Newcastle 1-2 Tottenham LIVE: Latest score and updates; Dele Alli goal restores lead

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino called upon his World Cup stars for their Premier League opener at Newcastle.

Winning captain Hugo Lloris, Belgium’s Jan Vertonghen and England trio Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Harry Kane were all handed starts at St James’ Park.

Rafael Benitez included no debutants in his starting line-up as Joselu got the nod up front with summer signings Salomon Rondon and Yoshinori Muto, like Fabian Schar and Ki, named among the substitutes.

Tottenham XI: Lloris, Aurier, Vertonghen, Sanchez, Davies, Dier, Sissoko, Eriksen, Alli, Moura, Kane

Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Yedlin, Clark, Lascelles, Dummett, Diame, Shelvey, Ritchie, Perez, Kenedy, Joselu

NEWCASTLE 1-2 TOTTENHAM – VERTONGHEN (9), JOSELU (11), ALLI (17)

  • Jan Vertonghen opens the scoring
  • Joselu equalises two minutes later with smart header
  • Dele Alli nods Serge Aurier cross to restore lead

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: REUTERS)

NEWCASTLE 1-2 TOTTENHAM

44: Spurs committing fouls all over the place to stunt Newcastle momentum. Shelvey delivers a free-kick from the right touchline but Vertonghen heads clear.

41: Booked! Kenedy does really well to intercept a loose pass from Kane and launches an attack. He wriggles his way past Aurier before Dier brings him down. The Spurs midfielder looks angry that the right-back missed the first tackle. Rightly so.

38: Under pressure inside the penalty area, Joselu manages to keep a Newcastle attack alive, and the ball drops for Clark, whose left-footed strike trickles agonisingly wide of the far post.

35: Both sides going hell for leather here. Shelvey reacts quickest to the loose ball but Sanchez recovers to boot it into orbit. Seconds later Davies finds Kane on the turn and Yedlin scrambles it for a corner.

Eriksen delivers… close! Sanchez shrugs off Shelvey with ease before glancing wide. Just wide.

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: REUTERS)

33: Diame getting way with another sloppy mistake. He gifts the ball to Eriksen, who slips it through to Kane. The England striker fails to control and Dubravka collects. Still a bit rusty. And Diame is still a liability…

30: We’ve reached the half-hour mark and It’s gone rather quiet around St James’ Park. They’ve not had a great deal to shout about since Joselu’s equaliser. Spurs in control.

28: Spurs have never lost a Premier League fixture in which Dele Alli has scored, winning 26 and drawing six of the previous 32 games he has netted in.

25: Joselu is down. He looks to have rolled his ankle when chasing a hopeless cause into the corner. Time for Rondon? Nope, he looks to have recovered.

22: I can confirm that Jan Vertonghen’s opener was 9mm over the line.

20: Mauricio Pochettino still doesn’t look happy with his side. In fact, he barely celebrated either goal. He’s a little more animated when seeing Shelvey chop down Kane on the halfway line.

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: REUTERS)

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: REUTERS)

NEWCASTLE 1-2 TOTTENHAM – ALLI

17: Oh come on, lads! This is an outrageous start to the season at St James’ Park with no less than three headed goals in the opening 17 minutes.

Serge Aurier collects Christian Eriksen’s loose touch before bending an inch-perfect cross the the back post where Dele Alli heads beyond Dubravka.

Think of Alli’s goal against Sweden. Carbon-copy.

16: Ouch. Aurier catches Shelvey late and Newcastle are given a free-kick. The Newcastle midfielder is complaining to the ref that he would have received a caution for the same incident.

He’s not wrong…

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: REUTERS)

13: Newcastle tails are up with Joselu sprinting around like a new signing, if you can believe that. He puts Vertonghen under pressure but the Belgium hooks it away to safety.

NEWCASTLE 1-1 TOTTENHAM – JOSELU

11: Talk about an instant response! Newcastle are level, two minutes after falling behind!

The much-maligned Joselu justifies his inclusion ahead of Salomon Rondon when smartly glancing Matt Ritchie’s cross into the bottom left corner.

No idea what Davinson Sanchez was doing there. He clearly though marking fresh air was a better idea…

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: FA)

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: GETTY)

NEWCASTLE 0-1 TOTTENHAM – VERTONGHEN

9: Did it? Has it? Yes! Jan Vertonghen has opened the scoring for Tottenham inside the ten-minute mark.

Davinson Sanchez rises highest to glance Christian Eriksen’s corner to the back post, where Jan Vertonghen bravely directs it towards goal. Dubravka claws it away but referee Martin Atkinson looks at his fancy watch and awards the goal.

Nightmare start for the Toon.

8: Newcastle survive. Diame gives the ball away needlessly to Lucas Moura, who surges forward and tries his luck from the corner of the box. The ball deflects over to Alli, who can’t thread it beyond Clark.

