Liverpool's Stuttering Start: Draw at Newcastle

Alexander Isak’s return to St James’ Park was supposed to crackle. Instead, it simmered, then fizzled out, as Liverpool escaped with a 2-2 draw that flattered them on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

The Newcastle United crowd went after their former striker early. The chants rained down in the warm-up and through the opening exchanges, but Isak never quite found the moment to silence them. The story of his afternoon was one of near-misses, snatched chances and, eventually, open frustration.

Newcastle struck first, and with ease. Liverpool were sliced apart for Anthony Elanga’s opener in the first half, the winger finishing off a move that exposed soft underbelly and slow reactions in Andoni Iraola’s new-look side. The visitors laboured, their attacks predictable, their final ball short of conviction.

They did, though, find a way back. After the interval, Cody Gakpo dragged Liverpool level, finishing the kind of move Iraola will cling to as evidence that his ideas can work once the rust falls away. It felt like a turning point.

It wasn’t.

Almost immediately, Newcastle surged forward on a slick counter. This time it was substitute Joe Willock arriving to apply the finish, restoring the home side’s lead and re-energising the stands. Liverpool were back where they started, chasing shadows and a result they barely deserved.

There was still more than half an hour to play, but Liverpool’s lack of edge in the final third kept resurfacing. Attacks broke down. Crosses drifted. The wrong decision kept winning out.

At the other end, Isak’s day unravelled. Just after the 70-minute mark, he peeled into a dangerous pocket, waiting for the cut-back that never came. Milos Kerkez overhit his cross horribly, the ball sailing past the Swede and out of reach. Isak’s response was instant and raw — a shout of “Milos!” and then head in hands, the picture of a forward who knew this was his moment.

He could hardly claim innocence, though. Before that wayward cross, he had ballooned a presentable effort over the bar. In the final 10 minutes, a header went begging, misdirected and tame. For all the noise that greeted him, the scoreboard stayed stubbornly blank next to his name.

Liverpool, somehow, still had a lifeline to grab.

It came from one of Iraola’s summer additions. Victor Munoz, introduced from the bench in place of Rio Ngumoha, brought urgency and direct running down the flank. Deep into stoppage time, he darted into the box and drew a clumsy trip from Lewis Hall. The away end roared; Newcastle slumped. Penalty.

Isak remained on the pitch, watching, but the decisive touch belonged to a man in red. Dominik Szoboszlai, recently installed as one of Liverpool’s vice-captains, took responsibility. He placed the ball, blocked out the chaos and whipped his spot kick into the top corner. A ruthless finish. A barely-earned point.

Relief washed over Iraola and the travelling support. Any satisfaction should be brief.

This first real look at his Liverpool in competitive action exposed more than just a misfiring front line. The midfield lacked control for long spells, the full-backs looked vulnerable, and the balance of the side is still miles from right. The calendar offers no sympathy: there are only 10 days left of the transfer window to fix it.

So far, Liverpool’s hierarchy has moved for Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona and prised Munoz from Osasuna. Both add depth, both may yet prove smart business. Neither fills the Mohamed Salah-shaped void that still dominates the squad sheet.

Targets are clear, progress less so. Paris Saint-Germain duo Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye remain high on the list, but talks with the French champions have stalled. Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh is another name Liverpool like, yet his price tag is hefty and he is currently sidelined through injury.

Then there is the Gakpo question. The Dutchman scored the first equaliser at St James’ Park and worked tirelessly, but his future is not guaranteed. Tottenham are circling, and a serious offer would force Liverpool into an uncomfortable decision: cash in to fund the rebuild, or cling to a forward who may yet grow into a central figure of the post-Salah era.

For now, Iraola has a point, a stuttering performance and a long list of problems. The season has barely started, and already Liverpool feel like a club racing the clock.