The penalty that ended Newcastle's night

Matthias Jaissle did not hold back. The Newcastle United manager was visibly frustrated after a 99th-minute penalty handed Liverpool a share of the spoils at St James' Park, and he made his feelings abundantly clear when the final whistle blew. For a side that had been so close to a famous three points, watching it slip away in such circumstances was always going to sting.

The decisive moment came when substitute Victor Munoz was fouled by Lewis Hall, giving referee Stuart Attwell reason to point to the spot deep into added time. Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up and did what he does, making it 2-2 and sending the travelling Reds home with something they perhaps scarcely deserved at that stage.

What Jaissle actually said

Jaissle was measured but pointed in his assessment. "If you give it, it's a really, really soft one and then you have to give many, many penalties throughout the game and throughout the season," he said. "I'm not a big fan of the decision. I'm proud, we are proud to see a unit on the pitch. The guys were trying to do it the intense way that we wanted to play. Front-footed, vertical in our approach."

He acknowledged the disappointment whilst refusing to let it overshadow what his young squad had produced across the ninety-odd minutes before that flashpoint. "This, after such a short amount of time, I'm really happy. In the end, I am a bit disappointed. We were so close to getting the three points, for sure. But there is also some brightness, definitely, because the guys were doing an amazing job for over 90 minutes. We are a young squad and they really left their heart on the pitch and this is something we can build on."

How the goals unfolded

It was a match full of drama long before Szoboszlai tucked away that late penalty. Anthony Elanga had given Newcastle an early lead, only for Cody Gakpo to level for Liverpool. Joe Willock then put the hosts back in front, and for long enough it looked like Newcastle were going to hold on and take all three points against Andoni Iraola's side.

Instead, the moment Munoz hit the turf in the penalty area flipped the entire narrative of the evening. Whether Attwell got the call right will be debated for a good while yet, but from Liverpool's perspective, a point rescued that late in the day always carries a certain warmth about it.

What this means for Liverpool going forward

A draw away from home at a side managed with genuine intensity and clear tactical identity is no disaster, but Liverpool will know they were fortunate to come away with anything given how the match unfolded. Iraola's men needed that late intervention to avoid what would have been a deflating defeat.

The more interesting question now is whether Liverpool can turn moments like this into momentum. Escaping with a point when the match has largely gone against you is one thing, sustaining that resilience over the weeks ahead is quite another, and the next fixture will tell us plenty more about where this side actually is.