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: GETTY)

5: The freshly polished head of Shelvey delivers a free-kick to the back post. It’s cleared to Ritchie, whose snapshot flies wide. The Toon working their way into things.

3: Sissoko draws a free-kick on the byline. Eriksen and Davies test out a short one with the Wales defender seeing an angled shot blocked by Lascelles.

NEWCASTLE 0-0 TOTTENHAM

1: One final giant roar from the Newcastle and Spurs supporters and we’re underway! “Buckle up, it could be a bumpy ride,” is the cliched opening from the Sky Sports commentator. Thanks mate.

A few early boos for Moussa Sissoko on his return to St James’ Park. Welcome back, Moussa…

HERE THEY COME…

12:27: And the players arrive to a wall of noise with ‘Local Hero’ blasting from the PA system. What an absolute tune that is.

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: REUTERS)

‘LUCAS DESERVES IT’

12:23: Mauricio Pochettino, who signed zero new players this summer, sounds positive enough about his sides chances this season.

He, much like our earlier contributor, thinks Lucas Moura could act as the new signing everyone’s been craving.

“After the pre-season it was good for some players to have the possibility to play. Today is a mix between World Cup players and the players that did pre-season from day one,” Pochettino said. “Lucas Moura deserves to be in the starting eleven today, we believe he can be an important player for us and help more than last season.

“The most important thing is no one left the club. We have 28 players, a full squad and now it’s up to us to find a way to compete again. We are sure that we are going to compete and we have quality enough to challenge again like the last few seasons, but of course we need a little bit of luck.”

FINAL COUNTDOWN…

12:20: Just ten minutes until we’re underway here at St James’ Park, folks. I will now be accepting your predictions while tactically sitting on the bench to avoid embarrassment later…

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: REUTERS)

PROTESTS

12:18: Not for the first time, Newcastle supporters are holding a peaceful protest against Mike Ashley outside Sports Direct in the city centre.

Ashley’s Sports Direct agreed a £90million deal to buy ailing retail group House of Fraser despite having promised Rafa Benitez “every last penny” the club generated to spend on transfers.

“This is a peaceful and good-natured protest. Organisers took a couple of hundred chocolate bars into the shop beforehand for staff,” said George Caulkin from The Times. Chants included: “Where’s the money gone, where’s the money gone.” “Rafa, Rafael, Rafael Benitez.” “What do we want? Ashley out. When do we want it? Now.”

TWITTER ROUND-UP

Jim: Finally, the football is back, it’s been such a boring few weeks! Now come on Tottenham, let’s start as we mean to go on!

Grant: No new signings for Spurs, but let’s not forget, Lucas Moura has had a belting pre-season and seeing as he hardly played last year, he’ll be just like a new signing! Buzzing for it!

Monty: Really annoys me that Toby Alderweireld is sitting on the bench for another six months minimum. Such a waste.

Grant here as one of the ‘like a new signing’ brigade. Got to appreciate the optimism.

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: GETTY)

FAMILIAR…

12:12: This will be the fourth time that Newcastle and Tottenham have met on the opening weekend of a Premier League campaign, more often than any other fixture in the competition.

NEW KIT

12:10: Tottenham are today debuting their third kit for the 2018/19 season, but what exactly have they got emblazoned on the shirt?

Nike this morning confirmed that the new shirt, which they claim is “neptune green”, would be given its first outing at St James’ Park.

The lighter green detail on the upper half of the shirt features an aerial depiction of the Haringey territory that Tottenham call their own.

Even the green colour itself is supposedly drawn from the original Charrington’s Brewery logo; the company owned part of the land where the new Spurs stadium has been built.

And the geometric design is said to have been drawn from some of the club’s more iconic kits from the 1980s and the early 1990s.

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: FPL)

FANTASY. FOOTBALL.

12:05: I’m sure that you’ve all been tearing your hair out with your fantasy football sides this summer.

I must have redrafted it about six or seven… hundred times over the past two months, but I’ve settled on the squad above.

Having been swayed to ignore Harry Kane because of the August curse, I’m fully prepared to be punished for my foolish decision.

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: REUTERS)

THE COVERAGE…

11:55: So after a summer of twiddling their thumbs and showing still images of the World Cup – Sky Sports are back in their element.

They opened their coverage by boasting about their brand new studio, and then proceeded to ask gust pundits Shola Ameobi and Robbie Keane if they’d retired yet. They haven’t. Awkward.

I’m starting to think we were spoiled during the World Cup with Roy Keane and Ian Wright constantly seconds away from a heated exchange, Phil Neville rambling himself into oblivion and Slaven Bilic’s pure hatred for Mark Pougatch…

TWITTER ROUND-UP

Aneesh: Can anyone tell me after crying for new signings whole summer why all Newcastle signings are on the bench?

Ben: Really frustrated at the Newcastle line up against Spurs. It’s more or less the same team as the championship. Which was 2 years ago. No major improvement has happened.

