Harry Kane scored his first Premier League goal of the season for TottenhamNewcastle manager Steve Bruce said he will “carry on as best I can” after the club’s new era under its Saudi Arabian owners got off to a losing start at home to Tottenham.
Watched by new non-executive chair Yasir Al-Rumayyan and part-owner Amanda Staveley, Newcastle led after two minutes as Callum Wilson returned from injury to head in.
The home fans went wild with delight, a continuation of carnival-esque scenes before the match.
Bruce, marking his 1,000th game in management, might have felt a sense of optimism while clinging to hope he may continue in the job.
But then reality struck for a team yet to win in eight Premier League games this season as Spurs scored twice in five minutes.
First, Tanguy Ndombele fired in a right-footed drive, before Harry Kane scored his first league goal of the season when he beat the Newcastle offside trap to dink in, the goal awarded by the video assistant referee after initially being ruled out.
The game was then halted when a fan suffered a medical emergency in the stands.
Supporters and players – including Eric Dier – played their part in alerting medics to the seriousness of the situation before the game was suspended.
Play resumed with five minutes of the first half remaining, and Tottenham extended their lead when Son Heung-min slid in at the back post for his fourth of the season.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, who moved up to fifth in the table, looked comfortable in the second half as the mood turned sour towards Bruce, with home fans calling for him to be sacked.
A poor audition to stay in the job was made worse when substitute Jonjo Shelvey received a second yellow card for a rash challenge on Sergio Reguilon after 83 minutes.
And despite a brief response when Dier’s own goal made it 3-2, the result left Newcastle next-to-bottom of the table with a huge transformation needed to turn the club into the superpower that the new owners want them to be.
Asked if he will remain in the job, Bruce said: “That is for other people to decide. Ever since I have walked into this club, it is difficult. I knew how difficult it was going to be with the frustrations.
“I will carry on as best I can until I hear otherwise. The owners have conducted themselves respectfully since they came in. As long as I don’t hear otherwise, I will go into work tomorrow.”
Steve Bruce speaks about his future at Newcastle after their 3-2 defeat by Tottenham in his 1000th match as a manager.What Newcastle need to do to stay up – analysisFan ‘stable’ after game halted because of medical emergencyReaction from Sunday’s games including Tottenham’s win at NewcastleGo to the Newcastle pageGo to the Spurs pageCarnival atmosphere disappears as fans turn on BruceNewcastle fans celebrated the club’s new era under new owners before and during Sunday’s gamePrior to kick-off, there was a unique atmosphere outside St James’ Park and around the city.
There were some fans who celebrated the Saudi Arabian-backed takeover by wearing headdresses and draping themselves in Saudi flags, but the overwhelming majority answered the call to wear black and white as they celebrated a new era after Mike Ashley’s 14-year reign came to an end.
Inside the stadium, the Gallowgate End was a sea of black and white as supporters waved flags and unveiled a banner quoting lyrics from Newcastle-born performer Jimmy Nail’s 1995 song Big River, about the city and rebuilding hope for the future.
It must have been an uplifting sight for Al-Rumayyan, who was attending his first game in his capacity as the governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which now owns 80% of the club.
He broke out into a huge grin as Wilson scored early on from Javier Manquillo’s cross, while Staveley hugged her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi.
Newcastle’s new owners were in attendance on SundayBut the way Tottenham opened up the Newcastle defence showed how much work is needed to take the club to the top end of the Premier League, let alone into contention to win the title. The priority this season is to avoid relegation.
And the result will not have given Bruce any further security about his job.
After reports last week that he would be sacked, with the club then saying he would remain in charge for this game 45 minutes before his pre-match press conference on Friday, his future remains unclear.
But this was a demonstration of a team struggling for form, and with little chance of the game turning Newcastle’s way, chants of “We want Brucey out” came from the Gallowgate End after 74 minutes and continued until the end, when the final whistle was met with boos.
It was a message that would have been heard loud and clear by the new owners.
Tottenham keep composure on dramatic day Tanguy Ndombele was on the scoresheet and put in an all round excellent display for TottenhamOn a day when the visitors might have been distracted by the atmosphere, this was a welcome boost to Spurs boss Nuno, whose side have earned successive wins after a derby defeat by Arsenal that led to many questions about the club’s direction.
