19  Javier MANQUILLO
20  Florian JEJEUNE  (18  Chancel MBEMBA  34)
  2  Ciaran CLARK
  3  Paul DUMMETT (  6  Jamaal LASCELLES  7)

  8  Jonjo SHELVEY     
14  Isaac HAYDEN

11  Matt RITCHIE     
17  Ayoze PEREZ
30  Christian ATSU

  9   Dwight GAYLE  (23  Mikel MERINO  76)

Unused subs: 
26  Karl DARLOW
16  Rolando AARONS
  7  Jacob MURPHY
45  Aleksandar MITROVIC

37  Kyle WALKER-PETERS
  5  Jan VERTONGHEN
  4  Toby ALDERWEIRELD
33  Ben DAVIES      

19  Mousa DEMBELE  (29  Harry WINKS  82)
15  Eric DIER

17  Moussa SISSOKO  (  7  Heung-Min SON  58)
20  DELE Alli  (12  Victor WANYAMA  82)
23  Christian ERIKSEN

10  Harry KANE     

Unused subs: 
13  Michel VORM
38  Cameron CARTER-VICKERS
27   Kevin WIMMER
  9   Vincent JANSSEN
 

With what was nothing less than an uncontroversial sending off by the captain of Newcastle the game was more or less handed to Spurs, with a 2-0 saunter in the second half starting the new campaign with a win.

Tried to test out KWP early on, but held off Perez, who fouled him. The home team set up to pressure Spurs at start and we were not very good at holding onto possession in the first five minutes, with predictable booing for Sissoko having deserted the Toon, but KWP got some too when he didn't put the ball out as a Newcastle player was injured. Gayle sliced a good opening way over the top and then Spurs broke clear with Eriksen and Kane combining on the left, but he couldn't pick out Moussa Sissoko in the clear in the box, with the ball going out for a corner. While the ball was out Dummett fell to the floor and went off with just seven minutes gone, being replaced by Jamaal Lascelles.

Tottenham settled down and Mousa Dembele manoeuvred the ball to the edge of the box, before his shot was blocked. Another neat move saw Eriksen's chip forward squared across the box on the volley by Dele, but it went out for a corner. Nothing came from that, but the next one was played short and Eriksen's low near post cross was tricky for Elliot to take. When Newcastle went forward, a quick free kick found Gayle who went down under challenge in the box, but he was flagged offside. Perez nearly got in on the edge of the box, but Kyle Walker-Peters came across to snuff out the danger.

Ciaran Clark needlessly bundled over KWP on the right touchline and Eriksen's free-kick wasn't really read by Kane, who was hit by the ball and it dropped softly in front of Elliot. The home crowd had been quiet, apart from their booing, but got liveley when Lascelles won a tackle through Dele and then the players chest bumped, bringing Marriner to speak to them both.

A good cross by KWP went into the air and Elliot claimed it before throwing out quickly and Newcastle won a corner, but from it Tottenham broke with Lloris being the one to throw it out quickly and Eriksen tried to put Dembele in, but got a rebound and shot just wide across the goal. The Magpies had a few corners as they tried to get down the wings, but failed to make much of them.  Kane picked up a yellow card for a tackle on Lejeune, while other harsher challenges had gone without a free-kick. The French defender limped off and had to be replaced by Mbemba. The game went into a lull and it was Eriksen who woke things up with a shot from outside the box after playing a one-two with Sissoko, bringing a diving save from Elliot.

Both line-ups that trudged off at half-time returned for the re-start. That didn't last for long, as Dele conceded a foul, but as he lay on the floor, Shelvey decided to stamp on his ankle. He was surprised to see a red card and Benitez was up in arms, as he should be, but with his captain rather than the officials. Newcastle were looking to make up for their loss in numbers, as Atsu went down the left and the ball fell for Gayle, whose shot was pushed wide for a corner by Hugo at his near post. Tottenham broke and the ball broke for Kane, dropping to him in the box around the penalty spot, but he was denied at point blank range by Elliot. Ritchie was lucky not to see red, when he took Dele down as he ran away from him, but Marriner produced a yellow card.  The home fans showed their ignorance by booing Dele because he got stamped on and got fouled. Their
ire was further raised when Perez stayed down injured ... they hadn't even realised that he had been injured by his own team-mate !! 

Son made a surprise appearance, coming on for Sissoko, much to the delight of the petty Toon fans ... who even booed him when he guided Eriksen's delightful cross past Elliot on the volley. It had been coming, but when it did, it was a nice bit of creativity by |Christian to set up Dele for the volleyed finish.  Tottenham were looking to cash in and Eriksen got in on the left, but scuffed his shot. Eriksen was involved when he and Dele linked, with Christian getting a bounce off a defender and then running the ball in the box into Davies' path, for the left back to stroke the ball under Elliot to make it 2-0 with 70 minutes on the clock.

Everyone was enjoying the sun and wanting to get in on the action, with Dier trying a shot from outside the box, but it caught a Newcastle foot and spun just wide. While Tottenham held possession, when Newcastle got it, there was the embarrassing sight of Matt Ritchie throwing himself to the ground and pleading for a yellow card on every challenge. Atsu took a more footballing approach to trying to get Newcastle in the game and ran at the defence, before putting in a low shot from left to right, but Lloris was behind it all the way. He almost got on the end of a low cross in front of the face of the goal, but KWP got in a challenge and Atsu shot into the side netting from the left of the goal.

Newcastle finally got what they wanted from the game, with Davies getting cautioned for an innocuous leg across Manquillo, but from the free-kick it fell to Clark on the volley, but he put a weak effort straight at goal, but high and above Lloris's head, making it easy for him to catch. The game was played to a conclusion with the ball being knocked around at a reasonably leisurely pace and only when Son put
Harry through in the area, producing a shot that hit the post to Elliot's left did things quicken. Son almostgave Kane a goal, but it was ruled out for offside, which was cheered by the home crowd !! Weird !!

Spurs didn't really gel in the first half and it was only after the sending off, that they picked up the pace and showed some clinical finishing that brought them the points. Having the nucleus of the side from last season, it gave them an understanding that Newcastle seemed to lack. The home side were neat enough and looked reasonably compact, but they lack quality and strength, leaving the goalkeeper exposed.  There is a difference in Spurs not spending in the transfer window and Newcastle not doing the same.  They need squad depth to stay up and players who can add something to their squad, as they looked like they were struggling with numbers after two first half injuries.
 

Three points on opening day is a good start and with some work behind the scenes off the pitch and a continued level of performance on it next week, our position after the transfer widow closes could be a better one than the last few seasons.
 

Peter Jones