The fans famously said they wanted a Newcastle United club and team that tried. They got it in spades today and almost buried the Premier League hoodoo that Liverpool have held over Newcastle United for far too long.
A first half of few chances. Anthony Elanga took his opportunity brilliantly after a lightning-fast break from our box to theirs when William Osula ran at a porous defence and played a perfect pass into the scorer’s path. There are few Premier League players with Elanga’s pace. We saw glimpses last season and this was the flying start he needed to boost his career with the Mags.
At the other end, Lukas Hornicek stretched low to his left to push a goal-bound Florian Wirtz shot round the post. That save was as impressive as the opening goal.
Sean Steur and Lewis Miley, forming what must be the youngest defensive midfield duo in the Premier League, were proving an effective shield. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.
United were defending from the front, with Yoane Wissa and Osula prominent. That drive and determination allowed Liverpool little time to rest on the ball. Could the Mags keep it up? No, we couldn’t.
The restart saw Liverpool push forward with more resolve and after 55 minutes Cody Gakpo slammed a low shot into the right corner of the Leazes End net. In a much more open contest, there had already been more chances than in the entire first half.
Joe Willock and Jacob Ramsey immediately replaced Steur and the limping Osula after the equaliser. Incredibly, within two minutes, we were ahead again. This time Wissa held off three or four challenges as he strode forward. A short pass slightly behind Willock gave him plenty to do but he did it emphatically with an accurate daisy-cutter.
Fortune favoured the hosts when Ramsey was penalised for a brilliant tackle on you-know-who. The lucky aspect was that the ball ran loose into the box, where Lewis Hall did appear to commit a foul after the whistle had gone.
Liverpool shuffled their pack as the game became a slug-fest of attack and counter-attack. Among the subs was Victor Munoz, who snubbed Tyneside for Merseyside a few weeks ago.
Wissa, enjoying his best game by far for United, somehow missed the ball two yards out when Hall laid it on a plate for him.
The Swedish striker who used to wear black-and-white then blasted a decent chance high over the bar.
Aladji Bamba became United’s fourth debutant when he replaced Miley on 76 minutes, while Jacob Murphy replaced Elanga. Before him, Hornicek, Steur and the quietly effective Amar Dedic had made their bow.
Wissa again could have made it 3-1 and this time forced Alisson into a good block. Murphy fired in a great low cross from the right wing but nobody was there to touch it home.
Hall had played well but in the final seconds of stoppage time he brought down Munoz in the box. The penalty was slammed home by Dominic Szoboszlai, high to the keeper’s right, and the spoils were shared.
If that felt cruel on United, it was particularly tough for Hall, who should have been celebrating an assist for a clinching third goal but instead was regretting a clumsy tackle that ultimately cost his team two points.
On a day both sets of supporters came together to celebrate the life of Kevin Keegan, a draw was fitting in one way.
Conversely, United carved out the better chances in open play and will rue not taking more of them.
Newcastle 2 Liverpool 2 – Sunday 23 August 2026 4.30pm
Match Stats
Goals:
Newcastle United:
Elanga 5, Willock 57
Liverpool:
Gakpo 55, Szoboszlai 90+9 pen
Possession was Newcastle 39% Liverpool 61%
Total shots were Newcastle 13 Liverpool 27
Shots on target were Newcastle 4 Liverpool 7
Corners were Newcastle 2 Liverpool 6
Touches in the opposition box Newcastle 16 Liverpool 36
Newcastle United team v Liverpool:
Hornicek, Dedic, Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Lewis Miley (Bamba 76), Steur (Ramsey 56), Elanga (Murphy 76), Barnes, Osula (Willock 56), Wissa (Schar 95)
Subs:
Jaouen, Toure, Woltemade, Shahar