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It was certainly an eventful start, just the sort of topsy turvy fixture Keegan was synonymous with during his time in charge of Newcastle.
How fitting then that the club legend's family and several of his former players, including Alan Shearer, Rob Lee and Tino Asprilla, were among those in the directors' box.
They watched on as supporters' group Wor Flags unfurled a huge display before the game, which encompassed every seat in the stadium, including a timely banner in the Gallowgate End.
"I want people to dream about their football club," it read. "They should. We should all be dreamers at heart.
"Some people are the opposite and say, 'We can't do that'. But when you ask them why, they can't give a reason. Well, I say, 'Why not?'"
Those words are still relevant.
In the last 12 months, Newcastle have lost key players in Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes while head coach Eddie Howe has also departed.
Newcastle are targeting further reinforcements, but all of the club's signings this summer have been aged 24 and under and have never played in the Premier League before.
Noting Jaissle has also never managed in the English top flight, some pundits predicted that Newcastle would struggle from the off as a result.
Just as Jaissle recognised there were those who did not think "we can play a good role in the Premier League", so did injured captain Dan Burn, who believes Newcastle are at their best when "it's us against the world",
Newcastle tapped into that and, indeed, the noise surrounding Isak's return, which only energised the crowd further against Liverpool.
"If you have this synergy between the fans and then the players delivering on the pitch, something special can be created," Jaissle said.
