Newcastle beats Tottenham 2-0 as Spurs endure worst start in 51 years

Newcastle strikes twice in the second half

Newcastle United secured a 2-0 away victory against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday in north London before a crowd of more than 60,000 spectators. The first half remained scoreless after Newcastle goalkeeper Lukas Hornícek, formerly of SC Braga, produced key saves against the home side. Omar Marmoush, operating as a playmaker, threaded a pass behind the defence for Robertson, whose cross-goal shot forced Hornícek to concede a corner. From the resulting set piece, Jan Paul van Hecke directed a header on goal that again tested the Newcastle goalkeeper. Newcastle broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute when Anthony Elanga received a pass from Amar Dedić, turned past Sandro Tonali, and struck a finish off the crossbar and into the goal. Ten minutes later, in the 72nd minute, Nick Woltemade flicked on a corner kick towards the centre of the penalty area, allowing Yoane Wissa to produce an acrobatic finish and seal the 2-0 result.

Tottenham struggles in attack under De Zerbi

Manager Roberto De Zerbi deployed a two-man attacking line consisting of Mathys Tel and Omar Marmoush, with Marmoush positioned behind as a number 10. Tottenham struggled to create imbalance along the flanks and lacked cutting edge inside the penalty box, leaving both starting forwards with limited influence. Portuguese midfielder Mateus Fernandes was included in the starting lineup for the home fixture, while Amar Dedić started on the opposing side. Following an opening 3-0 defeat away to Brentford, Tottenham have failed to score across their opening 180 minutes under their new Italian coach. The consecutive losses place Tottenham at the bottom of the Premier League standings with the competition's worst goal difference.

Record summer expenditure meets 51-year low

Tottenham entered the Premier League season as England's biggest spender in the transfer market, committing £354 million (approximately €415 million) to new signings for 2026/27. The expenditure set a financial record across the club's 143-year history, raising expectations among supporters ahead of the campaign. However, the subsequent results have produced Tottenham's worst start to a league season in decades. Failing to score across the opening two league matches had not occurred for the club since the 1974-75 season, 51 years ago. Tottenham had also not suffered two consecutive defeats to open a Premier League campaign since 2011-12.

Newcastle climbs as Saturday fixtures conclude

The victory in north London concluded Saturday's Premier League schedule, lifting Newcastle to four points and third place in the league table. Newcastle entered the fixture after opening their campaign with a 2-2 home draw against Liverpool. Elsewhere in the division on Saturday, Hull City earned a 1-0 away win against Coventry courtesy of an 82nd-minute goal from Canadian winger Liam Millar, matching Manchester City at the top of the table with two wins from two matches. Bournemouth and Everton played to a 1-1 draw, while Liverpool recorded a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest at Anfield.