Newcastle United 2-2 Liverpool: Five key takeaways from Premier League 2026-27 match

The Magpies sealed a narrow win over the Reds.

Newcastle United hosted Liverpool at St. James’ Park Stadium in an exciting Matchday 1 fixture of the English Premier League 2026-27 on Sunday, August 23, 2026. Goals from Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock gave the Magpies the advantage, but a late penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai rescued a 2-2 draw for the Reds.

The hosts started the match well and took an early lead, with Anthony Elanga finishing a blistering counter-attack move and finding the back of the net in the fifth minute.

The opening strike gave Newcastle United a boost in confidence, and they continued to dominate proceedings from that moment, although the Reds slowly found their footing in the contest. Despite this, the home side went to the break with a one-goal advantage.

The visitors came out fighting in the second half, and Cody Gakpo equalised in the 55th minute with a stunning strike from distance.

The parity lasted for less than three minutes as Joe Willock scored a stunning goal in the 58th minute, finishing after being set up by Yoane Wissa. The game looked destined to end in a Newcastle victory, but substitute Victor Munoz won a penalty for Liverpool in the 96th minute. Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up and found the top corner with a thunderous penalty kick, salvaging a draw for the visitors.

Also Read: Who is Amar Dedic? Newcastle United’s new signing from Benfica

Important things we learned from Newcastle United vs Liverpool:

1. Kerkez exposed by Elanga

For all his shortcomings, Andy Robertson did have one undeniable asset: his blistering pace. His replacement, Milos Kerkez, is not a speedster, and the Hungarian was left brutally exposed by Anthony Elanga during Newcastle United’s opening goal of the night. A rapid counter-attack saw Elanga leave Kerkez for dead before finding the bottom corner with a fine strike. The left-back was later booked for pulling down Elanga.

2. Hosts fail to build on lead

Elanga’s opener gave Newcastle United the perfect opportunity to build on their lead and get a second goal. Instead, Matthias Jaissle’s men retreated to their own half, still looking to hit on the counter instead of trying to dictate the tempo. As a result, they gave the ball away cheaply one too many times, inviting unnecessary pressure from the Reds.

3. Isak’s disappointing homecoming

Tonight was the first time Alexander Isak returned to St. James’ Park since his acrimonious exit from Newcastle United. The Swede was booed by the home supporters every time he touched the ball, and he did not give the Reds fans much to cheer for with his dreary performance. He had a solitary touch in the opposition box in the first half, failing to test Lukas Hornicek.

4. Gakpo bails out Iraola

The Liverpool players were clearly struggling to implement Andoni Iraola’s high-intensity tactics in the opening match. For all their pressing and off-the-ball work, Newcastle United choked Liverpool out of any space in front of the box. That changed in the second half, when Gakpo found himself with the space and time to pick his shot. The Dutchman’s strike flew into the bottom corner, giving Iraola a modicum of respite.

5. Substitutes make the difference

The Reds have been one of Joe Willock’s favourite opponents, and the 27-year-old struck soon after coming on to put his side in front again, less than two minutes after being introduced. Yoane Wissa did exceedingly well to make a darting run towards the opposition’s penalty area before teeing up Willock, who controlled the ball expertly before finding the back of the net. Another substitute made a late impact, with Munoz winning a penalty deep inside stoppage time, which Szoboszlai converted.

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