Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle has criticized the penalty decision that led to Liverpool's 99th-minute equalizer, calling it "really soft" and expressing concern that such calls could lead to an increase in penalties awarded in future matches.
The controversial foul occurred when substitute Victor Munoz was adjudged to have been brought down by Lewis Hall, allowing Dominik Szoboszlai to convert from the spot and salvage a point for Liverpool in the 2-2 draw. Newcastle had taken a 2-1 lead with goals from Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock, after Cody Gakpo had initially equalized for the visitors.
"If you give that there will be so many penalties in the future," Jaissle stated after the match. "I'm not a fan of that, I have to say. I don't know if that is good for football. I disagree, but more I cannot say."
Despite the late disappointment, Jaissle also expressed pride in his team's performance, highlighting their effort and commitment over the full 90 minutes. "The guys were doing an amazing job for over 90 minutes," he said. "We are a young squad and they really left their heart on the pitch and this is something we can build on."
Meanwhile, Liverpool's new boss Andoni Iraola commented on the performance of former Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, who had a challenging afternoon and was booed by the home crowd. "He has tried everything, given us good positions on the ball, has had a couple of situations to finish in the box, but not the clearest," Iraola noted. "I value that he has continued pushing and fighting. It is a good step for Alex."
Iraola added that while securing a point at the end was a positive outcome, his team would not have been satisfied with the result prior to the game. "We scored at the end so you probably have a better taste, but before the game we wouldn't have signed for this result."