Liverpool's 2-2 draw at Newcastle exposed the same defensive frailties that plagued them last season, suggesting new manager Andoni Iraola's arrival has not yet solved the club's underlying imbalance. Despite the setback, the point was ultimately a decent result given that most other title-chasing sides also struggled at the start of the new campaign, undermined by summer upheaval of their own.

Newcastle twice took the lead through Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock, both goals coming from swift breaks through space Liverpool left exposed, echoing Arne Slot's frequent complaints last season about vulnerability on the counter-attack. Iraola acknowledged the issues were partly about personnel, notably the long-unresolved absence of a specialist holding midfielder since Fabinho's 2023 departure, which leaves Virgil van Dijk exposed as he drops deeper to compensate for his declining pace. Full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez also struggled, while Alexander Isak, jeered by his former home fans, and Florian Wirtz both had quiet games, though Liverpool showed resilience to fight back for a point.