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ST JAMES' PARK, NEWCASTLE // Liverpool looked to be battling to a hard-earned victory over Newcastle United in the North East, but it required a late, late winner from the hugely talented Rio Ngumoha to secure the win in the end.
Anthony Gordon was sent off in the first half and Will Osula popped up with a late equalizer. But then Ngumoha dramatically announced himself to the English game with a huge moment to steal a point from Newcastle's grasp.
In an eventful opening period, Ryan Gravenberch put Liverpool in front after the Reds had needed to weather the early onslaught from Newcastle. But already a goal ahead, Liverpool was then a man up too when Gordon was given his marching orders for a high challenge on Virgil van Dijk.
Almost as soon as the second half kicked off, Hugo Ekitike had put Liverpool two ahead but Bruno Guimaraes headed one back. Even with 10 men, Osula looked to have ensured Newcastle took a point. Here are the six things Liverpool.com spotted as an icnredible game unfolded.
Rio Ngumoha announces himself
Anyone who has watched Liverpool this summer in pre-season will have known that Ngumoha is a huge talent. But doing that, in this kind of stadium, is some achievement.
Ngumoha had already looked more than comfortable in a Liverpool jersey when he was thrown on. He threw in a few stepovers and looked really composed. Then, of course, he fired the ball past Nick Pope and into the corner.
It was sensational from the former Chelsea talent. Rio Ngumoha, remember the name.
Dominik Szoboszlai impresses
When it was revealed that Jeremie Frimpong would be absent until after the September international break (two games; this one and the visit of Arsenal to Anfield next weekend), there was a question mark surrounding what would happen next.
Arne Slot confirmed before kick-off that he had chosen the physicality and athleticism of Dominik Szoboszlai at full-back (rather than Curtis Jones, who took the Hungary captain's role in the midfield). It was definitely the right call.
Szoboszlai is so fast and so intelligent that when he made a rare mistake, he had the speed to make up for it — even against the sometimes-electric Harvey Barnes. He played really well there.
Alexander Isak message
Alexander Isak remains the talk of the town, and now that this game is out of the way, there might be more concrete news one way or another in terms of what comes next. That September 1 deadline is now under a week away.
Newcastle is even more in need of a number nine now that Gordon is facing a three-match suspension. And it could be said that Eddie Howe was lacking a focal point here.
On the field, Howe missed Isak's clinical finishing. Earlier in the day, it emerged that Newcastle had made an offer for the Wolves and Norway striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, though it was rejected.
Even that might not be enough to convince Newcastle to open the door for Liverpool to present another bid. Yoane Wissa is still on the agenda too, but Brentford hasn't yet relented and the clock is ticking.
"Hand him over, hand him over, hand him over Newcastle," the away end sang at 2-0. If it were that easy, the saga would have been concluded long ago.
Anthony Gordon fired up
Newcastle and the home crowd were fired up for this game. While social media is not always an accurate barometer of the temperaure of a soccer club — and all Liverpool has done is submit a British record bid for Isak — it hasn't gone down well.
Perhaps that played into the high challenge that saw Gordon removed from the field late in the first half. There is a fine line to tread between being fired up and going over the top, and he didn't quite manage it here.
Howe and his players have successfully used a backs against the wall mentality in their favor in the past. Here, you could argue that it backfired, though getting up for a bank holiday night game — the first home fixture of the new season — is not all about ill-feeling regarding Isak and his future.
Hugo Ekitike scores again
Hugo Ekitike, in another universe, could have been lining up against Liverpool here had things panned out differently this summer. But the Frenchman only had eyes for Merseyside, even if Newcastle came calling.
It is a familiar story for the North East outfit this summer, with the likes of Joao Pedro (Chelsea) and Benjamin Sesko (Manchester United) heading elsewhere as well. Earlier, it saw a bid knocked back for Jorgen Strand Larsen, the Wolves striker.
Ekitike has already proven in his Liverpool career to date that he has a lot of quality, but this was a baptism of fire when it comes to how things can be in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old former Eintracht Frankfurt player couldn't quite manage to link things up and put a simple pass out of play at one stage. It wasn't looking set to be his best game in a Liverpool jersey, but he then popped up with a goal from nowhere.
Ekitike took the shot really well to find the corner, and from there, the attacker seemed to gain some confidence. He has become the first Liverpool player since Daniel Sturridge to score in his first three competitive appearances (if we count the Community Shield).
Arne Slot frustrated (until the end)
Liverpool looked wide open at times against Bournemouth (and indeed in this fixture last season, when it finished 3-3 thanks to Fabian Schar's last-gasp equalizer). This was better, though it is tricky to tell given how intense every wave of play was.
With Gravenberch back in the side (a player, actually, who struggled here in Liverpool's previous trip to the North East), Liverpool was able to improve in the central third. He partnered Jones in the middle and they matched the Newcastle intensity much better than when the Reds last played here, and at Wembley for the Carabao Cup final.
Against 10 men, though, Liverpool should obviously have had enough to be able to cope better than it did, especially when Ekitike doubled the Reds' advantage. Ngumoha won't mind given the chance it afforded him, but Liverpool will have to improve in that regard.
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