Key events
Newcastle should be very proud of their display. Their summer so far has been a dismal one, with some of their best players departing. But that was a proper performance, a clear tactical plan that was executed perfectly. Newcastle hustled and pressed, ran their nuts off, and broke with pace and verve and quality. Wissa was excellent, both on and off the ball. Liverpool simply couldn’t get to grips with his guile and nouse in that No 10 role. Ultimately, Newcastle couldn’t hold on. Lewis Hall had a brilliant game but it was a clear penalty.
This was not a vintage Liverpool performance, but credit should go to Andoni Iraola’s side for saving the game, when it looked lost. A draw away to Newcastle is not the worst result, particularly for a side that seems in flux. This was their bench today, at the beginning of the season where injuries and fatigue are minimal: Mamardashvili, Endo, Mac Allister, Tsimikas, Munoz, Araujo, Nyoni, McConnell, Koumas. I’m not not sure that is a squad capable of winning the Premier League again, even if Ekitike and Bradley are out injured.
Full-time: Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool
That penalty was indeed the last kick of the game. Lewis Hall has his head in his hands. St James’ Park is stunned, save for a jubilant Liverpool away end, high in the stands.
GOAL! Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool (Szoboszlai 90+9)
For the second year in a row, Liverpool have scored a late goal to crush Newcastle. Szoboszlai absolutely wellies the spot kick into the top corner. What a pen.
90+7 min: There is a long delay as Newcastle players try to disrupt and delay. Will Isak take it?! Gakpo has the ball in his hands at the moment. No, it’s going to be Szoboszlai with the penalty.
Penalty to Liverpool! Munoz is tripped by Hall!
90+5 min: Liverpool with a chance to equalise with what should be the last kick of the game. Stuart Attwell gave the penalty on the pitch and VAR will not overturn this. It is a clear penalty! Hall has been excellent all game but that was a tired attempt at a tackle.
90+4 min: Newcastle make their final change: Schar for Wissa, who has been the best player on the pitch.
90+3 min: Dedic, another Newcastle debutant, reads Gakpo well and dispossesses the Liverpool winger in a dangerous area, winning a free-kick. These Newcastle fans are cheering everything now. Liverpool’s players look resigned.
90+2 min: Szoboszlai’s corner is punched away by Hornicek. The Newcastle goalkeeper has had an excellent Premier League debut.
90+1 min: Koumas finds space but looks unconvincing as he approaches Newcastle’s box, his deflected shot at least earning Liverpool a corner.
90 min: Five minutes added on.
89 min: It is the home side that look the more dangerous! Murphy flashes a brilliant low cross across the face of Liverpool’s goal. No Newcastle player gambles and the ball flies away from danger.
88 min: Newcastle remain in a mid-block but ready to spring on the counter-attack. Liverpool have possession but look devoid of ideas, particularly with Wirtz off the field.
Wissa goes clean through!
86 min: Wissa has a chance to kill the game for Newcastle, wriggling free of the Liverpool defence, but Alisson advances and spreads himself expertly to block the Newcastle forward’s shot with his legs. Liverpool are still in this.
85 min: As if to accentuate Liverpool’s afternoon, Van Dijk tries one of this trademark diagonal passes, which bounces straight into touch.
83 min: Speaking of left-backs, Lewis Hall has been excellent for Newcastle. He didn’t give Ngumoha an inch and is increasingly winning the duels with Muñoz.
81 min: “Are we sure that Kerkez is better than Robertson (who they got rid of) and is justifying his price tag?” asks Dechlan Brennan.
No, we are not. Although in fairness we should qualify that Prime Robertson was one of the best left-backs of his generation. And I’m not sure there is any left-back in the world that would relish tracking Anthony Elanga for 76 minutes.
79 min: Szoboszlai rattles his free-kick into the Newcastle wall. Those brave, brave boys.
78 min: Murphy’s first action is to leave a couple of studs in Mac Allister’s ankle. Yellow card for the Newcastle substitute. Free-kick for Liverpool in a promising position. The visitors use the break in play to make another change: Gravenberch for Lewis Koumas, a young forward and son of former Wigan midfielder Jason Koumas.
76 min: Newcastle make a double change: Lewis Miley and Anthony Elanga are replaced by Aladji Bamba and Jacob Murphy. Like-for-like changes in central midfield and on the right wing.
74 min: Wissa, arguably the best player on the pitch, wins a foul for Newcastle after slipping past Szoboszlai. Newcastle and their fans are beginning to glance at the clock.
72 min: Muñoz has made a real difference since coming on for Liverpool and he bursts forward from the right wing, feeding Szoboszlai. The ball eventually reaches Kerkez on the left but Liverpool’s left back doesn’t get his cross right. Isak was completely free at the back post and he doesn’t hold back when complaining to his teammate for that delivery.
Big chance for Isak!
70 min: Gakpo nods a cross perfectly into Isak’s path – 15 yards from goal and central – but the Liverpool No 9 leans back and launches a shot towards the away Liverpool fans, high in the stand. That was an excellent chance, albeit on Isak’s weaker left foot.
Wissa should score!
