Szoboszlai’s 99th-minute penalty saves Iraola’s Liverpool at Newcastle but questions linger

Liverpool’s opening Premier League fixture of the season ended all square at Newcastle, with Dominik Szoboszlai converting a 99th-minute penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw on Andoni Iraola’s competitive debut as head coach.

Twelve months ago Liverpool had snatched a dramatic late winner on Tyneside through Rio Ngumoha. Iraola insisted afterwards that his side had deserved at least a share of the spoils, pointing to a team that never stopped pushing despite trailing on two separate occasions.

The Basque boss was careful not to overstate the significance of the result. He told BBC Radio 5 Live that while it was not the outcome his staff would have wanted ahead of kick-off, they had earned it and perhaps even more, adding that scoring so late in the contest made the point taste considerably sweeter. For all the positives, had they lost it would have been the club’s first opening-weekend defeat since the 2012-13 campaign, and the draw did little to mask the deeper worries.

Pat Nevin, the former Scotland winger working for 5 Live, was far less forgiving. He argued that a side expected to challenge for a top-four place had failed to look the part, pointing to a distinct lack of creativity and stressing the need to coax more from Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. Isak, back at his old club, was jeered by the home support on every single touch, and though he looked fired up, he wasted a glorious second-half chance. Wirtz began brightly but was withdrawn shortly after the hour mark once Newcastle went 2-1 ahead.

The biggest question hanging over Anfield remains the future of Cody Gakpo. The Dutchman was arguably Liverpool’s most impressive performer and took his goal superbly, yet his position could come under threat if the club sign two further attackers in the final week of the transfer window. Liverpool have been linked with Paris St-Germain duo Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye and have already seen two bids rejected for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh.

There were other encouraging signs, not least the debut of Spanish forward Victor Munoz, who came on and won the late penalty after replacing Ngumoha. The teenager, who turns 18 next week, endured a difficult afternoon on the right flank and was withdrawn just past the hour, a clear acknowledgement of how much he struggled. With Iraola determined that his wide men be comfortable on either side, it remains to be seen whether that experiment is repeated.

The shortage of depth was glaring once Munoz and Alexis Mac Allister entered the fray in the 63rd minute, leaving only a threadbare bench of fringe and inexperienced options. Defensively, both Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong struggled, and Liverpool were caught on the counter for each of the goals they conceded. The absence of a natural holding midfielder was evident, with Mac Allister forced to sit deep, and the underlying numbers make grim reading – Liverpool have given up more goals on the counter-attack since the start of last season than any other top-flight side.

Iraola, who prefers to hold his debrief a day after matches, insisted he had seen plenty to enjoy, praising the energy of those introduced and the way his team finished strongly physically. Szoboszlai, speaking to Sky Sports, promised the side would never stop fighting and stressed the importance of the whole squad staying ready.

That fight was never in question on Tyneside. Whether there is enough quality, and crucially enough quantity, to sustain it across a long season is the more pressing concern for the new Liverpool boss.

_For the full match analysis, read the BBC Sport report._