The Hungarian midfielder, unerring from twelve yards, spared Andoni Iraola’s blushes on a testing afternoon for the new Liverpool boss while justifying the faith shown in his young Spanish teammate. Victor Munoz began the afternoon on the bench but proved to be the catalyst after being introduced for the final half-hour. Despite a quiet start to his cameo, he seized his moment in stoppage time, drawing a rash challenge from Lewis Hall to win the spot-kick that secured an unlikely share of the spoils.

Even so, this evolving Liverpool outfit under Andoni Iraola remains very much a work in progress. For much of the contest, they were second-best to a Newcastle side also entering a new era under Matthias Jaissle, as the German tactician appeared to have outmanoeuvred his counterpart until that fatal lapse in the dying moments.

Following a poignant pre-match tribute to the legendary Kevin Keegan—an icon for both clubs—two sides looking to banish the ghosts of last season took to the pitch. The afternoon also saw Premier League bows for Victor Munoz and Uruguayan centre-back Ronald Araujo, the latter introduced to the fray in the 70th minute.

The St James' Park faithful were treated to a high-octane performance as the Magpies came within whiskers of a statement victory, repeatedly slicing through Liverpool’s possession-heavy approach with devastating, clinical counter-attacks.

Liverpool, who slid from champions to fifth place last term, have now extended their unbeaten opening-day sequence to 13 seasons, while preserving a 20-match undefeated streak against Newcastle. For Iraola, his personal record of never losing to the Magpies in English football remains, however tenuously, intact.

The Iraola era got off to a nightmare start, however, as the hosts led within five minutes. A turnover deep in Liverpool territory allowed William Osula to surge forward and tee up Anthony Elanga, who composed himself to beat Alisson and break the deadlock. The visitors sought an immediate response, but clear-cut openings were hard to come by as long-range efforts from Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo failed to hit the target.

The pressure eventually told when Cody Gakpo restored parity. Collecting a pass from Ryan Gravenberch, the Dutchman unleashed a stinging low drive from distance that fizzed past Lukas Hornicek to level the scores.

Parity lasted mere moments as Jaissle’s tactical substitutions paid immediate dividends. Jacob Ramsey and Joseph Willock were thrown into the action, and the latter found the net within sixty seconds of his arrival. Finishing off a rapid break spearheaded by Yoane Wissa, Willock showed great composure to restore the hosts' lead.

What followed was a breathless, end-to-end encounter. As Victor Munoz looked to provide width, Liverpool left themselves exposed, allowing Newcastle to exploit the spaces on the counter. While the Reds dominated the ball in search of a second equaliser, they often looked vulnerable to the Magpies' directness.

Resolute defending and key interventions from Hornicek appeared to have secured the points as the clock ticked down. Newcastle even missed a golden opportunity to kill the game before Lewis Hall’s clumsy 95th-minute lunge on Victor Munoz changed everything. Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up to the spot, dispatched the penalty with clinical precision, and rescued a point from the jaws of defeat.

Víctor Muñoz

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