Callum: Salomon Rondon to score a double and House of Fraser to come off the bench and clinch it at the death.

Kimberly: So happy to see Lucas Moura finally getting a start, would also be nice to see Harry Kane score in August for once…

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: REUTERS)

RAFA CALM…

11:45: Rafael Benitez maintained a diplomatic silence over his summer transfer frustrations. Not quite sure how he’s managed that…

The 58-year-old Spaniard found himself growing increasingly exasperated ahead of the deadline as owner Mike Ashley’s promise that he could spend “every last penny” the club generated on strengthening his squad still left him searching for bargain basement signings.

“I am really calm now because we have finished. It is the time where you have to do exactly as we did last year, the fans behind the team, all together, the work rate and commitment,” Benitez said.

“During the summer, you have to try to improve your squad as much as possible; as soon as you are finished, you have to concentrate on football.

“The fans will think, ‘Rafa will be upset’ or this or that, but this is not the time for that. We finished 10th last year. We have added some players – players we needed – and I think that is good and positive. Could it be better? You can always improve and be better, but I am pleased with the players that are here.”

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: REUTERS)

TEAM NEWS – NEWCASTLE

11:40: Rafa Benitez has made several signings the summer but only Kenedy and Martin Dubravka – who spent last season on loan at St James’ Park – start.

Salomon Rondon, who was signed from West Brom on a season-long loan, will have to settle with a place on the bench.

Three other new arrivals Ki, Schar, and Muto are also among the substitutes.

TEAM NEWS – TOTTENHAM

11:35: Let’s just get stuck into the team news and line-ups as Mauricio Pochettino selects a strong starting XI full of World Cup stars.

Golden Boot winner Harry Kane starts alongside England team-mate Dele Alli despite having only returned to pre-season training on Monday.

World Cup winner Hugo Lloris starts between the sticks with Ben Davies, Serge Aurier, Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez ahead of him.

Toby Alderweireld, who you might have heard was linked with Manchester United, is among the substitutes with Son, Fernando Llorente and Mousa Dembele.

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: REUTERS)

NEWCASTLE vs TOTTENHAM

11:30: And the team news arrives. Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Hugo Lloris all start for Spurs.

Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Yedlin, Clark, Lascelles, Dummett, Diame, Shelvey, , Ritchie, Perez, Kenedy, Joselu

Subs: Darlow, Ki, Schar, Rondon, Muto, Manquillo, Atsu.

Tottenham XI: Lloris, Aurier, Vertonghen, Sanchez, Davies, Dier, Sissoko, Eriksen, Alli, Moura, Kane

Subs: Vorm, Alderweireld, Son, Walker-Peters, Llorente, Dembele, Amos.

HARRY KANE…

11:29: Harry Kane has NEVER scored a Premier League goal in the month of August, despite having played 898 minutes and taken 44 shots. Will that change this afternoon? We’ll find out if he’s made the starting XI any second now.

HUNGOVER?

11:25: Nope, not that kind. I’m talking about a World Cup hangover.

Football may not have come home this summer, but just how quickly the likes of England captain Harry Kane and the rest of the Premier League’s World Cup stars can focus on club matters again remains to be seen.

Burnout will be a worry, certainly over the winter months, and after lifting the greatest prize of them all in Moscow on July 15, an opening-day trip to Newcastle might not provide much inspiration for Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: REUTERS)

WELCOME…

11:20: Good morning everyone, and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Premier League as Newcastle entertain Tottenham at St James’ Park.

I’ve been away in Barbados catching some sun, swimming with dolphins and drinking my drinking my bodyweight in Piña coladas…

That’s a lie.

I’ve actually been staying in a Travel Lodge in Dumbarton for five days with the in-laws, and attending the wedding of a couple who don’t really know who I am.

First story sounded better didn’t it?

Anyway, I hope we’re all refreshed and ready for a new Premier League season full of thrills, spills and bellyaches.

It’s set to be the most exciting yet (is the line Sky Sports use every year) with a host of sides looking to knock Manchester City of their perch.

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park

Newcastle vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates from St James’ Park (Image: REUTERS)

NEWCASTLE vs TOTTENHAM

Magpies boss Rafael Benitez could hand competitive debuts to defender Fabian Schar, midfielder Ki Sung-yueng and strikers Salomon Rondon and Yoshinori Muto. However, Federico Fernandez will not be involved and fellow defender Florian Lejeune faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Boss Mauricio Pochettino will assess Spurs’ World Cup stars – nine were in Russia until the final weekend and only returned to training on Monday, with the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Jan Vertonghen and Hugo Lloris having differing fitness levels. Victor Wanyama (knee) and Erik Lamela (thigh) are out.

Last season: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 0, Newcastle 0 Tottenham 2

Last five league matches: Newcastle L L L L W; Tottenham D W L W W

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)