Liverpool wonderkid Rio Ngumoha, 16, hits last-gasp winner in Newcastle thriller - 5 talking points

Rio Ngumoha came off the bench to score in the 100th minute as Liverpool somehow beat 10-man Newcastle in a drama-packed match at St James' Park.

The Alexander Isak transfer saga provided added intensity to the encounter at St James' Park and it certainly didn't disappoint in terms of feistiness before Ngumoha trumped Will Osula as a supersub.

Newcastle dominated the opening 30 minutes but could not make it count as Gordon spurned three opportunities. Out of nowhere, they found themselves behind, with Ryan Gravenberch rifling in from the edge of the box via a deflection off Fabian Schar.

Gordon then compounded his misses by flying in to try and charge down Virgil van Dijk, only to catch his calf with his studs. After a VAR review, referee Simon Hooper upgraded his yellow card to a red and left Newcastle with an uphill battle.

READ MORE: Eddie Howe gives Alexander Isak latest as Newcastle issued with double transfer demand

READ MORE: Premier League issue explanation as Anthony Gordon sent off by VAR in Liverpool clash

It got harder when Hugo Ekitike found the bottom corner straight after the break to make it 2-0. Bruno Guimaraes took advantage of some weak defending by Milos Kerkez to head in and half the deficit.

It looked as though that goal wasn't going to be enough, but Osula got on the end of a Dan Burn flick-on to beat Alisson at the near post. Then, out of nowhere once more, Liverpool went up the other end and Ngumoha tucked in Mohamed Salah's low cross to earn Liverpool three points.

Isak message

He wasn't playing. He wasn't even in the Newcastle squad. And yet he still dominated the narrative around this game. Alexander Isak has spent the past month trying to leave the Magpies for their opponents. So far he has been unsuccessful, but the timing of his game provided an intriguing narrative - and most definitely added to the atmosphere and intensity on the pitch.

After he accused his employers of breaking promises, a banner in the stands read: "Nothing is achieved alone. We are a city. A whole population. We are Newcastle United." The message from the supporters was clear and, in the end, Osula summed up that ethos.

Gordon's nightmare night

Gordon was singled out for praise by Howe before kick-off, having filled in at centre-forward in the opening game of the season. But he endured an utterly miserable time against Liverpool, with his adrenaline to impress overriding everything else.

He missed three decent chances in quick succession - heading over Harvey Barnes' cross, failing to get on the end of Anthony Elanga's cross and messing up a third opening - before the red card decision.

Gordon was perhaps caught up in the occasion. He appeared desperate to please the supporters and charged after Van Dijk as he cleared the ball up the pitch, catching the Dutchman's calf with his studs. "He gets carried away with what's been happening," said Thierry Henry on Sky Sports. He was lucky that his team-mates bailed him out.

Ekitike rubs salt in the wound

Question: what do Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Benjamin Sesko and Ekitike all have in common? Answer: they all snubbed Newcastle to join rival Premier League sides this summer. Without a sporting director of a chief executive, Newcastle have struggled in the transfer window - and Ekitike rubbed their noses in it at St James' Park.

Just 20 seconds had elapsed in the second half when the French striker side-footed in off the base of the post from the edge of the box to make it 2-0. Arne Slot wasn't even out of the tunnel yet. He has now scored in each of his first three starts for Liverpool, having scored in the Community Shield and the 4-2 win over Bournemouth on the opening day of the season.

Ekitike starting so well has been crucial for Liverpool, who sold Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz and tragically lost Diogo Jota. They still want to sign another striker before the window closes, but if they can't get Isak then the ex-Eintracht Frankfurt striker will soften the blow.

Tale of two full-backs

When the team sheets were released, there was one obvious question: who would be playing right-back for Liverpool? With Jeremie Frimpong injured and Conor Bradley on the bench, Arne Slot chose to put Dominik Szoboszlai into the position, with Curtis Jones remaining in his favoured midfield role.

Szoboszlai made some crucial interventions in the first half, getting to the ball before Gordon when the ball was flashed across the six-yard box and his hard work and endeavour stood out for the Reds. Meanwhile, Kerkez - a specialist left-back signed for £40m from Bournemouth this summer - struggled and was at fault for Guimaraes' header.

The Hungary international didn't get off the ground, turned his back and allowed the Newcastle captain a free jump at Tino Livramento's floated cross to the back post. He has looked out of his depth in Liverpool's early games this season and Slot might be tempted to start Andy Robertson in the coming weeks.

Ngumoha bails Liverpool out

Salah was anonymous for Liverpool. They barely went near Nick Pope's goal after Ekitike's strike in the 46th minute. Their club record signing Florian Wirtz had no impact on the match. And yet they still scored three times away from home at a difficult stadium.

Slot's side once again looked vulnerable at the back - and eventually the pressure told. With the fans roaring them on, Newcastle did not look like the side only playing with 10 men. They pinned Liverpool in and bombarding their box, with Livramento's long throw-ins creating a siege-like feeling.

In the end it was a simple long free-kick from Pope, flicked on by Burn, that did the damage. Osula gambled, got there before Gravenberch and poked beyond the onrushing Alisson. And yet, still, somehow, they got it done, with Ngumoha keeping his cool to tuck it into the corner after a Szoboszlai's dummy.

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