NEWCASTLE suffered an opening-day defeat as first-half goals from Jan Vertonghen and Dele Alli condemned them to a 2-1 loss to Tottenham.

The Magpies have not won their first game of the season since they beat Spurs in 2012, but what were the main talking points from their latest setback on the opening weekend?


ANTI-ASHLEY PROTESTS

Within the stadium, Newcastle’s supporters were fully behind their team, with the first chants of “We want Ashley out” not audible until the dying seconds of the game.

However, prior to kick-off, hundreds of fans congregated outside the Northumberland Street branch of Sports Direct to protest against Mike Ashley’s running of the club.

The ‘If Rafa goes, we go’ movement has gained a large amount of traction in the last couple of weeks, and there is clearly a mood to increase the pressure on Newcastle’s stay-away owner. Targeting his businesses makes sense given his refusal to attend matches at St James’ Park.

Will the protests make any difference? Only time will tell. But the reality is that Ashley will not be going anywhere unless someone meets his asking price for the club. That is currently understood to be around £400m, and no one appears willing to pay anywhere close to that at the moment.


DEFENSIVE INDISCIPLINE PROVES COSTLY

Last season, Newcastle’s defensive discipline was one of their biggest strengths. Their defending from set-pieces was especially impressive, so it was alarming to see Spurs causing a succession of problems from crosses in the first half of Saturday’s game.

The visitors’ first goal saw both Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen power in headers from a corner, and Dele Alli peeled off a dawdling DeAndre Yedlin with startling ease to claim Spurs’ second goal.

The absence of Florian Lejeune is already proving damaging, and Rafael Benitez will have decide whether to stick with Ciaran Clark or introduce either Fabian Schar or Federico Fernandez alongside Jamaal Lascelles.

Whatever he decides, things will have to improve quickly as Newcastle head to Cardiff City on Saturday to take on a Neil Warnock-led side that are sure to target set-pieces as one of their best attacking opportunities.


GOALLINE TECHNOLOGY PROVES ITS WORTH

Remember when people were fearful about the introduction of goalline technology? Not anymore. Saturday proved just how effective the system has become.

Had the technology not been available, referee Martin Atkinson would almost certainly not have awarded Vertonghen’s opening goal for Spurs.

With a host of bodies inside the 18-yard box, it would have been all-but-impossible for Atkinson to have conclusively ruled that Vertonghen’s header had crossed the line, and his assistant on the far touchline would have been in an even worse position.

As it was, Atkinson was instructed to award a goal within seconds of the ball crashing off the underside of the crossbar, with a video still subsequently showing that the ball had crossed the line by just 9mm. A tiny margin, but sufficient to mean that a goal had been scored.


DEBUTANTS CATCH THE EYE

Joselu might have scored Newcastle’s goal with a deft diving header, but the Spaniard is clearly going to find his place under extreme threat once Salomon Rondon gets up to full speed.

Rondon didn’t quite look match sharp after coming off the bench in the 59th minute, but his physical presence changes the focus of the Newcastle attack. He held off the imposing Vertonghen and Sanchez on a couple of occasions, and was unfortunate with a late shot that rattled the crossbar.

Yoshinori Muto might take longer to find his feet, and it is yet not completely apparent where the Japanese forward will slot into Newcastle’s system.

He is not an out-and-out winger in the mould of Kenedy or Matt Ritchie, so he might well find himself competing with Ayoze Perez for the ‘number ten’ spot. Whether he is capable of linking play from such a role remains to be seen.


SPURS STILL LOOK STRONG

A lot has been made of Tottenham’s failure to make a single signing this summer, but Mauricio Pochettino still boasts one of the strongest squads in the Premier League.

Kieran Trippier wasn’t even in the squad yesterday, but the rest of Spurs’ England contingent were present, and while Harry Kane looked rusty, both Alli and Eric Dier hit the ground running.

Alli was superb, and his midfield partnership with Christian Eriksen is rightly the envy of most other teams in the Premier League.

Can Spurs challenge for the title this season? Their delayed return to White Hart Lane could prove disruptive, but they certainly have the players to mount a sustained push for top spot.