Newcastle beat Tottenham 2-0 as Jaissle claims first win

Newcastle United continued their encouraging start under Matthias Jaissle with a 2-0 victory at Tottenham Hotspur, leaving Spurs without a league goal after their opening two matches.

Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa struck in the second half as Newcastle secured their first Premier League victory of the season and moved up to fourth in the early table.

For Jaissle, it was a first league win since taking over from Eddie Howe, and another positive result after Newcastle's dramatic 2-2 draw with Liverpool on the opening weekend. Tottenham, meanwhile, suffered a second consecutive defeat following their 3-0 loss to Brentford and are now bottom of the table without a goal to their name.

Elanga breaks Tottenham's resistance

After a largely competitive opening hour, Newcastle finally found the breakthrough in the 62nd minute. New signing Nico Gonzalez, making his debut following his £52m transfer from Manchester City, produced the key moment in the build-up with an excellent crossfield pass towards Amar Dedic.

Dedic headed the ball into Elanga's path, and the Sweden international created room away from former Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali before firing towards goal.

His effort took a deflection off the post and found the net, continuing an impressive opening to the season for the winger. Elanga had also scored Newcastle's second goal in their 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

Wissa seals Newcastle victory

Newcastle doubled their advantage 10 minutes later. Nick Woltemade's header from a corner dropped into the path of Wissa, who produced an acrobatic finish to register his first Premier League goal for the club.

It was a welcome moment for the striker after an injury-disrupted first season at St James' Park. Wissa scored 19 Premier League goals for Brentford in 2024-25 before moving to Newcastle for £55m, but made only 19 league appearances last season, starting just four matches.

His goal at Tottenham could provide an important boost as Newcastle begin life under Jaissle.

Tonali returns to face Newcastle

The match also marked Sandro Tonali's first appearance against Newcastle since leaving the club for Tottenham in a £100m summer transfer. The Italy midfielder was repeatedly booed by the travelling supporters and was substituted with Spurs trailing 2-0.

Tonali had spent three seasons at Newcastle before becoming Tottenham's record signing. Newcastle's travelling fans celebrated his departure from the pitch, adding another layer to an emotionally charged reunion.

Tottenham's problems deepen

For Tottenham, the defeat raises further questions about the direction of Roberto De Zerbi's team. Spurs had entered the season with renewed optimism after spending more than £300m during the summer, but consecutive defeats have quickly changed the mood.

They were heavily beaten by Brentford on the opening weekend and were unable to find a response against Newcastle. Omar Marmoush, making his Tottenham debut on loan from Manchester City, had one of the clearest opportunities before Newcastle scored but sent his effort wide from inside the six-yard box.

The Egypt international had other opportunities but could not convert them. Pedro Porro also went close, while substitute Dominic Solanke appeared to have found a late route back into the match before Lewis Hall cleared the effort off the line.

Tottenham's inability to convert their chances was particularly damaging because Newcastle registered only two shots on target, and scored from both. Spurs have now won just three of their past 23 home Premier League matches, underlining the scale of the problem facing De Zerbi.

Jaissle's Newcastle showing early promise

The contrast could hardly be sharper for Newcastle. The Magpies entered the season amid significant uncertainty after Howe's departure and the exits of several important players.

Bruno Guimaraes joined Arsenal for £85m, while Anthony Gordon moved to Barcelona for £69m. Tonali's departure also removed another major figure from the squad.

Jaissle, appointed after spells at Red Bull Salzburg and Al-Ahli, arrived without previous experience of English football. But the German coach has now overseen three competitive matches without defeat.

Newcastle were seconds away from beating Liverpool before a late penalty earned the champions a draw, then defeated West Bromwich Albion in the Carabao Cup before producing another impressive away performance in north London.

Gonzalez also offered an early glimpse of his quality. Although booked just 12 minutes into his debut, his range of passing helped create Newcastle's opening goal. Elanga and Harvey Barnes had earlier missed chances, while Lewis Hall and Elanga also threatened after half-time before the visitors eventually broke through.

Early Premier League table implications

The result lifts Newcastle into fourth place, giving Jaissle an encouraging early platform despite the significant changes to his squad. Tottenham's situation is considerably more concerning. They remain bottom of the table, have lost their opening two league matches and are yet to score.

There is still a long season ahead, but the contrasting starts suggest Jaissle may be settling into his new job faster than many expected, while De Zerbi already faces pressure to turn Tottenham's considerable summer investment into results.

SportsLigue