Liverpool vs Newcastle: Five Talking Points from Ngumoha’s Heroics to Konaté and Wirtz Concerns
Liverpool left St James’ Park with three points, but only after another breathless night that exposed as many flaws as it did flashes of brilliance.
A 3-2 win sealed deep into stoppage time by 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha was equal parts relief and exhilaration, the teenager announcing himself with a finish that silenced the home crowd and saved his side from dropped points.
Arne Slot’s team twice looked in control, first through Ryan Gravenberch and then Hugo Ekitike’s lightning strike just 20 seconds after half-time, only to unravel defensively against ten-man Newcastle.
Eddie Howe’s side fought back through Bruno Guimarães and William Osula, punishing Liverpool’s shaky back line and setting up a finale that teetered on collapse for the visitors.
The decisive moment came in the 100th minute, when substitute Ngumoha ghosted into space and calmly slotted the winner.
It was a reminder of Liverpool’s attacking depth, but also a brutal spotlight on a defence that still looks as fragile as it did in the 4-2 opening-day win over Bournemouth.
With that context, here are five talking points from Liverpool’s rollercoaster 3-2 victory over Newcastle.
Liverpool vs Newcastle: Five Talking Points
The Szoboszlai experiment
With Jeremie Frimpong unavailable and Conor Bradley still not fully match fit, Arne Slot once again turned to Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back.
The Hungarian had played the role only twice before this season, once for RB Leipzig and once for Liverpool, making this a true experiment. Yet he delivered a performance that combined tactical intelligence with determination.
In possession, Szoboszlai was excellent. He stepped inside at the right moments to progress play, varied his passing angles into midfield and the half-spaces, and provided the disguised dummy that led to Ngumoha’s dramatic stoppage-time winner.
Out of possession, he exceeded expectations. His work rate and positional discipline kept Harvey Barnes largely subdued, giving Liverpool stability in a game where their defence had otherwise struggled.
Arne Slot, unsurprisingly, was full of praise for the 23-year-old afterwards.
He highlighted Szoboszlai’s mentality, noting how difficult it is to adapt to a defensive role having played midfield his entire career, and credited him for producing such a composed display in one of the Premier League’s toughest away venues.
Talking about mentality, it is not easy to play as a full-back if you’ve only been a midfielder in your career. He played there once in pre-season – I think it was against Stoke when we played behind closed doors – but in that game we only had the ball and now he had to defend a lot.
For him to put in a performance like that, you can say a lot about his mentality – as you can about all the players because this was mentally such a difficult evening, such a difficult place to go to, such a difficult opponent to play against.
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The question now is whether this was a sign of things to come. Has Szoboszlai proved himself as a viable option at right-back, or will elite wingers in the league expose the limitations of a midfielder learning on the job?
Ekitike’s lightning strike and growing influence
Hugo Ekitike’s start to life at Liverpool could hardly be going any better.
The 23-year-old once again delivered in a big moment, striking just 20 seconds into the second half, officially timed at 45:20, when he reacted quickest to Cody Gakpo’s blocked effort and drilled a composed finish low into the far corner.
It was his third goal in Liverpool colours already this season, adding to his strikes against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield and Bournemouth on the opening day.
What stood out at St James’ Park, though, was not just the goal but his all-round centre-forward play.
His movement across the frontline continually stretched Newcastle’s defensive line, dragging Dan Burn and Fabian Schär into uncomfortable areas and creating space for others to exploit.
Ironically, Ekitike’s performance highlighted why Newcastle were so keen to sign him previously, and why Liverpool’s own reported interest in Alexander Isak might now be less urgent.
For Arne Slot, it is another reason to feel encouraged. Liverpool have often been accused of lacking a true penalty-box forward in recent years, but if Ekitike continues this trajectory, the conversation could shift entirely.
Konate’s form is a problem that Slot must solve
Ibrahima Konaté had another uneasy night.
His loose touch and slow body shape under pressure invited trouble, most notably when he dwelt on the ball and was pressed by Sandro Tonali, who surged at goal and nearly found the square pass for Gordon or Elanga.
Situations like that sap a back four’s confidence and energise the opposition and crowd, and it is becoming a recurring issue.
The pattern was visible in Liverpool’s opener at Bournemouth too, particularly in the second half when Antoine Semenyo cleverly beat him and Virgil for his second goal of the game.
For a player of his calibre, these lapses are starting to draw concern. There is also the backdrop of uncertainty around his future.
Konaté is yet to extend his contract, which has just one year remaining, and there is a sense that speculation over a possible move, with clubs like Real Madrid reportedly monitoring him, might be affecting his concentration.
While his physical dominance and recovery pace remain assets, Liverpool need a fully focused Konaté if they are to mount a sustained challenge this season.
Defensive frailty remains the headline problem
This result cannot hide the underlying trend. Liverpool conceded twice to a side playing a full half a man down, and many of the issues that showed up on the opening day against Bournemouth resurfaced here.
That first league game finished 4-2, with Antoine Semenyo among the scorers for the Cherries, and it sounded the alarm about Liverpool’s ability to control transitions and second balls.
At St James’ Park the same weaknesses reappeared.
The line was ragged on long diagonals, the reaction to knockdowns was slow and there were panicked clearances instead of proactive defending.
For a team with title ambitions, giving up that volume of territory and chances to ten men is a tactical and structural concern that needs urgent work on the training ground.
Wirtz still needs time
Florian Wirtz showed flashes of his silk in tight spaces, but he did not control the tempo or take the game by the scruff.
Newcastle targeted him physically and limited his touches in dangerous pockets, which blunted Liverpool’s ability to combine centrally. The talent is obvious, the adaptation curve is still real.
Patience is sensible here. The Premier League’s speed, contact and constant pressing are an adjustment.
Once spacing around him improves and the six behind him offers a more stable platform, the German’s passing and disguise should begin to tilt games in Liverpool’s favour.
For now, he is learning the league while others carry the load in key moments.