Tottenham’s front four of Ndombele, Son, Lucas Moura and Kane were a menace to the hosts, who need to prioritise a defensive midfielder among their spending plans.
Prior to the game being stopped and with Spurs already leading 2-1, Moura headed on to the bar, and they looked far more likely to score in the second half than their opponents before Dier’s late own goal.
“We knew we had to ignore the noise and do our job,” said Nuno. “We did not start well but did an amazing job after. I’m really proud of them.
Newcastle United 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur: Nuno ‘proud’ after win against Newcastle”I would like to score more, the boys would also, but Newcastle are a good team with good defenders.”
Credit must also go to Reguilon and Dier for the part they played in alerting medics to the stricken supporter and to midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who continued after the incident, having also played when Denmark team-mate Christian Eriksen had a cardiac arrest during their Euro 2020 match against Finland in June.
After a day when there were conflicting emotions and no end of drama, it put the result into perspective.
Player of the match
Son Heung-MinSon Heung-Min
with an average of 7.56
Newcastle UnitedSquad number10Player nameSaint-Maximin
Squad number9Player nameWilson
Squad number28Player nameWillock
Squad number26Player nameDarlow
Squad number11Player nameRitchie
Squad number14Player nameHayden
Squad number19Player nameManquillo
Squad number36Player nameS Longstaff
Squad number6Player nameLascelles
Squad number2Player nameClark
Squad number7Player nameJoelinton
Squad number23Player nameMurphy
Squad number21Player nameFraser
Squad number8Player nameShelvey
Tottenham HotspurSquad number7Player nameSon Heung-Min
Squad number3Player nameReguilón
Squad number28Player nameNdombele
Squad number27Player nameLucas Moura
Squad number5Player nameHøjbjerg
Squad number10Player nameKane
Squad number29Player nameSkipp
Squad number4Player nameRomero
Squad number1Player nameLloris
Squad number12Player nameEmerson Royal
Squad number15Player nameDier
Line-upsNewcastleFormation 4-1-4-1
26Darlow
19Manquillo6Lascelles2Clark11Ritchie
14Hayden
10Saint-Maximin28Willock36S Longstaff7Joelinton
9Wilson
26Darlow19Manquillo6Lascelles2ClarkBooked at 54mins11Ritchie14HaydenBooked at 68mins10Saint-Maximin28WillockSubstituted forMurphyat 77’minutes36S LongstaffBooked at 34minsSubstituted forShelveyat 60’minutesBooked at 83mins7JoelintonBooked at 90mins9WilsonSubstituted forFraserat 77’minutesSubstitutes5Schär8Shelvey12Lewis16Hendrick18Fernández21Fraser23Murphy29Gillespie34GayleTottenhamFormation 4-2-3-1
1Lloris
12Leite de Souza Junior4Romero15Dier3Reguilón
5Højbjerg29Skipp
27Lucas Moura28Ndombele7Son Heung-Min
10Kane
1Lloris12Leite de Souza JuniorBooked at 64mins4Romero15Dier3Reguilón5Højbjerg29Skipp27Lucas Moura28Ndombele7Son Heung-Min10KaneSubstitutes6D Sánchez8Winks11Gil18Lo Celso20Alli22Gollini23Bergwijn25Tanganga33DaviesReferee:Andre Marriner
Attendance:52,214
Live TextMatch ends, Newcastle United 2, Tottenham Hotspur 3.
Second Half ends, Newcastle United 2, Tottenham Hotspur 3.
Joelinton (Newcastle United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Joelinton (Newcastle United).
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Joelinton (Newcastle United).
Own Goal by Eric Dier, Tottenham Hotspur. Newcastle United 2, Tottenham Hotspur 3.
Foul by Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur).
Joelinton (Newcastle United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur).
Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Second yellow card to Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle United) for a bad foul.
Sergio Reguilón (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle United).
Attempt blocked. Jacob Murphy (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jamaal Lascelles.
Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Eric Dier.
Attempt blocked. Ryan Fraser (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Allan Saint-Maximin.
VAR Decision: No Penalty Tottenham Hotspur.
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