Dominik Szoboszlai's Late Penalty Secures Draw for Liverpool Against Newcastle

Dominik Szoboszlai buried a penalty deep into stoppage time to rip the points out of Newcastle’s hands and drag Liverpool to a 2-2 draw on a wild afternoon at St James’ Park that felt straight out of Kevin Keegan’s heyday.

The Hungary midfielder held his nerve in the ninth minute of added time, slamming home from 12 yards after Lewis Hall was penalised for a late challenge on substitute Víctor Muñoz. The decision left Newcastle’s players furious and the home crowd stunned, but it stretched Liverpool’s unbeaten run on Tyneside to 10 league games.

For Newcastle, it felt like a robbery. For the neutral, it was a classic.

Keegan tributes, Keegan-style chaos

This was a day built around nostalgia. Both teams emerged for the warm-up in Keegan number seven shirts, Tyneside and Merseyside briefly united in applause for a man who lit up both clubs. The emotion didn’t linger long.

Once the whistle went, the atmosphere turned sharp. Alexander Isak, back at St James’ Park after his big-money move, walked into a wall of hostility from the 52,630 crowd. Every touch, every misstep, drew a roar.

And Newcastle fed off it.

After just five minutes, impressive debutant Amar Dedic slid a clever ball into Will Osula, who threaded a perfectly weighted pass into Anthony Elanga’s stride. The Sweden international burned past Milos Kerkez, opened his body and rolled a right-foot finish across Alisson Becker into the far corner. The jeers aimed at Isak flipped instantly into delirium.

Liverpool’s answer was to dominate the ball, but without much incision. Lukás Hornícek had to react sharply to tip over Florian Wirtz’s deflected drive on 18 minutes, yet Newcastle were the ones playing with the sharper edge whenever they broke.

Lewis Miley sprayed a raking diagonal that allowed Dedic to fire in a shot, which clipped Kerkez and flew behind. Jérémy Jacquet stretched just enough to stop Osula reaching a slick Yoane Wissa through-ball. The patterns were clear: Liverpool had possession; Newcastle had purpose.

Szoboszlai tried to force the issue with a 26th-minute free-kick after Wissa tugged him back, but he drilled it straight into the wall. The half closed with Newcastle’s slender lead intact and Liverpool short of ideas in the final third.

Gakpo hits back, Willock responds instantly

The tempo spiked again after the break. Szoboszlai’s early corner caused panic in the six-yard box, yet Newcastle nearly landed a counter-punch when Harvey Barnes and Elanga surged away on the break, only to waste the opening. Moments later, Miley’s 48th-minute effort failed to trouble Alisson.

Liverpool were still probing and finally found their moment. Cody Gakpo curled a 53rd-minute effort just over with Hornícek rooted, a warning Newcastle did not heed. Two minutes later, Gakpo was given time and space 25 yards out and punished them, drilling a skidding strike past Hornícek to level.

St James’ Park barely had time to process the equaliser before it erupted again.

Almost straight from the restart, Wissa’s quick feet carved open space on the edge of the box and he slipped the ball to substitute Joe Willock, who had only just come on. Willock stepped inside and drove a precise shot across Alisson and into the far corner. His first meaningful touch, Newcastle back in front, Liverpool stunned.

New Magpies boss Matthias Jaissle, still only weeks into the job and working with a squad that may yet change before the window closes, prowled his technical area, urging more of the same. His side responded. They pushed for a third.

Jacob Ramsey, another substitute, dragged a 70th-minute volley wide when he should have done better. Wissa, turning in his best display yet in black and white and playing as if determined to show why Newcastle spent big to move beyond Isak, went through one-on-one, only for Alisson to stand tall and block.

Liverpool clung on, then crept forward again.

Late drama and a bitter ending for Newcastle

As the clock ticked into added time, Newcastle looked like they had ridden out the storm. The home crowd whistled for full-time. Liverpool kept asking.

Then came the twist.

In the dying seconds, referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot, to Hall’s disbelief and the home fans’ fury, after the defender was adjudged to have brought down Víctor Muñoz in the area. Hall sank to his knees in anguish. Newcastle players surrounded the official. Nothing changed.

Szoboszlai stepped up, shut out the noise and drilled his penalty low and true. Hornícek guessed, but he never got near it.

Jaissle could still take encouragement from the aggression, organisation and attacking threat his side showed against one of the league’s heavyweights. On the opposite bench, Andoni Iraola left relieved to escape with a point, yet fully aware that Liverpool’s wastefulness and vulnerability without the ball will demand answers in the days ahead.

On a day built to remember Kevin Keegan, the game itself did the job. Open, breathless, chaotic. If this is what early-season Newcastle and Liverpool look like, what will these two serve up when the stakes are even higher?