Rio Ngumoha sent Liverpool fans into delirium as the 16-year-old scored a dramatic 100th-minute winner on his Premier League debut to snatch a 3-2 victory at Newcastle. The teenager became Liverpool's youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer, according to The i, making him the fourth youngest in the competition's history behind James Vaughan, James Milner, and Wayne Rooney.
Liverpool had looked comfortable at 2-0 up through Ryan Gravenberch's stunning opener and Hugo Ekitike's clinical finish. Ekitike's goal made him the first Liverpool player since Daniel Sturridge to score in each of his first three appearances for the club.
Red card changes everything
Anthony Gordon's reckless tackle on Virgil van Dijk just before half-time saw the Newcastle winger sent off after a VAR review. The dismissal came after Gordon had been Newcastle's most dangerous player in an outstanding first 45 minutes.
Eddie Howe's 10-man side refused to surrender despite the numerical disadvantage. Bruno Guimaraes pulled one back with a captain's performance before William Osula's 88th-minute equaliser looked to have secured a deserved point for the hosts.
Liverpool's unconvincing display
The visitors were largely second-best throughout the contest despite their numerical advantage. Ibrahima Konate struggled for the second consecutive week, losing possession cheaply and looking suspect for Newcastle's equaliser.
Jamie Carragher described it as "one of the worst performances from a winning team and one of the best from a losing team", according to Mirror. New signing Florian Wirtz continued his difficult start to English football, managing just a 5.5 rating before being substituted.
Fairytale ending
Ngumoha's introduction in the sixth minute of stoppage time proved inspired as he guided a powerful strike past Nick Pope to break Newcastle hearts. The teenager's winner caps what many see as a fairytale debut story, particularly given Liverpool's ongoing pursuit of Newcastle striker Alexander Isak.
The victory maintains Liverpool's perfect start under Arne Slot, though questions remain about defensive solidity. Newcastle showed tremendous character to fight back with 10 men, with Tino Livramento and Anthony Elanga particularly impressive despite the defeat.
Sources used: "The i", "independent", "Mirror", "Chronicle Live" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
