Published: 20:03 BST, 29 August 2026 | Updated: 20:22 BST, 29 August 2026
Up went to the board to indicate four minutes of added time and out went the Tottenham fans, heading for the exits and the drizzle of the High Road.
They were damp and deflated, and when the final whistle sounded those who remained summoned what energy they could boo their own team off as Newcastle celebrated victory in N17 for the third season in a row.
They have seen it all before. Too often last season, when Spurs won just three of 19 home games and lost 10.
Roberto De Zerbi wanted nothing to do with that miserable record when asked about it on the eve of this game.
Under him, he pointed out, they had won one and drawn two of three home games.
Nothing to worry about, but the notion Spurs have put all the problems of last season behind them does not ring true yet.
Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa celebrate Wissa's goal that made it 2-0 at Spurs
The summer of unprecedented spending, eight new signings at a cost of more than £350m, and an upbeat message of hope in the programme from chief executive Vinai Venkatesham counted for nothing as they went down to second-half goals by Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa.
Spurs were better than in their opening game against Brentford but not much and two games into the new Premier League season they have no points and no goals.
Here, they made a sluggish start, embodied by captain Micky van de Ven, who did not play in pre-season and came off the bench in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday for his first appearance since the World Cup.
Van de Ven was sleeping as Anthony Elanga eluded him in the opening seconds and gave Newcastle an early chance. Among the reasons for De Zerbi to rush his new skipper back would be to cope with Elanga’s electric pace.
Others in white started slowly, including Sandro Tonali to the delight of the travelling Geordies, who cheered as he was dumped on the turf by a tackle by Joe Willock. Tonali’s poor pass cost Van de Ven short a yellow card.
£100m man Sandro Tonali shakes hands with his boss Roberto de Zerbi after being hooked
Newcastle, who made a positive start to the season against Liverpool after a summer of turmoil, were sharper, dominating the opening 10 minutes with Nico Gonzalez composed on his debut in midfield.
