Liverpool’s teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha scored a dramatic 100th-minute winner to snatch all three points against Newcastle United in a pulsating Premier League clash at St James’ Park.
At just 16 years and 361 days old, Ngumoha became the fourth-youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, netting on his competition debut only four days before his 17th birthday. His stoppage-time strike sealed a 3-2 victory for the champions, stunning the home crowd after Newcastle had mounted a stirring fightback.
Eddie Howe’s side, fuelled by summer speculation over star striker Alexander Isak’s future, began strongly. Roared on by a ferocious home crowd, Newcastle dominated the opening half hour, forcing Liverpool onto the back foot. Joelinton and Anthony Gordon both went close, but it was the visitors who struck first against the run of play.
On 35 minutes, Ryan Gravenberch’s low drive from outside the area took a deflection off Fabian Schär and flew beyond Nick Pope. It was only Liverpool’s second shot of the game and just the Dutch midfielder’s second Premier League goal, his first since April 2024 against Fulham.
That strike also saw Liverpool extend their scoring run to 36 consecutive league matches, equalling the club record set between March 2019 and February 2020.
A first half littered with fouls (19 in total) ended with a flashpoint. Gordon’s reckless challenge on Virgil van Dijk initially drew a yellow card, but after VAR intervention, referee Simon Hooper upgraded it to red. It was Newcastle’s first Premier League sending-off in over a year and the 17th red card shown in meetings between the two clubs – a tally surpassed only by Everton v Liverpool (25) and Liverpool v Manchester United (18).
Seconds after the restart, Liverpool took full advantage of their extra man. Hugo Ekitiké, a former Newcastle transfer target, fired home off the post just 20 seconds into the second half. It was Liverpool’s earliest second-half Premier League goal since February 2013, when Philippe Coutinho scored against Swansea.
Ekitiké has now scored in each of his first three appearances for Liverpool, joining an exclusive list of just ten players to achieve the feat. He is only the second to do so in the last 50 years, after Daniel Sturridge in January 2013.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Newcastle refused to buckle. Captain Bruno Guimarães headed home Tino Livramento’s teasing cross in the 57th minute to halve the deficit, ending a run of four league games and 49 shots without scoring when Isak is absent.
Substitute William Osula, the only recognised striker available, completed the comeback with 14 minutes remaining. Chasing a long ball, he slipped it through Alisson’s legs to make it 2-2. Remarkably, Osula now has two goals from two shots on target in his Premier League career.
Liverpool had failed to muster a shot after Ekitiké’s early second-half goal and looked set to settle for a draw. But in the 100th minute, Mohamed Salah’s cross was cleverly dummied by Dominik Szoboszlai, allowing Ngumoha to sweep home with his first-ever Premier League shot.
The youngster became only the second 16-year-old to score a winning goal in the competition, one day younger than Wayne Rooney was when he famously netted for Everton against Arsenal in October 2002.
The 3-2 win maintained Liverpool’s perfect start to the season but manager Arne Slot will expect significant improvement when his side face Arsenal at Anfield on 31 August.