Dominik Szoboszlai Shines in Liverpool's Draw at Newcastle

Dominik Szoboszlai walked towards the Gallowgate End with the game slipping away and the noise rising around him. No Mohamed Salah. No debate. Just a new taker, a new season, and a new order at Liverpool.

He didn’t blink.

The Hungarian rifled his penalty into the top corner, a ruthless finish that salvaged a 2-2 draw at St James’ Park and gave a very loud answer to the question that has hovered over Liverpool all summer: who takes the spot-kicks now?

Szoboszlai stakes his claim

Szoboszlai, priced at £7.0m in FPL, had already been heavily involved. He ran Liverpool’s set plays, took every corner and free-kick, and carried a threat from range. When Victor Munoz, on for the struggling Rio Ngumoha, was clipped in the box late on, there was no hesitation.

• Not Alexander Isak.
• Not Alexis Mac Allister.
• Not Cody Gakpo.

Just Szoboszlai, who had spoken about the hours put in behind the scenes.

“I was practising a lot in the pre-season… in training, so thanks to the second and third goalies to be there for me,” he said afterwards.

Andoni Iraola, looking on from the Liverpool dugout, was quick to stress the wealth of options.

“I think we have not only Dom [Szoboszlai] and Alexander [Isak] – we have more very good specialists. Alexis [Mac Allister] also was on the pitch and he’s a very good penalty-taker, Cody [Gakpo] – we have a lot. But I think Dom showed the level. It’s an almost impossible penalty to stop.”

It looked like a hierarchy moment. A first big call from 12 yards in the post-Salah era, answered with conviction.

Before that, Gakpo had dragged Liverpool back into the contest with a crisp, low drive from outside the box, drilled into the far corner. The Dutchman peppered the Newcastle goal all afternoon, racking up six shots – more than any other player in Gameweek 1 so far – and his defensive work saw him hit the DefCon threshold to finish on 12 FPL points.

Liverpool ended with 27 shots. They left with only a point. But their new midfield leader left with something more valuable: authority.

Isak muted, Wirtz off the pace

On the other side, this was supposed to be Alexander Isak’s day. A return to St James’ Park, a chance to set the tone under Matthias Jaissle.

It never quite ignited.

Isak was involved in five of Newcastle’s attacking moments – either shooting or creating – yet his afternoon was defined by half-chances and frustration. A header blocked, a shot lashed over from just inside the area, and long spells where the game seemed to drift past him.

Iraola, speaking about his striker, chose to see the positives.

“I think he expected a little bit the atmosphere, I don’t think [it] has been a big surprise for him. I think he has tried everything, has given us good positions on the ball. [He] probably has had a couple of situations to finish inside the box, but probably not the clearest that he wanted or we wanted, but I value that. He has continued pushing on in the game, fighting, and I think it’s a good step for Alex for being the first game.”

Florian Wirtz, at £7.5m, didn’t fare much better. Used in a front two alongside Isak, he flickered early with a decent effort that Lukas Hornicek turned away, but his influence faded quickly. Hooked just after the hour, his Premier League bow as a second striker felt more like a warning than a statement.

Liverpool had their own disappointments. Both full-backs struggled, Ngumoha looked uncomfortable on the right, and the back line never truly settled, even if Jeremy Jacquet showed promise before coming off on 70 minutes.

“Jeremy [Jacquet] hasn’t done a proper pre-season, so it was kind of expected he didn’t finish the game,” Iraola said. “All the substitutes gave us energy. We need it because it’s difficult to last the full 90 minutes with the same players the way we want to play. Players coming off the bench can affect the game.”

Munoz certainly did. He attacked his flank with more conviction than Ngumoha and earned the late penalty that changed the mood entirely.

Wissa shines in Jaissle’s Newcastle

For all that late drama, this was Newcastle’s game for long stretches. Under Jaissle, they looked quicker, more vertical, more willing to spring forward at speed.

Anthony Elanga opened the scoring and substitute Joe Willock added another, both goals born from rapid transitions that ripped through Liverpool’s structure. Those counter-attacks will be replayed in the Tottenham analysis room this week.

The star, though, was Yoane Wissa.

Nominally a No 10 behind Will Osula, Wissa roamed, linked, and drove at Liverpool with real menace. He missed a couple of big chances but still stood out as the game’s most dangerous creative force, carrying the ball brilliantly to set up Willock’s goal.

“With the new role he’s given me it’s given me a lot of confidence. I’m one of the leaders so I need to back him,” Wissa said of Jaissle. “Because on the pitch you can’t always hear him so I need to make sure the guys are on alert.

“The manager expects me to be a leader and lead the group. He wants me to be winning balls, making sure everyone is going forward, going for the kill, and sometimes just be calm. He wants me to keep up the energy. He wants a lot of energy and that’s the role he gave to me and I am very happy.”

On this evidence, he will ask serious questions of Tottenham next weekend. Both Newcastle goals came from balls slid in behind and direct, incisive running. Spurs will need to be braced for that same punch.

Behind Wissa, Hornicek was assured in goal, Amar Dedic looked reliable at right-back, and Lewis Miley impressed in midfield, especially given his limited pre-season minutes.

Burn blow and Osula concern

The one sour note for Newcastle arrived before kick-off. Captain Dan Burn, priced at £5.0m, is expected to miss the next few weeks after suffering an ankle injury in training. He arrived at St James’ Park on crutches and in a protective boot, a stark image for a side about to lean heavily on its defensive structure under a new manager.

Osula, who dovetailed nicely with Wissa in attack, also gave cause for concern. He appeared to struggle after a collision, tried to run it off, but eventually departed on 56 minutes. There has been no clear update yet, though Jaissle’s pre-match press conference before the midweek EFL Cup tie against West Bromwich Albion should offer more clarity.

For now, the story belongs to Szoboszlai and Wissa: one announcing himself as Liverpool’s new man from 12 yards, the other emerging as the heartbeat of Jaissle’s Newcastle.

Tottenham are next in line. Who will enjoy that chaos more?