‘Nailed on’ – Ex-ref chief backs Liverpool’s last-gasp spot-kick at Newcastle
Welcome back to the Premier League circus, where the drums bang loudest in stoppage time. Liverpool nicked a point at the death in a 2-2 thriller, Dominik Szoboszlai burying a 99th-minute penalty to silence a fuming Newcastle and light up opening weekend debate.
Early fireworks, late drama
Newcastle’s new era under Matthias Jaissle looked a flyer when Anthony Elanga streaked in and finished coolly inside five minutes. Liverpool steadied after the break and Cody Gakpo levelled, only for Joe Willock to pounce two minutes later and restore the Magpies’ edge. There was also a notable cameo: Araujo came off the bench on 70 minutes to make his competitive debut in black and white.
The flashpoint: Hall’s tangle with Munoz
Deep into added time, Victor Munoz drove into the area and collided with Lewis Hall. Referee Stuart Attwell pointed straight to the spot. VAR had a look, found no clear and obvious error, and the on-field decision stood. Up stepped Szoboszlai, who slammed home from 12 yards in the 99th minute to make it 2-2.
Jaissle rages at a ‘soft’ call
Post-match, Jaissle was adamant it shouldn’t have been given, arguing Hall had nowhere to go and that awarding fouls like that will open the floodgates this season. You could feel the frustration: his team had done the heavy lifting, only to be pegged back by a moment that splits the room.
Officials and pundits: the verdicts roll in
Former Premier League referee and ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett cut through the noise with a blunt two-word take on social media: “Nailed on.” He wasn’t alone. Gary Neville, watching the replays, said Hall didn’t touch the ball and that the on-field call was never getting overturned. Micah Richards called it harsh but admitted the knee-on-knee contact was enough. Daniel Sturridge echoed that view: once you get that clash in the box, the attacker’s always likely to go over.
My take: the modern penalty all day
Look, old-school defenders won’t love it, but by today’s interpretation it’s a penalty. Hall arrives late, doesn’t get the ball, and there’s meaningful contact that knocks Munoz off stride. VAR isn’t there to re-referee; it’s there to correct howlers. This wasn’t one. It’s messy, it’s modern, and it’s exactly the sort of decision we see upheld week after week.
What it means
Newcastle can be encouraged by the intensity and the early incision under Jaissle, even if the finale stings. Liverpool showed resolve, nicking something from a game that threatened to slip away. Szoboszlai looks every inch the man for the big moment, while Elanga and Willock delivered signs of sharpness at the other end.
Punters will already be scribbling notes after an opening-weekend cracker – late goals, high press, and a side willing to play on the edge defensively. If you’re weighing up form and fancy a flutter, keep tabs on the market moves across the best betting sites as these two settle into their rhythms.
Bottom line
Call it soft if you like, but in the cold light of VAR-era law it’s a spot-kick. Hackett’s “nailed on” sums it up. Newcastle’s promise is clear; Liverpool’s nerve even clearer. If this is a taste of what’s to come, buckle up – the margins will be razor-thin and the arguments deafening.
