16-Year-Old Ngumoha Strikes Late As Liverpool Edges Past 10-Man Newcastle United

‎16-year-old Rio Ngumoha wrote his name into Liverpool folklore with a stunning 100th-minute winner against Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

‎The teenager’s late strike sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory for the champions, extending Newcastle’s miserable run against the Reds to 18 winless league games (D5, L13).

‎Pre-Match Tension Overshadowed by Transfer Talk

‎All eyes in the buildup were not on the pitch, but rather on the ongoing transfer saga involving Alexander Isak. The Swedish striker, whose future remains in limbo, dominated headlines in the days leading up to the clash.

‎But once the whistle blew, the noise around Isak gave way to pure footballing chaos on Tyneside.

‎Newcastle fans created a hostile atmosphere in support of Eddie Howe, with St James’ Park rocking as tackles flew in from the opening minutes. Ryan Gravenberch, returning from suspension, was among the first to feel the intensity, earning a booking early on.

‎The Magpies, desperate for a statement result, looked the sharper side in the opening exchanges, forcing Nick Pope into action to deny Florian Wirtz.

‎Gravenberch Opens the Floodgates

‎The frantic tempo seemed to favour Newcastle, but their wastefulness was punished in ruthless Liverpool style.

‎Anthony Gordon, who had three chances in as many minutes, failed to convert, and moments later Gravenberch silenced the home crowd with a thunderbolt from 30 yards. His strike into the bottom corner extended Liverpool’s remarkable run of scoring in 36 consecutive league matches.

‎Gordon’s frustrations only deepened just before halftime when a reckless sliding tackle on Virgil van Dijk was upgraded to a red card after VAR intervention. The dismissal left Newcastle staring at an uphill battle with 10 men.

‎Ekitike Strikes Again, Newcastle Fight Back

‎Within 20 seconds of the restart, Liverpool doubled their advantage. Cody Gakpo’s initial effort was blocked, but the Dutchman’s persistence paid off as the ball found Hugo Ekitike.

‎The young striker, filled with confidence, produced a composed finish into the bottom corner his third goal in as many games.

‎At 2-0 down, Newcastle looked beaten. But Bruno Guimarães gave them hope just before the hour mark, rising highest to nod home Tino Livramento’s pinpoint cross.

‎Osula’s Late Equaliser Sparks Chaos

‎As the minutes ticked away, Liverpool appeared to have weathered the storm, but Newcastle refused to go quietly. In the 88th minute, a hopeful long ball from Pope caused chaos in Liverpool’s backline.

‎Dan Burn’s flick-on found William Osula, who stabbed the ball past Alisson for only his second-ever Premier League goal. St James’ Park erupted as Newcastle had clawed back from the brink to level at 2-2.

‎Rio Ngumoha Writes His Own Fairytale

‎Just as the Magpies thought they had secured a hard-earned point, Arne Slot turned to his bench.

‎Rio Ngumoha, the 16-year-old prodigy, is making his mark in a dreamlike way. In the 100th minute, Mohamed Salah drove a low cross into the area, and Ngumoha showed composure beyond his years to curl the ball into the corner.

‎For Liverpool, this was yet another example of their relentless mentality under Slot. Even when they fought back, they found a way to win, keeping their title defence on track and extending Newcastle’s barren run against them.

‎But the night ultimately belonged to Rio Ngumoha. At just 16, he became Liverpool’s youngest-ever match-winner in the Premier League.