Newcastle United manager Matthias Jaissle saw a familiar failing resurface as his side let a 2-1 lead slip in stoppage time against Liverpool, with Dominik Szoboszlai converting a controversial late penalty to make it 2-2. Yet Jaissle insisted the performance still represented a “top starting point” for his young squad. According to Bbc.com.
Jaissle demands response after penalty controversy overshadows encouraging display
Five minutes of stoppage time had been signalled when substitute Victor Munoz was brought down by a tired Lewis Hall inside the box, prompting referee Stuart Attwell to award the penalty that Dominik Szoboszlai converted. Jaissle ripped off his blazer in anguish, branding the decision “soft” before Newcastle’s late lead evaporated for a 2-2 draw.
The result comes against a backdrop of significant upheaval at St James’ Park, with Newcastle losing key players in Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes over the last 12 months while Eddie Howe also departed as head coach. Every summer signing has been aged 24 and under with no prior Premier League experience, and Jaissle himself has never managed in the English top flight before.
Despite those question marks, several performances offered genuine encouragement. Anthony Elanga opened the scoring with a well-taken finish, while Yoane Wissa set up substitute Joe Willock’s second and won more duels (11) than any other Newcastle player on the pitch. New arrival Amar Dedic, who only completed his £30m move from Benfica on Tuesday, also embodied the intensity Jaissle wants from his side.
The failure to hold on echoes last season’s struggles, when no other side in the division dropped more points (27) from winning positions than Newcastle in 2025-26. Jaissle acknowledged the challenge directly, telling reporters: “Today someone threw stones in the way and we need to take that out to be successful again,” while praising his players for standing “together as a unit” when things went wrong.
