Newcastle led twice
The 2026-27 Premier League opener between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park on August 23, 2026, ended in a 2-2 draw. Newcastle took an early lead through Anthony Elanga, while Liverpool leveled through Cody Gakpo. Joe Willock then scored Newcastle's second goal to put the home side back in front.
Liverpool came from behind twice to level with Newcastle in the final moments of the match.
Szoboszlai's 99th-minute penalty
Liverpool's equalizer came in stoppage time. Liverpool were awarded a penalty after Lewis Hall brought down Victor Muñoz in the penalty area, and Dominik Szoboszlai converted it in the 99th minute. The Premier League's official report, both clubs' official reports, and multiple sports outlets confirmed the final score and the incident.
The penalty incident drew attention as the moment that changed the result at the end of the match, but this package found no basis for definitively calling the decision a clear error.
League debuts for two new managers
The match marked Andoni Iraola's Premier League managerial debut with Liverpool and Matthias Jaissle's managerial debut with Newcastle. Both teams recorded draws rather than wins in their new managers' first league matches.
Before the match, a tribute was also held for Kevin Keegan, who has connections with both Newcastle and Liverpool. This background added significance to the meeting between the two clubs, but no evidence was found that the tribute directly affected the result.
Confirmed match information
- Match: Newcastle United 2-2 Liverpool
- Date and venue: August 23, 2026, St James' Park
- Liverpool scorers: Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai
- Newcastle scorers: Anthony Elanga, Joe Willock
- Decisive moment: Szoboszlai converted in the 99th minute after Victor Muñoz won the penalty