Signs of promise as Jaissle's Newcastle hold their own against Liverpool

Matthias Jaissle's first competitive match as Newcastle United manager ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Liverpool at St James' Park, a result that echoed the storied history between the two clubs.

Newcastle led 2-1 deep into stoppage time before referee Stuart Attwell awarded Liverpool a penalty after substitute Victor Munoz was fouled by a tiring Lewis Hall. Dominik Szoboszlai converted to level the score. Jaissle admitted afterwards he felt the decision was soft, but said he was proud of his team's overall performance across the 90 minutes.

The match carried extra significance as both clubs marked the legacy of former Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan, whose family and former players including Alan Shearer, Rob Lee and Tino Asprilla watched from the directors' box. Supporters' group Wor Flags unveiled a stadium-wide display before kick-off, urging fans to keep dreaming for their club.

The draw came at the start of a transitional period for Newcastle, who have lost key figures over the past year including Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, as well as former head coach Eddie Howe. All of the club's summer signings have been under 24 and lacked Premier League experience, leading some pundits to question whether the team, under a manager new to English football himself, would struggle.

Despite the doubts, Newcastle showed promising signs against Liverpool. Anthony Elanga opened the scoring, while substitute Joe Willock added a second assisted by Yoane Wissa, who led all Newcastle players in duels won and said Jaissle wants him to take on a leadership role.

Newcastle dropped more points from winning positions than any other side last season, but Jaissle said his players stuck together under pressure on Sunday, calling it a solid starting point despite the late setback.