Newcastle United and Liverpool served up an entertaining 2-2 draw at St James' Park on the opening day of the Premier League season, a contest that will be remembered as much for its emotional pre-match tribute to Kevin Keegan as for its dramatic finish.
The home side made the perfect start when Anthony Elanga struck inside the opening five minutes. Set free by William Osula's pass, the winger showed impressive pace to beat Liverpool full-back Milos Kerkez before finding composure to slot past Alisson. The goal ended a lengthy scoring drought for Elanga, who had failed to find the net throughout the previous league campaign following his £55m move from Nottingham Forest, and had also spurned a clear chance against Aston Villa on the opening weekend of that season.
Liverpool responded through Cody Gakpo, whose fine finish shortly after half-time levelled the contest after he had earlier gone close with an effort that flashed narrowly wide. The visitors then had to wait until deep into stoppage time for their equaliser, with Víctor Muñoz - a player Newcastle had reportedly been in contact with over a summer move before Liverpool triggered his release clause at Osasuna - winning a penalty after being fouled by Lewis Hall. Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up and converted calmly to secure a 2-2 draw for Arne Slot's side, right at the death.
Before kick-off, both sets of supporters united in an emotional tribute to Keegan, the former Newcastle and Liverpool great who recently passed away. Keegan's connection to both clubs runs deep - he won seven major trophies in six years as a player at Liverpool, including three league titles and the European Cup, before later guiding Newcastle to safety from the old Second Division in 1992 as manager, a moment widely credited with laying the foundations for the club's modern era.
On the pitch, there was plenty for both new managers to reflect on. Liverpool's Andoni Iraola, stepping into a role with significant expectations given the club's status as champions two seasons ago, saw promising performances from debutant Jérémy Jacquet and youngster Rio Ngumoha, who started despite limited fanfare. However, defensive frailties at full-back persisted, and the much-discussed forward pairing of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak - a combined £241m investment - again struggled to make a telling impact in open play. Isak, jeered throughout by home supporters following his exit from Newcastle, managed only a skied effort as his best opportunity to respond to the crowd.
For Newcastle's Matthias Jaissle, the draw offered encouraging signs despite the visible transition following the summer sales of Bruno Guimarães and other key midfielders for a combined fee north of £180m. Lewis Miley and Sean Steur, deployed as a double pivot with a combined age of 38 and fewer than 50 league starts between them, showed both promise and inexperience, occasionally erring while attempting progressive passes. Yoane Wissa, meanwhile, impressed in a No 10 role, showing far more dynamism than in previous campaigns where he had appeared far less involved.
Both managers will take encouragement from aspects of the display while recognising the work still required to smooth over rough edges. For Newcastle, the emotional weight of paying tribute to Keegan added extra significance to a match that ultimately reflected the unpredictable, attacking spirit he was so closely associated with during his time in the game.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.