Former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, has said that the penalty Liverpool were awarded against Newcastle United was a stonewall pen.
The Reds arguably deserved to lose against the Magpies, but luck was on their side as they clawed back, first from 1-0 down, and then from 2-1 down, to salvage an unlikely point.
“I saw it, and I’m satisfied that in the modern game a penalty kick is always going to be given for a foul challenge,” Hackett told Football Insider.
“It doesn’t have to be reckless; it’s just careless, and it’s careless on behalf of the defender, who recognised that he’d fallen into the trap of the opposition.
“Find me any time in the game, anywhere in the world, where a penalty kick doesn’t evoke passion. There were supporters who were heading for the exit believing they’d won the game.
“It also highlights, in refereeing, that you’ve never got a period of relaxation because if you do [relax], you’ll miss that type of challenge.”
Premier League defenders beware: Munoz is a challenge
Victor Munoz vs Newcastle (A)
Pl debut. pic.twitter.com/uAfPf92BMd
— Savvy (@lfcsavvy) August 23, 2026
When Liverpool surprised supporters and journalists alike by signing Victor Munoz out of nowhere earlier this summer, I spoke to a handful of Osasuna fans and reporters, and they all said roughly the same things.
Their response was a version of this every time: ‘Munoz is a lovely human being and a menace on the pitch.’
The Spaniard seems to be a stand-up guy, but also almost impossible to contain on the field.
Before the 22-year-old won the penalty in the 94th minute, he had a moment on the ball where he drove 45 yards into the heart of Newcastle’s defence and played the ball to Dominik Szoboszlai, who was fouled on the edge of the area.
He then did something similar, over a smaller distance, to win the penalty from Lewis Hall, but the key thing is: This is what Liverpool lacked last season, and why signing wingers was so important this summer.
Hopefully, Liverpool will get deals across the line to sign Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh, but Munoz will be a crucial player this season, particularly late in games.