Liverpool secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over 10-man Newcastle United on Monday night, thanks to a stunning 100th-minute winner from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha.
The English champions looked to be in control after goals from Ryan Gravenberch and summer signing Hugo Ekitike, either side of Anthony Gordon’s reckless red card for a late lunge on Virgil van Dijk. But in front of a raucous St. James’ Park crowd, Newcastle roared back with goals from Bruno Guimaraes and William Osula, setting up a tense finale.
Just when the Magpies looked set to earn a point, teenage sensation Ngumoha calmly curled home Mohamed Salah’s set-up, sealing all three points for Arne Slot’s side in stoppage time.
The victory keeps Liverpool level on six points with Tottenham and Arsenal, who visit Anfield on Sunday in what promises to be an early title showdown.
For Newcastle, the defeat prolongs their winless start to the season and adds further frustration as star striker Alexander Isak continues to sit out amid transfer speculation. Isak, who scored the decisive goal against Liverpool in last season’s League Cup final, is reportedly pushing for a move away, with Liverpool thought to be leading the chase despite having a £110m bid rejected. Newcastle are holding out for a British record fee of £150m.
Liverpool’s signing of Ekitike, a long-time Newcastle target earmarked as a potential Isak replacement, has only intensified tensions between the clubs. Slot fielded both Ekitike and fellow recruit Florian Wirtz in an attack-minded line-up, alongside Cody Gakpo and Salah, with Dominik Szoboszlai filling in as an unorthodox right-back.
Despite Newcastle’s early dominance, it was Liverpool who struck first. Gravenberch fired home a thunderous effort off the inside of the post on 35 minutes. Gordon’s dismissal then tilted the game further in Liverpool’s favour, and Ekitike doubled the lead within 20 seconds of the restart with a composed finish from Gakpo’s assist.
Newcastle, however, refused to fold. Guimaraes powered in a header after outmuscling Milos Kerkez, before substitute Osula bundled in his second-ever Premier League goal from Dan Burn’s flick.
The home side pushed for a famous comeback, but Liverpool’s quality proved decisive in the dying moments. Salah’s clever pass, dummied beautifully by Szoboszlai, found Ngumoha in space, and the teenager showed remarkable composure to curl in the match-winner just days before his 17th birthday.
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