Jaissle's Newcastle held to 2-2 draw by Liverpool at St James' Park

Newcastle United were held to a 2-2 draw by Liverpool at St James' Park on 23 August 2026 after Dominik Szoboszlai converted a late penalty awarded when substitute Victor Munoz was brought down by Lewis Hall; manager Matthias Jaissle called the decision "soft" and later said, "I cannot repeat everything because I could get in trouble and may need to pay some fines," adding "This is a really top starting point."

The match carried extra resonance as the clubs paid tribute to Kevin Keegan, with Keegan's family and former team-mates including Alan Shearer, Rob Lee and Tino Asprilla present in the directors' box. Supporters' group Wor Flags unfurled a stadium-wide display before kick-off that included a banner reading: "I want people to dream about their football club," followed by: "They should. We should all be dreamers at heart. "Some people are the opposite and say, 'We can't do that'. But when you ask them why, they can't give a reason. Well, I say, 'Why not?'" Memories of late drama between these sides were recalled during the build-up, including Stan Collymore's late strike in a 4-3 game at Anfield in 1996.

The fourth official had signalled five minutes of stoppage time and Jaissle urged the crowd on from the touchline, prompting the response "Sing your hearts out for the lads." Liverpool's late attack prompted loud whistles from the home supporters before referee Stuart Attwell awarded the spot-kick after Munoz went down; Jaissle reacted by ripping off his blazer and later described the decision as "soft."

Newcastle had taken the lead through Anthony Elanga's well-taken finish, and Joe Willock added a second after a pass from Yoane Wissa. Wissa won more duels (11) than any other Newcastle player on the day, and Jaissle credited the forward with increased responsibility while also saying Wissa had the chance to "kill the game" to make it 3-1.

Amar Dedic, who completed his £30m move from Benfica on Tuesday, impressed for Newcastle, and the match offered early glimpses of the intensity and work rate Jaissle wants to instil. Several players signed last summer who endured difficult first seasons produced improved performances, with Wissa singled out for his leadership role; the forward told Sky Sports: "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."

Newcastle enter the season having lost key players Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, while Eddie Howe has left the club. All of the club's signings this summer have been aged 24 and under and have not previously played in the Premier League, and Jaissle himself has never managed in the English top flight, a combination that led some pundits to predict early struggles; injured captain Dan Burn said he believes Newcastle perform best when "it's us against the world." Jaissle highlighted the crowd-player connection, stating: "If you have this synergy between the fans and then the players delivering on the pitch, something special can be created."

Last season Newcastle dropped more points from winning positions than any other side, surrendering 27 points from leads in 2025-26, and former manager Howe conceded last May that "anything can happen" when asked if that habit could persist. After the draw Jaissle praised his players' unity, saying: "We were there for each other if something went wrong. We acted like a unit. In such a short amount of time, this is a top starting point and the frustration was there as well, but these are the challenges we have now. With the pre-season, with the transition phase, it's normal. Today someone threw stones in the way and we need to take that out to be successful again."

Supporters who remained after the final whistle applauded the team, and Jaissle framed the result as an initial step amid a transition period rather than a final verdict on the campaign; his post-match remarks underlined the challenges he expects to address as the season unfolds.