Szoboszlai Rescues Liverpool with Last-Gasp Equalizer at Newcastle

Dominik Szoboszlai equalized in the final seconds of added time to secure a hard-fought 2-2 draw for Liverpool at Newcastle on the opening day of the Premier League 2026-2027 season. The result masks a sluggish performance in Andoni Iraola’s first official match as manager of the Reds.

The match started at a brisk pace before Newcastle took advantage of a Liverpool turnover to open the scoring on the counter-attack, with Anthony Elanga finishing the move. Despite dominating possession for long stretches, Liverpool struggled to create genuine danger, moving the ball around without truly troubling Newcastle’s defense.

Cody Gakpo finally leveled the match in the 55th minute with a well-placed finish in the box. The joy was short-lived: three minutes later, Joe Willock capitalized on a defensive lapse to restore Newcastle’s advantage.

Liverpool then laid siege to Newcastle’s goal, creating numerous chances but unable to break through a well-organized defense. Defeat seemed inevitable until Szoboszlai found the breakthrough in stoppage time, sparing the Reds a season-opening loss.

Iraola leaves St. James’ Park with a point and credit for a team that never gave up, but there is much room for improvement.