Rio Ngumoha breaks Newcastle hearts with stoppage-time winner for Liverpool

Rio Ngumoha came off the bench to snatched victory deep into stoppage time as Premier League champions Liverpool edged past 10-man Newcastle on an astonishing night at St James’ Park.

Fellow substitute Will Osula’s first goal of the season looked to have completed a famous comeback by the Magpies, who had Anthony Gordon sent off in first-half stoppage time and trailed 2-0 seconds after the break.

However, Ngumoha’s intervention in the 10th minute of stoppage time denied them a priceless point in the stunning 3-2 win.

90+10' - UNBELIEVABLEEEEEE!!!!!!

Ngumoha finishes a brilliant move on his Premier League debut!!!

[2-3] #NEWLIV https://t.co/g4QWiLlvcn

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 25, 2025

The Reds were already leading through Ryan Gravenberch’s 35th-minute strike against the run of play after surviving an early onslaught when Gordon was dismissed for a late challenge on Virgil van Dijk, and Hugo Ekitike’s strike seconds after half-time looked to have killed the game off.

As the travelling fans sang “hand him over, Newcastle£ – a reference to their club’s pursuit of Alexander Isak on a night when Magpies chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan was in the stands – Bruno Guimaraes reduced the deficit with a 57th-minute header, and Osula’s late equaliser sparked a frenzied conclusion.

Gordon’s misdemeanour will cost head coach Eddie Howe, who lost Fabian Schar, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton to injury during a pulsating encounter, his services for three games, further depleting his pool of strikers and perhaps further dashing Isak’s hopes of a move during what remains of the transfer window.

In a frenetic start, the hosts exerted early pressure on a Reds defence featuring Dominik Szoboszlai as a makeshift right-back, although it was Nick Pope