PARTY POOPERS
Newcastle 2 Tottenham 3: Spurs hold on for points but game overshadowed by fan taken ill in stands at St James’ Park
ON THIS evidence, there is every chance the richest club in the world will be playing in the Championship next season.
Trips to Millwall and Preston were not exactly what the Saudis had in mind.
12
12
The mother of all parties started early on in Tyneside, but by tea-time there was just dejection and anger aimed at Steve Bruce.
Callum Wilson fired Toon ahead just 108 seconds into the new Saudi era, and the good times looked to be back.
Reality then bit, hard, and the alarm bells are well and truly ringing now.
As Tottenham wrestled back control and cruised to victory, their fans sang: “Newcastle United, you’ll always be s**t”.
While that will surely change in time as the billions roll in, for now things look very grim.
Still second-bottom, still winless and now four points off safety - the January transfer window cannot come round soon enough.
Most read in Football
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
Tanguy Ndombele bagged the equaliser before Harry Kane brought up his first league goal of the season at the seventh attempt.
Kane then set up Son Heung-min to make it 3-1 before the break, with Spurs enjoying the easiest of rides thereafter.
Under-fire Mags boss Bruce was celebrating his 1,000th game as a manager, but that will surely be it for him at his boyhood club.
An encouraging display may have seen him last a little longer but, other than the quick-fire start with the joyous Toon Army roaring them on, Newcastle were awful… again.
From the 73rd minute until the end, home supporters chanted: “We want Brucie out”.
They were shocked he was not gone the moment the Saudi owners bought out Mike Ashley.
12
12
12
And if they have not axed him before the trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday, they could have a riot on their hands.
For Spurs, consecutive wins move them up to fifth.
But they really did not have to do much to claim the three points here, so poor were Newcastle.
There was a carnival atmosphere outside St James’ Park hours before kick-off.
Drinks were flowing, the songbook was getting a run through or two and Saudi robes and tea towels were everywhere you looked.
The ground was packed and bouncing while the players went through their warm ups, and it was at fever pitch when new chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan was introduced.
12
12
12
Even Bruce’s presence couldn’t sour the mood early on.
The noise was deafening after just 108 seconds when Callum Wilson, back having missed the last four, headed the Mags ahead.
Joe Willock was urged to shoot but passed right to Allan Saint-Maximin, who played in the overlapping Javier Manquillo.
Wilson darted to the near post and nodded home, leaving St James’ in ecstasy.
Ant and Dec leapt into each other's arms, part-owner Amanda Staveley and Al-Rumayyan did the same a row behind, and the new era had lift-off.
Tottenham were shell-shocked in the cauldron and on the ropes.
But they weathered the storm and soon remembered that Newcastle are a bang-average team with the joint-leakiest defence in the league.
The equaliser came 17 minutes in through Ndombele, who was given the freedom of the penalty box by Jamaal Lascelles.
Sergio Reguillon played it in from the left to the top of the box but Lascelles backed off, allowing the midfielder time for two touches before he bent it beyond Karl Darlow.
12
Five minutes later and Spurs were ahead via Kane after he was initially given offside.
Played in over the top by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, he expertly dinked the bouncing ball over Darlow only to see the flag go up.
But it was given after replays showed Kane being played on by right-back Manquillo, and St James’ was stunned.
Lucas Moura then headed off the bar, with Newcastle now there for the taking.
There was then a lengthy stoppage after a Toon supporter collapsed in the East Stand. Fans in the vicinity waved frantically, with players catching on and screaming for a defibrillator to be rushed on.
As the players waited in the dressing rooms, medics were able to stabilise the supporter and transport him to hospital.
12
12
Play restarted with seven minutes of the first-half to complete, and Son made it 3-1 after the Toon were cut open again.
Lucas Moura’s cute ball had Kane in behind on the right, with the England skipper squaring to the unmarked Son to bundle in.
And Spurs could not have been more comfortable after the break, knocking it around at will with Newcastle barely getting a touch.
All the noise was coming from the gods of the Leazes End where the travelling fans were housed.
“No noise from the Saudi boys” was belted out as the Toon Army watched an all too familiar spectacle under Bruce.
The lack of fight and urgency was alarming for such an occasion.
Jonjo Shelvey came off the bench but was sent off just 22 minutes later for two yellow cards, summing up a day that promised so much.
Fed up with having their big day ruined they called for Bruce’s head as the game ticked on, getting louder and louder each time.
The day started with supporters singing at the top of their voice about their love for their club as they entered the most exciting of new dawns.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
By the end they were shouting “You’re getting sacked in the morning” to Bruce.
Eric Dier’s late own goal gave them four minutes to salvage a point, but there was nothing left in the tank as a sinking feeling descended on Newcastle.
12
⚽ Read our Football news live blog for the very latest rumours, gossip and done deals
Newcastle's loss to Tottenham as it happened
Topics