Tuesday 26 / August / 2025
LONDON: Liverpool's 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha etched his name into the club's history books as their youngest-ever scorer, striking in stoppage time to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory over Newcastle United on Monday at St. James' Park.
The match was played in a feverish atmosphere, heightened by Liverpool's recent pursuit of Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. What followed was a rollercoaster contest that saw the Premier League champions surrender a two-goal lead before Ngumoha delivered the decisive blow.
Newcastle started strongly, putting Liverpool under pressure, but the visitors struck first 10 minutes before halftime when Ryan Gravenberch's low shot deflected off Fabian Schar and beat Nick Pope. Tensions escalated in first-half stoppage time when Anthony Gordon was sent off for a reckless challenge on Virgil van Dijk, a decision confirmed by VAR.
Liverpool doubled its lead almost immediately after the restart, with Hugo Ekitike -- who turned down Newcastle in favor of Anfield -- finishing coolly.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Eddie Howe's side refused to fold. Captain Bruno Guimaraes pulled one back with a diving header in the 57th minute, and substitute Will Osula bundled in an 88th-minute equalizer as Liverpool wobbled.
The game appeared destined for a draw until Ngumoha, introduced from the bench, struck in the 100th minute from an unmarked position to secure a sensational win.
At 16 years and 361 days, Ngumoha became not only Liverpool's youngest scorer but also the fourth-youngest in Premier League history, behind James Vaughan, James Milner and Wayne Rooney.
Alaves snaps up defender Pacheco on loan from Real Sociedad
Deportivo Alaves has signed central defender Jon Pacheco on loan from Real Sociedad for the rest of the 2025-2026 La Liga campaign, the club confirmed on Monday.
The agreement doesn't include the option for Alaves to make a permanent move for a player who has a contract until 2030 with Real Sociedad, with Real Sociedad hoping Pacheco can play on a regular basis and return to play a role next season.
24-year-old Pacheco has played 96 times for the Real Sociedad first team and has represented Spain at every level from under-17 to under-23, with 15 appearances for the under-21 team and four for the under-23 side that won the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Last season saw Pacheco play 22 times in La Liga under former coach Imanol Alguacil, but the arrival of Sergio Francisco after Imanol's departure at the end of the campaign, coupled with the arrival of Croatian international, Duje Caleta-Car has pushed him down the pecking order, leaving him with few options to play.
Pacheco joins former Real Sociedad players Jon Guridi and Ander Guevara at Alaves and could make his debut next weekend at home to Atletico Madrid.
