Szoboszlai’s Late Penalty Salvages Draw for Liverpool Against Newcastle

Dominik Szoboszlai shattered St James’ Park’s celebrations deep into stoppage time, rifling home a 99th-minute penalty to snatch a 2-2 draw for Liverpool and stun Newcastle United on Sunday.

On a day laced with emotion after both clubs paid tribute to Kevin Keegan, who recently died aged 75, Newcastle flew out of the blocks. The noise had barely settled when Anthony Elanga struck in the fifth minute, sweeping the hosts into an early lead and igniting the home crowd.

Liverpool took their time to respond. Andoni Iraola’s first league game in charge looked like slipping away from him as his side struggled to find rhythm, while Matthias Jaissle’s Newcastle hunted in packs and snapped into challenges.

The visitors finally punched back 10 minutes after the break. Cody Gakpo, given a sight of goal on 55 minutes, drilled in the equaliser with a crisp finish that cut through the tension and briefly quietened the home end.

Newcastle’s answer was immediate and ruthless. Just two minutes later, Elanga surged forward on the counter, carrying the ball at full tilt before slipping it to Joe Willock. The midfielder didn’t hesitate, curling a superb long-range strike beyond Alisson to restore the lead and send the stadium into uproar again.

From there, Newcastle managed the game and edged towards what looked a statement opening-day victory under their new head coach. Liverpool pushed, but clear chances were scarce. Alexander Isak, returning to the north-east after an injury-disrupted first season at Liverpool following his move from Newcastle, barely had a sight of goal and remained on the fringes of the contest.

Then came the twist.

As the final seconds of added time ticked away, Liverpool debutant Víctor Muñoz darted into the box. Lewis Hall mistimed his challenge and brought him down, the contact enough to silence St James’ Park in an instant. The referee pointed to the spot; Newcastle’s players protested, but the decision stood.

Szoboszlai stepped up with the weight of the afternoon on his shoulders and buried the penalty in the ninth minute of stoppage time, drilling it with authority to salvage a point for Iraola’s side and rip the victory from Jaissle’s grasp.

Two new managers. One fierce, chaotic opener. And a reminder that in this fixture, the drama rarely stops when the clock hits 90.