Dominik Szoboszlai scored a stoppage-time penalty to earn Liverpool a 2-2 draw at Newcastle United on Sunday, but the manner of the two goals they conceded left new manager Andoni Iraola facing a familiar problem in midfield.
Newcastle scored both of their goals on the counter-attack, and both moves began with Ryan Gravenberch losing possession on the edge of Newcastle's penalty area, leaving Liverpool's defence stretched and exposed.
Substitute Victor Munoz won the foul that led to the decisive penalty, which Szoboszlai converted to salvage the point. The draw came almost a year to the day after Rio Ngumoha scored a 100th-minute winner at St James' Park last August.
Midfield problem left unresolved
Liverpool's midfield of Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz and Szoboszlai are all naturally attack-minded players, and the club has not signed a specialist defensive midfielder this summer despite the issue being raised for several seasons. Alexis Mac Allister and Gravenberch both struggled for much of last season, and Liverpool have lacked a recognised holding midfielder since Fabinho left in the summer of 2023.
"The team needs a defensive midfielder, we have been talking about this at Liverpool for three years," said Daniel Sturridge on Sky Sports. "Gravenberch changed that philosophy but if you analyse the midfield, they are all naturally more attacking players."
"You look at Mamadou Sangare at Brentford, the stats jump off the page, he was only £39million which is not a load of money."
Some of the Premier League's most successful sides have built around a player who sits in front of the defence and breaks up opposition attacks, from Claude Makelele and Ngolo Kante to Rodri, Fernandinho and several Manchester United midfielders over the years. At Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta took the headlines, but it was Sergio Busquets, at the base of midfield, who was the most important cog in that team, the kind of role Liverpool currently lack.
Iraola felt his side had been the better team overall but might have been relieved to take a point, having looked likely for long spells to leave with nothing. At Bournemouth, the Basque coach used an energetic, dynamic double pivot of Tyler Adams and Lewis Cook, and he appears still to be working out how to strike a similar balance at Liverpool.
Transfer plans
Liverpool remain hopeful of signing Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola this week and are also weighing up a third bid for Brighton and Hove Albion winger Yankuba Minteh. Both would strengthen the wide areas, but adding a holding midfielder is considered just as important if Liverpool are to stop being repeatedly caught on the counter-attack.
Isak booed on return
Alexander Isak, who joined Liverpool from Newcastle for £125million, was booed by the home crowd with every touch at St James' Park. The Sweden striker had a couple of chances but failed to take them on a difficult afternoon against his former club.
Lack of depth in attack
Liverpool's bench also raised questions about squad depth. Lewis Koumas, son of former Premier League midfielder Jason Koumas, was sent on as a substitute in search of an equaliser and made his top-flight debut. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Hull City, where he was an unused substitute in the play-off final despite scoring important goals during the club's promotion push, having also had loan spells at Birmingham City and Stoke City.
Elsewhere in attack, Cody Gakpo scored Liverpool's other goal with a fine strike from distance and was their most effective forward, though his future remains uncertain amid reported interest from Tottenham Hotspur. Munoz looked bright after coming off the bench, while 17-year-old Ngumoha, who is better suited to the left flank, made little impact on the right and had just 21 touches.
Mohamed Salah, who left Liverpool this summer, scored on his debut for Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super Lig on the same day, some 2,000 miles south-east of Newcastle. With just over a week left in the transfer window, Liverpool have yet to sign a direct replacement for the Egypt forward.
