'I disagree with it': Newcastle boss disappointed with penalty decision that rescued Liverpool

Dominik Szoboszlai dispatched one of the most emphatic spot kicks you're likely to see this season to rescue a point as the 100th minute of an absorbing contest approached.

SPOT ON: Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai scores the equaliser from the penalty spot.

Newcastle 2 Liverpool 2

FOR an awful, gut-wrenching moment for 50,000 Newcastle supporters, it looked like the 'rat' would be given his chance to upstage Mighty Mouse.

Alexander Isak, handed his unwanted rodent moniker by the fans who once idolised him on his first return since going on strike to force a move to Anfield 12 months ago, was lurking with intent to reap the rewards from 12 yards in the melee after Lewis Hall's foul on substitute Victor Munoz deep into stoppage-time.

Dominik Szoboszlai pulled rank on the sulky Swede to grab the ball and dispatch one of the most emphatic spot kicks you're likely to see this season beyond Lukas Hornicek into the top corner of the net to rescue a point as the 100th minute of an absorbing contest approached. It was the latest successful penalty in a Premier League match for 15 years.

It didn't quite run to the signature 4-3 these two rivals have famously fought out in the past, but it could have done. Defences most certainly weren't on top as Tyneside and Merseyside came together to remember one of their own. King Kev, or 'Machtige Maus' as he became known during his spell in Germany with Hamburg, would have loved it.

Liverpool did enough to merit a point, but there remains much for Andoni Iraola to work on with the defensive frailties which pock-marked Arne Slot's farewell campaign still clear as was a general lack of creativity as they started life without Mo Salah in largely unconvincing fashion.

"It's not the result we wanted but scoring in the last minute gives you a better taste," the Spaniard reflected after his first league game in charge of the Anfield club.

The Liverpool head coach added: "We never gave up and I liked that. You could feel the energy from the players coming from the bench and we had a lot of good moments so overall it was a good recovery."

Newcastle were twice ahead through two players who ended lengthy Premier League scoring droughts as Matthias Jaissle's side went some way to lifting the gloom to have descended on St James' Park during a summer of discontent that saw the departure of the manager and the heart ripped out of the midfield.

Anthony Elanga failed to find the net in the Premier League last season following his arrival from Nottingham Forest, but the forward hit the ground running this time by opening his account five minutes into the new campaign.

The goal was the epitome of a swift counter-attack as two passes from Amar Dedic and Will Osula propelled the ball from one area to the other for Elanga to outpace Milos Kerkez and beat Alisson Becker with a confident angled drive into the bottom corner, all stemming from Ryan Gravenberch surrendering possession in front of the Gallowgate End..

Liverpool's Dutch midfielder was involved in a more positive manner when he teed-up the equaliser 10 minutes into the second half. Cody Gakpo was given time and space to turn onto a Gravenberch pass outside the Newcastle area, and made the hosts pay by finding the bottom corner with a fine finish from 20 yards.

Parity lasted precisely 176 seconds. Yoane Wissa was allowed to run 60 yards from the edge of his own area before playing in Joe Willock, who dug out a fine right foot effort beyond Alisson from the edge of the area into the corner of the net with his second touch after entering the fray. It was the substitute's first Premier League goal for two-and-a-half years.

Wissa should have put the result beyond doubt when failing to apply a finishing touch to a cross with the goal at his mercy, before his shot was blocked by Alisson after being put through on goal as Liverpool left gaps in search of an equaliser.

They proved to be costly misses but Newcastle supporters were at least spared the pain of Isak securing a point from the spot as Szoboszlai confidently stepped-up to show his bottle with the definition of a pressure penalty.

"I think it's what you call in this country a soft one," Jaissle reflected on Hall's knee-on-knee collision with Munoz, a player who came close to signing for the Magpies in the summer.

"If you give that then there will be so many penalties that have to be given. I disagree with it but I better not say any more."

The German head coach named Newcastle's youngest starting XI for 20 years and he added: "It was a tough end but I'm happy with the performance. The guys fought to the finish and put their hearts out on the pitch. Unfortunately we couldn't get all three points and the heads are a little down in the dressing room right now."

Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Hornicek 7; Dedic 7, Thiaw 7, Botman 7, Hall 6; Miley 7 (Bamba 76, 6), Steur 6 (Ramsey 56, 6); Elanga 8 (Murphy 76, 6), Wissa 6 (Schar 90, 6), Barnes 6; Osula 7 (Willock 56, 7). 

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson 6; Frimpong 5, Jacquet 6 (Araujo 70, 6), van Dijk 6, Kerkez 5; Szoboszlai 8, Gravenberch 6 (Koumas 78, 6 ); Ngumoha 4 (Munoz 63, 7), Wirtz 5 (MacAllister 63, 6), Gakpo 7; Isak 3.

Referee: Stuart Attwell.