Liverpool's Premier League Debut Drama: Key Takeaways

Liverpool snatched a point in the 99th minute at St James’ Park, but the late drama could not hide the warning signs that flashed throughout Andoni Iraola’s Premier League debut.

Newcastle sliced through them twice on the counter, and for most of the afternoon Liverpool looked like a team built to be punished in transition. Only a stoppage-time lifeline kept them from opening the season with defeat.

Anthony Elanga needed just five minutes to spoil the mood. Newcastle broke at speed down the flank, Liverpool’s shape crumbled, and Elanga swept the hosts in front. The tone was set: every turnover felt like a threat.

Cody Gakpo briefly dragged Liverpool level with a long-range strike, a clean hit that momentarily silenced Tyneside and hinted at a reset. That illusion lasted all of two minutes. Joe Willock restored Newcastle’s lead almost immediately, another rapid counter exposing Liverpool’s midfield and full-backs.

The pattern was ugly and familiar. Liverpool pushed numbers forward, left space behind, and Newcastle gleefully ran into it.

Only deep into stoppage time did the visitors finally claw something back. Substitute Victor Munoz drove into the box, tempted Lewis Hall into a clumsy challenge and won a penalty that felt like desperation more than design. Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up and hammered in a stunning spot-kick to make it 2-2, a spectacular strike that papered over a messy performance.

The point may calm the table, but it doesn’t calm the debate. On this evidence, Liverpool’s squad still has glaring holes with the transfer deadline looming on September 1.

Right-back: An upgrade required

Jeremie Frimpong has now had a full year at Liverpool. His best moments keep coming in the final third, not his own. That was laid bare again here.

His pace is obvious and, going forward, it can be a weapon. Defensively, it is nowhere near enough. His positioning was shaky, his one-v-one work unreliable, and his delivery from wide areas was poor throughout. When Liverpool needed composure and quality from the right, they got neither.

At Anfield, against deep-lying opponents, Frimpong can pass as a useful attacking outlet or even as a back-up right winger. In hostile away games like this, where concentration and defensive nous are non-negotiable, he looks exposed.

With Conor Bradley sidelined for months and Joe Gomez so often unavailable, Liverpool cannot afford to gamble on this position all season. They need a right-back who can defend first and still offer something going forward, not the other way round.

Left-back: Kerkez under the spotlight

The hope around Milos Kerkez was that Iraola’s front-foot style would unlock his potential. If this display becomes the norm, that hope turns into a problem very quickly.

Kerkez struggled badly. Out of possession, he was targeted; in possession, he rarely provided the calm outlet Liverpool needed. The left flank never looked secure, and every Newcastle break down that side seemed to unsettle the back line further.

Behind him, Kostas Tsimikas remains the deputy. The Greek international has been a solid squad player, but he has never truly convinced as a long-term starter. There is little sign that he will suddenly overtake Kerkez in the pecking order.

That leaves Liverpool in an awkward spot. Selling Tsimikas and bringing in a more experienced, steady left-back who can genuinely challenge Kerkez would give Iraola a safety net. The club chose to move on from Andy Robertson; performances like this make that decision feel even bolder.

Midfield anchor missing

The most glaring structural issue came in midfield.

Iraola went with a two-man pivot of Ryan Gravenberch and Szoboszlai. On paper, it’s adventurous. On the pitch, it was asking for trouble. Neither naturally thinks about protecting the back four first, and Newcastle exploited that imbalance ruthlessly.

The opening goal underlined the problem. As Newcastle broke, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai were the two furthest Liverpool players up the pitch. The space behind them yawned open, and Elanga punished it.

Szoboszlai presses with energy and intent, but in a pivot he lacks the positional discipline to screen counters consistently. Gravenberch’s off-the-ball awareness and passing under pressure also fell short of what a defensive fulcrum requires.

If this structure continues without reinforcement, Liverpool will concede a flood of counter-attacking goals. The squad simply does not contain a midfielder who excels at covering ground, reading danger and winning the ball back reliably.

Brentford’s Ibrahim Sangare would have been a near-ideal profile for that role. With him out of the picture, Monaco’s Lamine Camara stands out as an alternative. Whoever it is, Liverpool need someone who lives for defensive work, not another attack-minded option repurposed as a shield.

Right wing: Profile mismatch

Up front, the right flank told its own story.

Rio Ngumoha has enormous talent, but not in the role he was asked to fill here. He is not a natural right-sided winger, and Newcastle made that painfully clear.

Ngumoha failed to complete a single dribble. He managed just one touch in the opposition box. His only shot was blocked. For a wide forward in this system, that level of involvement is nowhere near enough.

His main weapon is obvious: cutting inside from the left onto his stronger right foot and driving at defenders. That is where his instincts lie, where his game comes alive. On the right, he looked blunted, constantly forced onto his weaker options and never truly threatening.

Liverpool need something different on that side: a left-footed attacker who can drive inside from the right and pose a genuine goal threat. Yankuba Minteh fits that description and is available before the deadline, but his fitness issues mean he would not feature until at least October.

So the clock ticks. A dramatic penalty salvaged a point on Tyneside, but the league table will not remember the performance. Recruitment will. With September 1 fast approaching, how bold are Liverpool prepared to be?