Premier League

TOTTENHAM 0
NEWCASTLE 2 (Elanga 62, Wissa 72)

“TOTTENHAM Hotspur, it’s happening again.” The taunts from the away end were cruel, and true.

This was the 11th time since the start of last season Spurs have been turned over in N17.

They have won just three games at home over the same period.

Opponents stroll out onto this pitch, gather points, and stroll away again.

Tottenham last came from behind to win a match in December 2024.

Since then, they have gone behind 44 times and not won any game where they have conceded first.

Roberto De Zerbi dragged Spurs into 17th place last term through sheer personality.

Over the close season he found a key to the treasure chest and has sploshed £300 million.

But Tottenham’s new arrivals look like they have already been infected with the malaise that has made this club a laughing stock.

It might be just two games in, but Spurs are already rock bottom of the table, and everyone from the fanbase; the ball boys, the stewards through to the £100m midfielder Sandro Tonali, look like they’d rather be somewhere else.

Newcastle came, found a team lacking character and leaders, and gently gathered the three points via second half goals from Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa.

The goals sealed two losses on the bounce for De Zerbi.

On Saturday, he was able to pick five new signings, but even fresh faces could not shake off a sense of peril and doom.

The talk on the High Road post match was about how poor this new side looks. But before the team sheet revealed winger Savio would not be available, the idea of Pedro Porro and the Brazilian combining was exciting.

The replacements – central midfielder Archie Gray at full-back, and full-back Porro at right wing – were shoehorned into position.

Considering De Zerbi was meant to have had a comprehensive rebuild this summer, this should be embarrassing.

The Spurs boss has had to play bright young Gray out of position because Spurs sold Djed Spence. And Gray isn’t going to get enough time centrally, because we dumped £100m on Tonali. He has so far been worryingly anonymous.

Now the news emerges that Kevin Danso, a hero last term for his determination and application, wants out. With Marco Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke yet to impress, losing big Kev feels like it will leave the squad weaker.

The manager told the doom-mongers that he is convinced the awful start was not the harbinger of another bottom of the table scrap.

“I’m disappointed with the result, and I’m sorry for the fans,” he reflected. “After two defeats, maybe some think it’s the same story, the same as the last two seasons. I have no doubt it’s not like this. I have confidence in my players.”

De Zerbi has found himself sitting in the Spurs media auditorium trotting out the same lines as former Tottenham gaffer Ange Postecoglou.

“I’m sorry for the club, because they are building a great squad, but maybe now we are not ready yet,” he said. “Today, until the first goal, we played better than Newcastle. We created more chances to score, we shot more times, we had control of the ball.

“The reaction was not good enough, not the reaction I want to see. When you are building something new, it’s tough, there are problems – the difference is how you want to find the solution of these problems, and the solution is not to put down the head, but to react.”

For all the gloss, the fact is Spurs ran quickly out of ideas and Newcastle just had to sit back and wait for the inevitable.

Porro went closest for the home side in the opening period: a side-foot shot from 12 yards was goal-bound but caught a deflection to send it over, and another was a beautifully executed volley that was inches away from the top corner. It would have been an early contender for goal of the season.

New boy Omar Marmoush hit the side netting on 31. Fleet of foot, Marmoush looked dynamic on the ball and his movement off it kept Newcastle’s back four trying to second guess which way the midfielder was going to go.

Perhaps understandably, this being his debut, Marmoush’s teammates were second guessing where he might be, too.

Spurs started the second half passively and Newcastle enjoyed a couple of spells. On 61, Elanga won the second ball, spun Tonali and shot first-time. His effort hit the far post and trundled back and across the line.

Spurs introduced Mohammed Kudus and Mikey Moore but instead of finding a way back they fell further behind. A corner was not dealt with and Wissa scooped home. The Spurs back four were guilty of ball watching and Antonin Kinsky flapped instead of smothered.

It was comical all round. De Zerbi says its early days and patience is a virtue. He and his players have a lot of work to do, and not a lot of time to do it.

Tottenham: Kinsky, Gray (Moore, 68), van Hecke, van de Ven, Robertson (Udogie, 68), Bentancur, Tonali (Solanke, 75), Porro, Fernandes, Tel (Kudus, 68), Marmoush
Substitutes not used: Dubravka, Senesi, Davies, Gallagher, Bergvall

Newcastle United: Hornicek, Dedic, Botman, Thiaw, Hall, Gonzalez (Steur, 71), Miley, Elanga (Murphy, 82), Willock (Woltemade, 71), Barnes (Toure 90+2), Wissa (Ramsey, 82)
Substitutes not used: Jaouen, Schar, Bamba, Shahar