Liverpool fell behind early on against Newcastle when Anthony Elanga scored. Cody Gakpo leveled, but Dominik Szoboszlai was needed for a late equalizer. This is what we spotted.
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool celebrates after scoring
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool celebrates after scoring
ST JAMES' PARK, NEWCASTLE // Liverpool fans wanted to see more intensity, and they got that here — mainly from a fired-up Newcastle side that has sold off its crown jewels this summer.
It took a late Dominik Szoboszlai equalizer to salvage a point, after Anthony Elanga finished well when he was sent through on goal within five minutes, and Newcastle made the most of the incredible atmosphere on the opening weekend. A combination of this being Matthias Jaissle's first game and the return of Alexander Isak made that inevitable, but the Reds didn't weather the early storm.
Cody Gakpo dragged Iraola's side level with a low shot into the corner but some Yoane Wissa brilliance and then a superb Joe Willock strike put the Magpies back in front. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.
Andoni Iraola frustrated
Each of Liverpool's first six games — including this one, plus the next five — are against other opponents that also changed head coach this summer, such is the flux that the Premier League finds itself in.
Andoni Iraola, taking charge of his first competitive game, will come away with plenty of questions to work out after facing Matthias Jaissle in the Newcastle dugout for his debut appearance even after the late goal.
Newcastle's home crowd was fired up for this one for Isak-related reasons too, but the Jaissle introduction only further fanned the flames. Worryingly similar to last season, that for some reason appeared to catch Liverpool by surprise.
Iraola, on the touchline, fumed time and time again at the lack of decisions going Liverpool's way from referee Stuart Attwell. Some of that ire should perhaps have been aimed at some of his dallying players who couldn't match the intensity required.
Iraola's record of having not lost a Premier League game since January 3 is preserved, but his side will still need to show a reaction against Nottingham Forest.
Alexander Isak sets the tone
Before kick-off, there was a group of young Newcastle fans singing in tandem, "Isak's a rat, ole, ole" outside the Gallowgate End. That was almost three hours before kick-off.
When he stepped off the Liverpool bus, he was greeted with the rather more simple: "Rat, rat, rat."
Almost a year to the day since he left — and on his first return to St James' Park — the depth of feeling against Isak clearly remains. Before, during and after the game, he was jeered relentlessly.
After a long saga last summer, Isak was signed by Liverpool to be its Mohamed Salah replacement, and this season, he and Florian Wirtz, individually and as a pair, need to step up significantly.
But here, the front two really struggled to stamp their mark. Isak was barely involved, while Wirtz looked too lightweight to bounce off the Newcastle midfielders, who overran Liverpool.
They each have quality, but the balance isn't quite right yet, and Isak's increasingly frustrated demeanor — one skied effort generated a huge cheer as he reacted by looking to the heavens — said it all.
Liverpool couldn't swap him out for someone else as there wasn't anyone to realistically bring on. Lewis Koumas made a difference, though, and Szoboszlai stayed calm.
Jeremy Jacquet composed
Iraola warned that it would be "dangerous" to expect the same level every week from Jeremy Jacquet that he showed against Como seven days ago, but the French center-back was thrown into the cauldron here.
"We trust him," Iraola had added, and that should be no surprise. While Jacquet is young and inexperienced, he was brought in for $83 million (£60 million) — the kind of sum that you spend on a starter.
He did very well in possession and pretty well out of it, and the 21-year-old won't face too many bigger challenges than this. It was a promising sign, in a way, that he came through as he did — with something to build on. He, Gakpo and the late penalty were the only positives.
Attacking options limited
Rio Ngumoha had his breakout moment in this fixture last season, when he scored the winning goal in the 100th minute. A year on, he looks set for a much bigger role under Iraola, but couldn't leave much of a mark here.
An increase in minutes would have come under any head coach, given Ngumoha is another year older and clearly a huge talent, but there is a feeling that Iraola could help to fast-track his development given his track record with similar stars.
Ngumoha likes to play on both sides — he started on the right in this one, but will play on the left too — and his pace and directness are assets. Someone with more experience might have gotten the better of Lewis Hall a few more times, however.
One player who doesn't look quite as suited to the direction in which Liverpool is traveling is Harvey Elliott, who was missing here. He wasn't selected, while Federico Chiesa has a minor knock that saw him be absent from training earlier in the week.
Given the lack of options in attack, a big week awaits on the Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh front in the transfer market.
Midfield worries continue
Jamie Carragher was among those to query the openness of Liverpool's midfield this summer. In fact, he was questioning it a year ago when he posed a question to Arne Slot about his desire to deploy a two-man rather than a three-man set-up in the center.
On this occasion, against a much-changed and very different Newcastle without players like Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes, who have caused Liverpool problems in the past, it was more of the same for Liverpool. Wirtz as a number 10 simply isn't physical, and those behind him have too much space to fill. It has to be a worry.
Iraola has already admitted that it might take some time for Liverpool to become the exact team that he wants to see. This, though it was about as tough an opening fixture as you can get and he avoided defeat, was a warning sign of the work that remains.