Liverpool have also won their second league match of the season. On Monday evening, the champions prevailed at St. James' Park in an extraordinarily spectacular clash against a resilient Newcastle United. Deep into stoppage time, it was sixteen-year-old Rio Ngumoha who scored the winning goal.
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Newcastle United and Liverpool produced one of the early season’s most memorable encounters, a pulsating clash at St. James’ Park that had everything: goals, controversy, red cards, late drama, and the birth of a new teenage hero.
By the end of a wild evening on Tyneside, Liverpool had emerged 3-2 winners thanks to a stoppage-time strike from sixteen-year-old substitute Rio Ngumoha, in what will surely go down as one of the most thrilling matches of the Premier League campaign.
For long spells, Newcastle seemed poised to take something from the contest despite adversity. The Magpies began brightly, forcing Liverpool onto the back foot with their aggressive pressing and energy, urged on by a passionate home crowd that has turned St. James’ Park into a fortress in recent years. Liverpool, under new manager Arne Slot, looked vulnerable in the opening half-hour, struggling to establish rhythm against a Newcastle side hungry to make a statement.
Then, almost out of nowhere, the visitors struck. Ten minutes before halftime, Ryan Gravenberch unleashed a thunderous drive from distance that arrowed past Nick Pope, silencing the home support and putting Liverpool 1-0 up. It was a hammer blow against the run of play and a reminder of the individual quality Liverpool possess, even when under pressure.
Moments later came the incident that changed the complexion of the match. Anthony Gordon, Newcastle’s fiery winger, launched himself into a reckless and brutal tackle on Virgil van Dijk. Already riled by conceding, Gordon allowed frustration to boil over. The challenge could have ended badly for the Dutch defender, but Van Dijk somehow escaped injury. Referee Anthony Taylor had no hesitation, producing a straight red card. Gordon, ironically a boyhood Liverpool fan who came through at Everton before moving north, trudged off in disgrace as boos and cheers mingled in the stands.
The backstory only deepened the drama. Gordon had been given the nod to start because Alexander Isak had reportedly refused to play, his eyes set firmly on a transfer to Liverpool. In a cruel twist of fate, Gordon’s chance to prove himself in a high-profile game ended prematurely, leaving his team with ten men for more than half the match.
Despite the setback, Newcastle showed admirable spirit. The second half was played at a furious pace, with the crowd roaring their side forward. Their fury only intensified when Ibrahima Konaté, already booked, appeared to foul a Newcastle player in a promising position but escaped punishment. The sense of injustice spurred the Magpies on, and ten minutes after the break, Bruno Guimarães smashed home the equalizer to make it 1-1. The stadium erupted, believing a famous comeback could be on the cards even with a man disadvantage.
Liverpool, however, responded with the composure of champions. They gradually settled, regaining control of midfield and finding their passing rhythm. On the hour mark, they restored their lead, carving open Newcastle’s defense before calmly finishing to make it 2-1. St. James’ Park fell silent again, but only briefly.
The home side, fuelled by fury and belief, kept pushing. Liverpool seemed comfortable, controlling possession and slowing the tempo, and few inside the ground expected Newcastle to find another breakthrough. Then, with just three minutes of normal time remaining, came the twist. A long ball from Nick Pope flew deep into Liverpool’s half, catching the defense flat-footed. Danish forward Will Osula, on as a substitute, latched onto it and slid the ball home to make it 2-2. It was only his second Premier League goal, but it felt momentous. St. James’ Park shook with noise as the Geordie faithful celebrated what looked like a heroic rescue act. Alan Shearer, the club’s all-time top scorer, smiled approvingly from the directors’ box, the legend enjoying the drama unfolding at his beloved ground.
But football is rarely scripted. With eleven minutes of added time signaled, the game was far from over. Newcastle initially pressed forward, buoyed by Osula’s strike, but fatigue began to tell. Liverpool, smelling opportunity, pushed higher up the pitch. Dominik Szoboszlai, who had been quietly influential throughout, seized the moment. In the ninth minute of stoppage time, he danced past challenges and delivered a perfect ball into the path of Rio Ngumoha. The sixteen-year-old, barely known outside Liverpool’s academy, showed composure beyond his years, slotting the ball into the net to make it 3-2. The away end erupted in delirium, while the rest of the stadium fell into stunned silence.
Ngumoha’s strike was the crowning moment of an extraordinary evening. To score the winner in such a chaotic, high-stakes game at just sixteen years old will be remembered as a career-defining moment, even if it comes at the very start of his journey. His teammates mobbed him, Slot embraced his staff on the sidelines, and Liverpool celebrated a victory that felt like far more than three points.
For Newcastle, it was agony. Reduced to ten men, they had shown remarkable fight, equalizing twice and believing they had salvaged something from the chaos, only to see it snatched away at the death. The sense of what-might-have-been will linger, especially with the Isak saga casting a shadow over the club.
For Liverpool, however, it was vindication of resilience, of depth, and of the courage to trust youth. A 3-2 win in such dramatic circumstances will fuel belief that under Arne Slot, the Reds are ready to compete once again for the Premier League crown.
Updated: 12:14, 26 Aug 2025
