Rio Ngumoha stole the spotlight on Matchday 2 of the 2025-26 Premier League, scoring the decisive goal that handed Liverpool all three points against Newcastle United. On his Premier League debut, the teenager not only opened his account for the Reds but also set an incredible club record.
On Monday, Liverpool jumped out to a two-goal lead thanks to Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike, while Anthony Gordon’s red card left Newcastle a man down. Still, the Magpies fought back as Bruno Guimarães pulled one back in the 57th minute before William Osula struck the equalizer.
The match descended into chaos with VAR intervention for Gordon’s dismissal and injuries to Sandro Tonali, Joelinton, and Fabian Schär, forcing 11 minutes of stoppage time. In the 90+6 minute, manager Arne Slot introduced Ngumoha for Cody Gakpo. Just four minutes later, Mohamed Salah delivered a cross from the right, Dominik Szoboszlai cleverly let it run, and the youngster was perfectly placed to smash home the winning goal.
With that strike in stoppage time, Rio Ngumoha became the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool’s 133-year history. At 16 years and 361 days old, he surpassed the record previously held by Ben Woodburn, who scored in 2016 against Leeds United in the EFL Cup at 17 years and 45 days.
Rio Ngumoha of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James’ Park on August 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
A product of Chelsea’s academy, Ngumoha joined Liverpool in July 2024 and has since featured prominently for the club’s U-18 side. He impressed in preseason with an assist against AC Milan, a goal versus Yokohama Marinos, and both a goal and an assist against Athletic Bilbao. Now, just one game into his Premier League career, he has already written his name into the club’s history books with a record that may be tough to beat.
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Premier League 2025 TV Schedule USA and Streaming Links
Ngumoha and the youngest Premier League goalscorers
Unlike Woodburn, Ngumoha’s breakthrough came in a clutch moment, delivering a stoppage-time winner in a high-stakes Premier League clash. Even so, he fell just short of reaching the top 3 of the youngest scorer in league history.
That honor belongs to James Vaughan, who scored for Everton against Crystal Palace in April 2005 at 16 years and 270 days. Second on the list is James Milner, who netted for Leeds United against Sunderland in December 2002 at 16 years and 356 days.
Rounding out the top three is Wayne Rooney, who scored his first Premier League goal for Everton at 16 years and 360 days—just one day younger than Ngumoha. Fittingly, like Ngumoha, Rooney’s goal also came in stoppage time, famously downing Arsenal in October 2002.
