‘Nailed on’ — Hackett backs 99th‑minute Liverpool lifeline at Newcastle

Welcome back to the Premier League, chaos and controversy. Newcastle and Liverpool split the spoils in a gripping 2-2, and the big talking point is simple: was the 99th‑minute penalty a gimme or a gift? Ex-PGMOL boss Keith Hackett didn’t blink — for him it was, in his words, “nailed on.”

Fast start, frantic finish

Newcastle’s new era under Matthias Jaissle exploded into life as Anthony Elanga burst clear to score inside five minutes. Liverpool steadied and levelled after the break through Cody Gakpo, only for Joe Willock to restore the home lead almost immediately. Then came the late theatre: Victor Muñoz tumbled under Lewis Hall’s challenge, referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot, and Dominik Szoboszlai buried the 99th‑minute equaliser from 12 yards. Somewhere in the melee, Araujo came on for his competitive debut around the 70-minute mark and got a taste of the tempo.

The flashpoint

Hall’s timing deserted him at the key moment. He stepped across Muñoz, made contact, and crucially didn’t get the ball. VAR had a long look and stuck with Attwell’s on-field call — no “clear and obvious” to reverse it. The basics still matter: no touch on the ball plus knee-on-knee contact equals risk for a defender in the box, especially that late. You might not like it, but by the book it stacks up.

Hackett’s verdict: definitive

Asked for his take, former Premier League referee and PGMOL chief Keith Hackett kept it short and emphatic — “nailed on.” That’s about as strong as it gets from an ex-whistler, and it tells you where the refereeing community will land on this one.

Pundits in step with the officials

Gary Neville, watching the replays, felt it was always going to stand — Hall never touched the ball and, deep down, he’d know he’d given the referee a decision to make. Micah Richards called Hall unfortunate but accepted there was sufficient contact on the knee to bring Muñoz down. Daniel Sturridge echoed it as “knee on knee” — in today’s game, that’s a penalty nine times out of ten.

Jaissle’s frustration is understandable — but the law is the law

The Newcastle boss argued it was soft and worried it would open the floodgates for similar calls all season. You can see his point — defenders don’t vanish — but the modern interpretation rewards clean, precise defending in the area. Hall gambled; Liverpool collected.

The bigger picture

For Liverpool, it’s a statement of resilience on day one; for Newcastle, a blistering start tempered by late naivety. If you’re weighing up the early-season runners and riders — or simply sizing up the market on the top-four scrap — keep an eye on the momentum swings these moments create. For a broader look at odds movement and bookmaker offers, have a glance at the best betting sites before the next round.

Bottom line: it felt dramatic because it was dramatic. But when you strip it back to the fundamentals, the late call at St James’ Park was the right one — and Liverpool walked away with a point their nerve deserved.