Dominik Szoboszlai converted a stoppage-time penalty to snatch a dramatic 2-2 draw for Liverpool away at Newcastle United, though the Hungarian midfielder insisted afterward that his side deserved all three points from the encounter at St James' Park.
The match marked the opening weekend of the new Premier League season and represented a fresh start for Liverpool under new manager Andoni Iraola. It did not begin well for the visitors, who fell behind inside five minutes when Anthony Elanga broke through the Liverpool defense and slotted past goalkeeper Alisson.
What followed was a frantic, open contest with neither team able to gain a firm grip on proceedings. Liverpool eventually found an equalizer through an unlikely source, as Cody Gakpo unleashed a speculative long-range effort that swerved into the far corner of the net.
The parity did not last long. Newcastle regained the lead when Yoane Wissa combined with Joe Willock, the midfielder curling a superb strike beyond Alisson to make it 2-1. For much of the remainder of the match, it appeared Newcastle - playing under new boss Matthias Jaissle in his first game at the helm - were destined to claim a statement victory.
However, Liverpool were handed a lifeline deep into stoppage time when defender Lewis Hall clipped Victor Munoz inside the penalty area. With virtually the last kick of the match, Szoboszlai stepped up and drilled his spot-kick into the top corner, sending Liverpool's bench into celebration while leaving Newcastle shell-shocked at the full-time whistle.
Reflecting on the result, Szoboszlai was candid about his side's performance. "If I am honest, we should have won. But that's football," he said. "You don't win easy in the Premier League - doesn't matter who you play against. We have to be aware of that and we need to take care in the next game. We will never give up. I can guarantee you that. We have to fight every time - all day long for 90 minutes."
The midfielder also praised the depth of the squad on display. "Everybody who came off the bench also made an impact as well today. We need the whole squad and we need to be ready," he added.
Iraola, taking charge of his first competitive match as Liverpool manager, echoed his player's sentiments, acknowledging the difficulty of the circumstances while still feeling his side merited more than a share of the spoils. "It's probably not the result you want when you come in before the game but we definitely deserve this point and even more," the Spaniard said.
He added that the character shown by his players in fighting back twice, particularly in front of a hostile Newcastle crowd, made the outcome easier to accept. "The team has never given up and we've recovered one point and probably the taste is better because we score in the last minute. I think it has been a difficult game in terms of starting to lose the game with this atmosphere and I think we have done enough," Iraola said.
The dramatic draw leaves Liverpool in ninth place in the early Premier League standings after the opening round of fixtures. Iraola's side will look to build momentum when they return to action next weekend, facing Nottingham Forest in Saturday's early kick-off.
Based on reporting from The Independent.