes at ‘soft’ penalty call
On the opposite bench, Jaissle cut a frustrated figure. Appointed after Eddie Howe’s shock resignation earlier in August, the new Newcastle boss had been seconds from a perfect start, only to see it snatched away by a decision he simply did not accept.
“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 said. “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.”
The anger was clear, but so was the pride. Newcastle, without injured mainstays Dan Burn and Joelinton, had outplayed Liverpool for long stretches, pressing aggressively and moving the ball with confidence.
“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,” Jaissle added. “This was special, already delivering on a high level and it makes us proud. We've a really good base to build on.”
Newcastle left the pitch feeling robbed. Liverpool walked away knowing they had escaped.
Isak, caught in the middle of it all, slipped quietly down the tunnel. The boos had faded, but the question lingered: how long can a £125 million striker keep searching for his real Liverpool debut?
