Newcastle United's opening Premier League fixture under new manager Matthias Jaissle ended in a 2-2 draw against Liverpool at St James' Park, a result that carried echoes of the fixture's storied history of late twists.
The hosts led 2-1 deep into stoppage time, appearing set for a statement victory in Jaissle's first competitive match in charge. But five additional minutes were added, and Liverpool substitute Victor Munoz went down under a challenge from Lewis Hall inside the penalty area. Referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot, and Dominik Szoboszlai converted to salvage a point for the visitors.
Jaissle reacted furiously to the decision on the touchline, later describing it in his press conference as "soft," though he stopped short of elaborating further. "I cannot repeat everything because I could get in trouble and may need to pay some fines," he said. Despite his frustration, the German coach struck a largely positive tone when reflecting on his side's overall performance. "Overall, I told them that I'm really proud of what I saw over the 90 minutes. This is a really top starting point," he added.
The match doubled as a tribute to Newcastle legend Kevin Keegan, whose family and several of his former players—including Alan Shearer, Rob Lee and Tino Asprilla—watched from the directors' box. Supporters group Wor Flags marked the occasion with a stadium-wide display before kickoff, including a banner in the Gallowgate End urging fans to keep believing in the club's ambitions.
That message resonated given the turbulence Newcastle have experienced over the past year. The club lost several key figures—Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes—while long-serving head coach Eddie Howe also departed. Jaissle, stepping into his first Premier League managerial role, has overseen a summer of signings limited to players aged 24 and under with no prior top-flight experience, prompting skepticism from some pundits about how Newcastle would fare against established opposition.
Injured captain Dan Burn has suggested the club thrives when written off, and Sunday's atmosphere reflected that siege mentality, further fueled by the buzz surrounding Isak's return to St James' Park. Jaissle acknowledged the importance of that connection between supporters and players. "If you have this synergy between the fans and then the players delivering on the pitch, something special can be created," he said.
On the pitch, Newcastle showed flashes of intensity and directness that suggested promise for the campaign ahead. New signing Amar Dedic, who completed a £30million move from Benfica just days before the match, made an immediate impact. Anthony Elanga, a summer arrival from last year still finding his footing at the club, opened the scoring with a composed finish into the bottom corner. Yoane Wissa, meanwhile, set up substitute Joe Willock for Newcastle's second goal and led the team in duels won with 11, embodying the leadership role Jaissle has assigned him.
"The manager expects me to be a leader and lead the group," Wissa told Sky Sports. "He wants me to be winning balls, making sure everyone is going forward, going for the kill, and sometimes just be calm."
Still, the late equaliser underscored a recurring issue from last season, when Newcastle dropped more points from winning positions—27—than any other Premier League club. Jaissle, however, praised his squad's resilience in the aftermath. "We were there for each other if something went wrong," he said. "We acted like a unit. In such a short amount of time, this is a top starting point, and the frustration was there as well, but these are the challenges we have now. With the pre-season, with the transition phase, it's normal. Today someone threw stones in the way and we need to take that out to be successful again."
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.