Last August, Liverpool's visit to St James' Park ended in jubilant scenes with Rio Nguemoha's last-gasp winner on the 100th minute. This time, the Merseysiders struck again at the death, with Dominik Szoboszlai coolly converting a penalty in the 99th minute, marking the latest penalty scored by the club in the Premier League since 2011. However, the final whistle brought more relief than joy for the visitors, who salvaged a 2-2 draw. A defeat would have marked Liverpool's first loss in an opening match since the 2012/13 season, and although the point boosts team spirit, it does little to mask existing on-pitch issues.
Upon the final whistle, Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola highlighted his side's character during an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live:
It may not be the result you expect at the beginning of the match, but we definitely deserved that point, if not more. The team never gave up, and it’s sweeter knowing we equalised in stoppage time.
Despite conceding two goals in a passionate encounter at a packed stadium, Iraola has serious reflections ahead of the return trip to Merseyside. The performance laid bare a stark lack of squad depth and creativity. Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin offered a scathing assessment on 5 Live:
Liverpool are expected to challenge for at least a top-four finish this season, but they didn’t look like a top-four team today. New players need to arrive, so it’s too early to make definitive conclusions about their season. There’s a clear lack of creativity, and the coaching staff must get more out of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, who definitely didn’t show their best form today.
All eyes were on the expensive duo of newcomers. Swedish striker Alexander Isak, who joined from Newcastle last autumn after a protracted transfer saga, faced a barrage of boos with every touch. Despite displaying great energy with 28 touches, he squandered a brilliant goal-scoring opportunity in the second half – a chance he would have routinely taken during his time with the Magpies. Wirtz started brightly but was substituted shortly after the hour when Joe Willock put the hosts ahead 2-1. Both of these marquee signings, acquired for nine-figure sums, must urgently develop their on-field chemistry.
An intriguing subplot as the transfer window nears its close is the future of Cody Gakpo. If Liverpool's hierarchy can secure the signatures of two attacking players, the Dutchman may be on the move. The Merseysiders have been linked with PSG wingers Bradley Barcola and Ibrahima Mbaye, as well as Yankuba Minta from Brighton, who recently had two offers declined. Despite this, Gakpo was named Player of the Match for the visitors, having scored a stunning goal. Another highlight was the debut of Spanish forward Victor Munoz, who came off the bench to win the crucial penalty.
The decision to replace 17-year-old Rio Nguemoha underscored the challenges faced by the youngster on the right flank, especially since he was accustomed to playing on the left at youth level. Iraola aims to make wingers versatile, but that necessitates new resources. After the introductions of Munoz and Alexis Mac Allister at the 63-minute mark, the bench was left with only Georgiy Mamaradshvili, Ronald Araujo, Wataru Endo, Kostas Tsimikas, Trey Nyoni, James McConnell, and Lewis Kumas.
In defence, full-backs Milos Kerkec and Jeremy Frimpong endured a rough outing, as the team failed twice during the opposition's swift counter-attacks. The absence of a specialist holding midfielder forced Iraola to drop Mac Allister closer to the centre-backs. Since last season, Liverpool have conceded nine goals following quick breaks across all competitions – the most of any Premier League club.
Summing up a challenging debut, Andoni Iraola stated:
I liked a lot of what I saw from the team. There are definitely areas to improve, like the goals conceded, but I saw many positives. I particularly liked the energy from the players who came off the bench. I think, physically, we finished the match quite strongly.
This sense of confidence was echoed by the match-winner Dominik Szoboszlai in an interview with Sky Sports:
We will never give up, I can guarantee you that. We must fight every time – for all 90 minutes. Everyone who came off the bench contributed. We need the whole squad, and we must be ready.
