Dominik Szoboszlai's Late Penalty Seals Draw for Liverpool
Dominik Szoboszlai buried a penalty deep into stoppage time to rip the win from Newcastle’s grasp and cap a wild Premier League contest that Kevin Keegan himself would have recognised.
The Hungary midfielder held his nerve in the ninth minute of added time, drilling home from 12 yards after Lewis Hall was ruled to have brought down substitute Victor Munoz. The spot-kick secured a 2-2 draw for Liverpool and stretched their unbeaten run at St James’ Park to 10 games, but it felt like a gut punch for a Newcastle side that thought they had done enough.
They had. Until they hadn’t.
Keegan tributes, Keegan football
On a day when Tyneside and Merseyside came together to salute Keegan’s impact on both clubs, the pre-match mood was nostalgic and warm. Both teams emerged for the warm-up in Keegan number seven shirts, an emotional nod to the man who helped shape eras at each end of the A1.
The tone changed the moment the whistle went.
Alexander Isak, back at St James’ Park as a £130 million Liverpool forward, walked into a wall of hostility from the 52,630 crowd. Every touch drew jeers. Every miscontrol, roars. It was Yoane Wissa, though, who stole the attacking spotlight for Newcastle, delivering his best performance yet in black and white as the man partly signed to soften the blow of Isak’s sale.
New Magpies head coach Matthias Jaissle, only weeks into the job and still working with a squad that could shift again before the window closes, watched his side play with edge and purpose. Across the technical area, Andoni Iraola left with a point and relief, but also a list of problems to solve.
Elanga strikes, Newcastle seize the moment
The home crowd did not have to wait long to erupt. After just five minutes, impressive debutant Amar Dedic slid a clever ball into Will Osula, who timed his pass perfectly into the run of Anthony Elanga. The Sweden international burned away from Milos Kerkez, opened his body and sent a low right-foot shot across Alisson Becker and into the far corner.
The jeers for Isak turned into a roar of vindication. Newcastle had their lead. Liverpool had to chase.
The visitors tried to respond quickly. Lukas Hornicek, preferred in goal for Newcastle, reacted sharply to palm away a deflected effort from Florian Wirtz on 18 minutes. Yet Jaissle’s side repeatedly invited danger with loose passing in their own half, handing Liverpool territory they had not fully earned.
Newcastle still carried threat. Lewis Miley’s raking diagonal on 22 minutes picked out Dedic, whose driven shot clipped Kerkez and flew behind for a corner. Jeremy Jacquet then did just enough to stop Osula from reaching Wissa’s through-ball as the hosts hunted a second.
Liverpool dominated the ball without doing much with it. Szoboszlai smacked a 26th-minute free-kick straight into the wall after being pulled back by Wissa. That summed up their first half: plenty of possession, little incision. Newcastle went in at the break with their 1-0 lead intact and deserved.
Gakpo ignites, Willock answers
Szoboszlai tried to drag Liverpool forward as the second half opened, his early corner causing problems in the Newcastle box. But the hosts still looked the more dangerous in transition. Harvey Barnes and Elanga tore away on the break, only to waste a promising opening. Moments later, Miley found space but failed to trouble Alisson with his 48th-minute strike.
The warning signs for Newcastle grew. Cody Gakpo curled a 53rd-minute effort just over with Hornicek rooted, a glimpse of the quality still lurking in Liverpool’s attack. Two minutes later, that quality punished Newcastle.
Given too much time and room 25 yards out, Gakpo stepped onto a loose ball and lashed a skidding drive past Hornicek. One touch, one ruthless finish. Liverpool were level, and suddenly the away end found its voice.
St James’ Park answered in kind.
Almost immediately, Newcastle surged again. Wissa’s quick feet carved open space on the edge of the area, and substitute Joe Willock – on the pitch only seconds – took full advantage. He stepped inside, picked his spot and fired unerringly across Alisson into the far corner.
From parity to pandemonium. 2-1 Newcastle. Willock’s impact could hardly have been sharper.
Newcastle push, Liverpool cling on
Jaissle’s men sensed blood. They pressed higher, snapped into tackles and went after a third. Substitute Jacob Ramsey arrived late on a dropping ball in the 70th minute but dragged his volley wide when he should at least have hit the target. Wissa then burst clear one-on-one, only for Alisson to stand tall and block, a vital intervention that kept Liverpool alive.
Those missed chances lingered as the clock ticked into added time.
Liverpool, short on fluency but long on resilience, kept forcing the ball into dangerous areas. Newcastle dropped deeper, protecting what they had. The stadium was ready to celebrate a statement win for a new era under Jaissle.
Then came the twist.
Late penalty drama
Deep into stoppage time, the ball broke in the Newcastle box. Victor Munoz went down under a challenge from Lewis Hall. Referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot, to Hall’s visible disbelief and anguish. St James’ Park erupted in fury. Liverpool saw their lifeline.
Szoboszlai stepped up. No hesitation. No fuss. He drilled the penalty home, low and true, and wheeled away as the away end exploded. A game Newcastle had led twice, a game they had controlled for long spells, had slipped from their grasp in the ninth added minute.
For Jaissle, there was plenty to admire – the intensity, the bravery on the ball, the performances of Wissa, Dedic and Miley. For Iraola, the point came wrapped in questions about structure and sharpness, but also a reminder of his side’s refusal to fold.
For everyone inside St James’ Park, it was something else entirely: a chaotic, emotional afternoon played at Keegan speed, with a Keegan scoreline, and an ending that will sting on Tyneside long after the tributes have faded.
