Newcastle’s new manager Mattias Jaissle criticised the 95th-minute penalty awarded to Liverpool in a 2-2 draw at St James’ Park. The penalty, converted by Dominik Szoboszlai, secured a point for the Reds after Lewis Hall was fouled by Victor Munoz in the box.
Match Overview
The match began with Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock scoring for Newcastle, giving the hosts a 2-0 advantage. Cody Gakpo then netted for Liverpool, cutting the deficit to 2-1. In the closing minutes, Lewis Hall forced a foul on Munoz inside the penalty area, earning a spot-kick for Liverpool. Szoboszlai stepped up and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner, leveling the score at 2-2.
Jaissle’s Reaction
Immediately after the full-time whistle, Sky Sports interviewed Jaissle. He said, “I think you call it here a really soft one. It was a really soft one and if you give that there will be so many penalties in the future. I’m not a fan of that, I have to say.” Jaissle added, “I disagree but more I cannot say.”
Pundit Defences
Gary Neville, commenting on the decision, noted that Hall “knew deep inside that it was a penalty.” He praised Newcastle’s performance, saying the team had “put in a good performance there.” Micah Richards echoed Neville’s view, stating, “A penalty’s a penalty. Lewis Hall is very unlucky, but when the ball goes in there, he does catch him.” Richards described the foul as “knee-on-knee, it’s a foul.” Daniel Sturridge also defended the call, saying, “He’s shifted his body to the side and Hall got a little knock on him. As the attacker any little touch you get when you’re going at pace is going to put you off balance. A full deserved penalty if you ask me.”
Player Perspective
Dominik Szoboszlai reflected on his penalty in the “cauldron” of St James’ Park. He said, “I was practicing a lot during the pre-season. We didn’t have any penalties during games, but in training. We need to take the positivity of the first game and move on.” He added, “More than 50,000 fans in the stadium against you. You can’t hear your own voice. That’s why I love football and that’s why I am doing it.” Szoboszlai admitted that, “If I am honest, we should have won. But that’s football. You don’t win easy in the Premier League - doesn’t matter who you play against.”
The match ended with both teams taking a point, leaving Newcastle to regroup under Jaissle’s new leadership while Liverpool will look to build on the resilience shown in the final minutes.
