Newcastle United and Liverpool battled to a 2-2 draw on Sunday, in a match that provided an emotional send-off for football legend Kevin Keegan. The game saw Anthony Elanga break his goalless league season drought, scoring for Newcastle within five minutes of the new season.
Elanga's goal, following his £55m transfer from Nottingham Forest, gave Newcastle the lead. However, Liverpool salvaged a point in the closing seconds when Dominik Szoboszlai converted a penalty after Victor Muñoz was fouled by Lewis Hall, making the final score 2-2.
The afternoon's entertainment was described as a fitting, albeit flawed, tribute to Keegan, who was honoured with an emotional tribute before kick-off. Keegan's legacy includes seven trophies in six years with Liverpool and steering Newcastle to Second Division safety in 1992 as manager.
Both new managers, Andoni Iraola for Liverpool and Matthias Jaissle for Newcastle, saw promising signs alongside familiar failings. Iraola's Liverpool debut featured Jérémy Jacquet growing into the game and Cody Gakpo scoring an equaliser. Jaissle's Newcastle side, with a new midfield pairing, showed positive intent despite making mistakes.