Iraola praises Liverpool's effort despite dramatic 2-2 draw vs Newcastle United

Andoni Iraola praised Liverpool's effort after Dominik Szoboszlai's stoppage-time penalty secured a 2-2 draw at Newcastle United. The result capped a dramatic opening day, with VAR, late pressure and a Kevin Keegan tribute shaping the occasion.Dominik Szoboszlai scored a stoppage-time penalty to rescue a point for Liverpool. (Photo: AP)Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola was pleased with the character his side showed to rescue a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United on the opening day of the Premier League season. Dominik Szoboszlai's stoppage-time penalty completed the comeback after Liverpool had twice fallen behind at St James' Park.Iraola felt Liverpool did enough over the course of the match to avoid defeat and praised the effort of his players, while acknowledging that they needed to be more decisive when opportunities presented themselves."I don't think we deserved to lose the game and I value the effort from the players," Iraola told Sky Sports.The new Liverpool boss also felt his side had controlled enough of the contest to create more than they ultimately managed, particularly during a first half when they repeatedly reached promising positions without finishing attacks. "I haven't looked at the stats, but I'm sure we will have more chances, more everything. I think we were arriving, probably in the first half, we were not finishing anything," he said.Iraola also highlighted the impact of his substitutes, with the players coming off the bench providing Liverpool with the energy required to keep pushing until the final whistle. "I think the players coming from the bench gave us energy. I don't know if they played better, worse, but they gave us energy," he said.NEWCASTLE KEPT LIVERPOOL UNDER THREATNewcastle made the perfect start when Anthony Elanga put the hosts ahead inside five minutes. Liverpool eventually found their response after the break, with Cody Gakpo drilling the equaliser in the 55th minute.The momentum swung again almost immediately. Elanga broke forward and picked out Joe Willock, who produced a superb long-range finish to put Newcastle back in front just two minutes later.The hosts appeared to have done enough to secure a memorable opening-day victory, but Liverpool were handed a lifeline deep into stoppage time.Liverpool debutant Victor Muoz was brought down inside the area by Lewis Hall, prompting a penalty after a VAR review. The officials confirmed there was "knee into thigh contact" and backed the on-field decision.Szoboszlai kept his composure from 12 yards and sent the penalty home in the ninth minute of added time, denying Newcastle victory and ensuring Iraola and new Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle shared the points on their league debuts.Alexander Isak endured a quiet return to his former club, having endured an injury-disrupted first season at Liverpool after moving from Newcastle.The match also began with an emotional tribute to Kevin Keegan, who died last month aged 75. Both clubs wore shirts bearing his name and No. 7 during the warm-up, while a centre-circle mosaic, tribute video and large tifo honoured the former England star who played for both sides.- EndsPublished By: Debodinna ChakrabortyPublished On: Aug 24, 2026 07:58 IST