A match of bedlam soaked in drama, with all the prior talk about Alexander Isak yet all tomorrow’s chatter about a teenage prodigy.
Newcastle 2-3 Liverpool
Premier League (2) | St James’ Park
August 25, 2025
Goals: Guimaraes 57′, Osula 88′; Gravenberch 35′, Ekitike 46′, Ngumoha 90+10′
Alisson Becker – 7 (out of 10)
Turned up looking like Jesus, hair slicked and beard trimmed… and almost died for his sins just 10 minutes in while dribbling out with the ball into no man’s land. Got away with it, and was solid thereafter.
Mapped his area well and instigated a fair bit of divine intervention when quelling the repeated fizzing low crosses from Anthony Elanga with his all consuming bear arms.
Dealt with most of the punted balls well but was left hanging for the late equaliser. A scandalous team goal to concede.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 8 (Man of the Match)
Conscripted by the gaffer to play the role of the dependable utility man and started the game looking like it was very much against his own will.
Grew into the match rapidly and became a solid outlet on the flank, recovering the ball well in turnovers and looking to quickly unlock the midfield options with his vast passing range.
Worked very hard in a makeshift role, then the dummy for young Rio Ngumoha‘s winner – world class.
Ibrahima Konate – 4
Needed to start this one strongly after a very unconvincing start to the season, but wishes weren’t answered.
Whether it was the salty North sea air whipping in from the Tyne that turned Ibou into the rusting tin man, nobody knows.
But he’s off the pace and struggled with shifting through the gears when mapping the runs of Anthony Gordon playing the false 9 role. Very much a night to forget, quickly.
Virgil van Dijk – 7
Like his central partner, started the campaign very much sub-par. But there’s only so long with colossus of an athlete can be kept down, and this fixture being billed up as a grudge match was all the Dutchman needed to click back into leadership mantle and find his old self.
Still not in top gear, but battled on well after Gordon took a butcher’s portion of his shin bone off.
Milos Kerkez – 4
Brought energy and tenacity but applied both of these weapons in all the wrong moments. Looked lost for the majority of the evening, getting many a sharp word from the captain.
Bullied by Bruno Guimaraes for the headed goal that he didn’t even challenge for, looking away from the ball.
There’s a lot of work to do for this youngster.
Ryan Gravenberch – 7
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND - Monday, August 25, 2025: Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch celebrates after scoring the first goal during the FA Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Looked off the pace and largely bypassed, until he was able to shed a layer of rust.
Moved through the channels well thereafter and looked to create where possible, but the physicality of the opposition midfield caught him somewhat – understandably – off the boil.
Took his goal well and thoroughly enjoyed it. Will be crucial for this XI going forward now, but needs to get back up to full speed.
Curtis Jones – 5
Sometimes playing the Jones card in certain fixtures does work, sometimes it doesn’t. This was the latter. The local lad had the best fan seat in the house, right in the thick of the action… exactly where a bystander should not be.
Could, and should, have hit the back of the net on the cusp of half-time. A delicate yet driving run on 74 minutes, leaving three players in his stride, looked like a lights-on moment… then he threaded a through-ball to nobody. Summed up his evening.
Florian Wirtz – 5
Targeted from the off and earned his stripes with some early clatterings. Shrugged them off but took a while to reach room temperature, even though his first-time passes were right on the money and he created pockets of space well.
Worked hard off the ball as the game rolled into the home straight, but didn’t look like the menacing assassin that you expect your record signing to be. Early days, but the German prodigy didn’t take to this one at all.
Mohamed Salah – 5
Did nothing for pretty much the entire first half, before jolting into life and squaring a stunning first-time through-ball into the path of Jones on 40 minutes. The sheer anger immediately pouring out of the Egyptian said everything it needed to about the miscued effort which followed.
Found more space in the second half after the red card hit the formation like a sledgehammer, but the fluency never materialised. When Salah gets hot he glides, effortlessly. Here under the bright St James lights he was tepid at best, and successfully cut off by Eddie Howe’s tactics.
Cody Gakpo – 5
Another match passes by with the flying Dutchman only popping up in flashes, before blending silently into the background. Not really good enough in matches of such tense magnitude. Consistency is key, and tonight it was very much lacking.
Replaced by a teenager who completely stole the show; not the best look.
Hugo Ekitike – 8
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND - Monday, August 25, 2025: Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike celebrates after scoring the second goal during the FA Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Listen, we don’t get too carried away here. We’re measured, we’re calculated. But anyway… after his fiery showing in the Community Shield I anointed him the second coming of Thierry Henry, and he’s not stopped scoring since.
But, on a serious note, another proper striker’s showing from Ekitike again. Early days, of course, but he’s absolutely getting a grip on Premier League football. Floating constantly through the final third, up and down, left and right. The Teflon man, nothing sticks to him.
Just as in the opening fixture he drew his marker every time – luring them into the 50/50 before dabbing it deftly away and getting the quick one-two exchange.
The goal was another of the trademark genre he’s quickly defining as his own; low, drilled efforts snipping the bottom corners like heat-seeking missiles. Some footballer, this lad.
Overall Team Performance – 5
Substitutes
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND - Monday, August 25, 2025: Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha celebrates after scoring the third goal and his first goal on debut during the FA Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Federico Chiesa (on for Ekitike, 80′) – 5 – Has that steely, focused look in his eyes when getting chances now. Couldn’t make much impact.
Conor Bradley (on for Wirtz, 80′) – 6 – Did his job solidly enough after coming entering the chaotic fold.
Elliott (on for Jones, 90+6′) – A late, late sub…
Ngumoha (on for Gakpo, 90+6′) – Ridiculous, simply ridiculous. To come on in a match like this, at 16 years old… and take on a finish like that. Read the dummy perfectly and caught that curled effort like a seasoned pro. Electric scenes. Everything the beautiful game is all about.
Wataru Endo (on for Salah, 110′) – N/A
Subs not used: Marmardashvili, Gomez, Leoni, Robertson
Arne Slot – 5
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND - Monday, August 25, 2025: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot before the FA Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The frustration grew and the patience very nearly snapped. Slot isn’t a man to gesticulate his emotions too readily, but he knows his standards and when they’re not being met, everyone soon knows about it. This was a poor Liverpool showing, against ten men.
A difficult nut to crack, given the overhanging Isak circus and the recent injuries within the squad, but this was a disjointed smash-and-grab attempt that against all odds eventually got over the line.
The gaffer will neither be fond of or look back upon this one too readily. Will likely regret not starting Andy Robertson at left-back, and the noise around giving young Ngumoha more game time will now be overwhelming.