At the end of a completely wide-open clash on the opening day of the Premier League, Liverpool snatched a 2-2 draw against Newcastle deep into stoppage time. A match of wild intensity between two newly installed managers, in which gaps in the Reds' counter-pressing nearly proved very costly.
The atmosphere was electric at St James' Park. Between the moving tribute paid to Kevin Keegan and the eagerness to discover the principles of Matthias Jaissle on the Magpies' side and Andoni Iraola on the Reds' side, the stage was set. On the pitch, the response came without a moment's pause.
Jaissle punishes Iraola's lapses
It took just five minutes to expose the biggest work in progress for Iraola's Liverpool: defensive transition. As early as the 5th minute, following a high turnover from the Reds, Newcastle launched a lightning counter-attack. William Osula burst into the channel left vacant by the advancing full-back, found Anthony Elanga right through the middle, who punished a central defence caught out of position. 1-0.
True to his very direct playing principles, Iraola asks his block to press aggressively the moment possession is lost. Except that the positioning of Florian Wirtz, lined up as a hybrid playmaker but often isolated by Newcastle's double defensive pivot, lacked cohesion. While Liverpool held onto the ball (nearly 60% possession), that dominance remained sterile. Blocked in the centre by the very tight 4-3-3 structure imposed by Jaissle, the Reds multiplied sideways passes without managing to find their forwards in the gaps.
Gakpo responds, Willock punishes the lack of control
Upon returning from the dressing room, Liverpool raise their technical level. In the 55th minute, Cody Gakpo unlocks the situation with a curling strike from outside the box. But the joy is short-lived. Two minutes later, Newcastle once again exploit the opposition's sloppy counter-pressing: Yoane Wissa cuts into the space between midfield and defence, squares it for Joe Willock, who restores the Magpies' lead (2-1).
The match then tips into tactical chaos. Deprived of control in midfield, Liverpool absorb waves of attacks from Elanga and Wissa while pushing forward in disorderly fashion.
Iraola's coaching and Muñoz's impact
Facing the Magpies' low block, packed into their own box late in the match, Iraola adjusts his setup. He injects width with the introduction of Víctor Muñoz. A decisive tactical choice: by stretching the opposing defence on the right flank, the Spaniard pins down Lewis Hall and opens up space in the half-space for Dominik Szoboszlai.
In the 99th minute, pushed into a mistake by Muñoz's repeated bursts, Hall trips the forward inside the box. Penalty. Szoboszlai converts without hesitation to hand his side a miraculous point.
Two very distinct works in progress
This 2-2 leaves a mixed feeling. Matthias Jaissle may be frustrated by a lack of control late in the match, but his Newcastle side displayed a clear identity: a compact midblock, devastating vertical pressing and a perfect use of space.
For Andoni Iraola, the warning is very clear. While the mentality and the depth of the bench helped salvage the result, integrating Wirtz into the heart of the play and protecting the space behind the full-backs will require heavy tactical adjustments before the next matchday.
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