Szoboszlai penalty denies Newcastle victory against Liverpool

Liverpool were forced to settle for a point after Dominik Szoboszlai converted a stoppage-time penalty to rescue a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

Newcastle appeared set to begin Matthias Jaissle’s reign with a memorable victory after Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock scored either side of Cody Gakpo’s equaliser.

Elanga gives Newcastle early advantage

Newcastle made the stronger start and took the lead when Elanga raced onto William Osula’s pass before calmly sending his finish into the far corner.

The goal was Elanga’s first for the Magpies and gave the home supporters an early lift as Jaissle looked to mark his first Premier League game in charge with three points.

Liverpool struggled to find a response before the interval, with Newcastle maintaining their advantage into half-time.

The visitors eventually found an equaliser after the restart when Gakpo produced a composed finish from distance, beating goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.

Willock restores lead before late drama

Newcastle’s advantage lasted only briefly after Gakpo’s equaliser. Substitute Willock quickly restored the hosts’ lead with a precise strike into the bottom corner.

Liverpool pushed forward in search of another equaliser but appeared to be heading for defeat until the closing moments.

With almost the final kick of the game, Victor Munoz was brought down inside the Newcastle penalty area by Lewis Hall, prompting the referee to point to the spot.

Szoboszlai took responsibility and made no mistake, powering his penalty into the roof of the net to earn Liverpool a share of the points.

The result denied Jaissle a winning competitive debut but provided Liverpool with a valuable point from a difficult away fixture.

The match also featured an emotional tribute to former Newcastle manager and player Kevin Keegan, who died last month aged 75.

Supporters displayed a large “King Kev” tifo before kick-off, while a mosaic of shirts was formed in the centre circle.