68 min: Hall gets free for Newcastle on the left, rolls a delicious low cross across Liverpool’s six-yard box towards Wissa … who steals a march on his marker … but fails to make any contact on the cross! Wissa only had to poke it past Alisson and it would have been 3-1!
66 min: Mac Allister has moved to the base of Liverpool’s midfield, with Gravenberch and Szoboszlai slightly more advanced. What that means is that when Newcastle counter-attack, Liverpool’s defensive midfielder is now one of the slowest players in the Premier League. Interesting tinkering from Iraola.
64 min: Jacob Ramsey is booked for a challenge on Isak, but replays show the Newcastle sub took the ball cleanly.
62 min: Two changes for Liverpool: Wirtz, largely ineffective, is hooked after an hour for Mac Allister. Víctor Muñoz, who reportedly was on the verge of signing for Newcastle before joining Liverpool, replaces the disappointing Ngumoha.
60 min: Movement on the Liverpool bench. Iraola has seen enough.
GOAL! Newcastle 2-1 Liverpool (Willock 57)
One minute after coming on, Willock gives Newcastle the lead again! It’s another surging counter-attack, this time led by Wissa, who somehow deceived three Liverpool defenders on the half-way line before releasing Willock. The Newcastle substitute received a pass from Wissa on the run, cut inside and somehow dug out a finish from 20 yards despite being off-balance. The ball curled past Alisson and kissed the far post before nestling into the net!
56 min: Newcastle make a substitution: Willock and Ramsey on for Osula and Steur, the latter possibly at fault for not closing down Gakpo for the Liverpool goal. There were just 176 seconds between the Liverpool equaliser and Newcastle’s second goal.
GOAL! Newcastle 1-1 Liverpool (Gakpo 54)
After his sighter a moment ago, Gakpo makes no mistake with his second long-range attempt! After trotting infield from the left flank, the Dutchman finds himself completely unmarked between Newcastle’s midfield and defence. Gakpo has all the time in the world to turn on the ball, amble towards Newcastle’s penalty area, and fire into the far corner. Where was the Newcastle marking?
Close from Gakpo!
52 min: Good play from Wirtz, who knits together a few passes in midfield, drawing Newcastle bodies to him before releasing Kerkez. The Liverpool left-back finds Gakpo, who curls a long-range juuuuuust over the Newcastle bar. That was close. Hornicek was nowhere near it, and it that was a yard lower, it was a goal.
50 min: Ngumoha, given a rare chance in the final third to run at Hall, instead tries to play a pass to the underlapping Frimpong, but instead passes the ball straight out for a Newcastle goal-kick. Eeeeeeesh.
48 min: Wissa shows another deft touch to get away from Gravenberch but the Liverpool midfielder recovers and hooks a foot around the Newcastle forward to make an outstanding tackle.
46 min: Liverpool immediately fashion a corner. They look like they have had a rollicking at half-time. The corner is flicked on at the near post towards Isak at the far … but Hornicek punches clear. That was a crucial intervention with the former Newcastle striker lurking.
Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!
The teams are back out. No changes from either side.
Half-time reading: our snazzy men’s transfer interactive, which has news and details of all deals from Europe’s top five leagues, including Curtis Jones’ £25.7m move from Liverpool to Internazionale.
Elsewhere in the Premier League: a chastening afternoon for Aston Villa on the south coast, beaten 4-0 by Brighton.
Half-time: Newcastle United 1-0 Liverpool
Matthias Jaissle’s first half in charge of Newcastle has been a triumph.
45 min: One minute added on.
44 min: Liverpool look rather devoid of ideas. There are hopeful crosses, and shots from distance but this isn’t a fluid, attacking Liverpool side that was promised when Iraola joined. Credit must go to Newcastle for making it difficult. The home side have not stopped running, pressing at every opportunity.
42 min: Wissa trips Gravenberch in midfield and is a tad lucky to escape a second yellow card. It wasn’t a bad foul, but he did prevent a Liverpool counter-attack. Wissa receives what surely must be a final warning from Stuart Attwell. It remains 11 versus 11. For now.
40 min: Liverpool have had 10 shots to Newcastle’s five but have only tested Hornicek on one occasion. Much rests for Liverpool on Wirtz and Isak, and both have been quiet in this first 40 minutes.
38 min: The first lull of the game. My fingers hurt.
36 min: “There’ll be a lot of cliches trotted out today about Kevin Keegan, and one of them will no doubt be that he ‘transcended his sport and his nationality’, but looking back, that’s actually true,” emails Justin Kavanagh. “As a schoolboy in Ireland, and definitely NOT a Liverpool fan, I really admired his tenacity and his attitude. I once broke my leg in France, and when the ambulance guys heard me speaking English, the first words out of their mouth was… ‘ahhh, Keveen Keegeen.’ Thanks for the memories Mr. Keegan.”
34 min: Frimpong is a good player, possibly not a right back, but his end product is often left wanting and butchers a Liverpool counter-attack here with a dismal attempt at a cross. Liverpool attackers were lining up at the far post but Frimpong effectively passed it to the nearest Newcastle player.
