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This was not a good game for Alexander Isak. It was possibly an even worse cameo from Jacob Murphy. So it was fitting that the two Newcastle players combined in brilliant fashion to conjure up the goal that secured their side an unlikely victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs will be wondering how they lost this game, but they do not need to reflect on it for too long. Ange Postecoglu’s side had 20 shots on Newcastle’s goal, but none on target came from efforts inside the area.

They did not have a predatory centre forward in their team, nobody to get on the end of crosses or into position for a tap in. Newcastle did and it won them a game they had appeared destined to lose.

“It’s very similar to our other away game [against Leicester],” said Postecoglou. “We controlled it for large parts, the threats Newcastle have, but we failed to kill it off and switched off a little bit for their second goal.

“It’s another sore one I’m afraid. Yeah, look potentially [we are missing a striker with Dominic Solanke injured]. We had good opportunities, but we needed more composure, better decision making. That’s been a constant theme for us we are trying to break through.”

That is the power a world class centre-forward has. Isak had missed a chance he would have snaffled last year, earlier in the game. Running clear of Spurs’ high (risk) defensive line, he took far too long to get his shot away and allowed Radu Dragusin to make an excellent last-ditch tackle.

It summed up his off-colour display. By his standards, this was a bit of a shocker from Isak. He failed to hold the ball up, he kept losing one-on-one duels and his body language was not great either.

The Sweden international has not started the season well. He’s looked sluggish, his contributions dull and blunted like an overused knife. There is a lingering suspicion that the 24-year-old might be one of the players Eddie Howe has described as “unsettled by speculation” this summer.

Newcastle fans adore him but were not impressed here. Indeed, when Isak lost the ball deep inside his own half with a heavy touch, there was a brief roar of anger at this latest piece of sloppy play.

Tottenham scored a few seconds later, when James Maddison’s shot spilled into the path of Brennan Johnson before the ball was eventually turned into his own goal by Dan Burn running back to try and rescue the situation. Isak’s head went down, his shoulders slumped. He knew what he had done.

As for Murphy, he arrived on the pitch in the 61st minute and gave the ball away three times. It is not his fault, but Newcastle’s supporters and manager were expecting to see a right winger arrive this summer and his emergence from the bench reminded them of what the board had failed to do. There were a lot of groans.

Unlike Isak, he does not have the same reputation to fall back on, but there is something irrepressible about Murphy. No matter how many times his limitations are exposed, he is able to shrug it off. There is a resilience in his character that is vital for a squad player like him to survive at a club like Newcastle.

When Joelinton turned away from Maddison midway inside his own half – a lovely piece of skill from the Brazil international – it was Murphy he could see making the run in behind.

Most players would have hidden. Not Murphy, and the timing was exceptional. Not only that, but so was the clarity of thought. A player low on confidence, worrying about making a mistake, might well have panicked. He did everything right, keeping hold of the ball just long enough to draw goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario off his line, before squaring for Isak for a tap-in.

Like every striker should do, Isak had shown the desire and the awareness to spot the opportunity. He had the speed too and rolled the ball home to be the hero, with the simplest of finishes. It was the difference between victory and defeat, although Harvey Barnes deserves a special mention for his silky finish in the first half.

“I don’t think we’re playing as we would like,” said Newcastle manager Eddie Howe. “I think that’s obvious. I don’t think we’re playing with enough control, I don’t think we’re playing with enough composure.

“But what we are showing is the defensive and aggressive qualities that you need. I have to say we’re defending very well. When you look at how much ball Tottenham had around our box today  I thought the back four and in particular Nick [Pope] were magnificent in repelling their threat, we made some really good defensive actions and I still thought we could score at any moment.”

He was right. They had Isak, who even when out of form, is better than most and certainly better than none.

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Newcastle maintain unbeaten start: as it happened

04:00 PM BST

Postecoglou reacts

03:55 PM BST

Isak reacts

03:50 PM BST

Not good reading for Tottenham

03:43 PM BST

Perfect return for Tonali

03:37 PM BST

Pundits react

Daniel Sturridge:

Roy Keane:

03:29 PM BST

FULL TIME: Newcastle 2 Tottenham 1

It’s all over and Isak is the hero for Newcastle in a smash and grab win at St James’ Park.

Tottenham will rue their failure to take the chances they made.

03:27 PM BST

90+4mins: Newcastle 2 Tottenham 1

Newcastle sub:

Gordon OFF
Almiron ON

03:24 PM BST

90+2mins: Newcastle 2 Tottenham 1

Newcastle get caught out by a ball over the top, Johnson runs down the line and plays a cross across the box but no one is there.

03:22 PM BST

90mins: Newcastle 2 Tottenham 1

We go into five minutes of stoppage time.

03:21 PM BST

‘ Joellinton also deserves a huge amount of praise’

Newcastle have been given the runaround by Spurs since half time, inciting pressure, making silly mistakes and goalkeeper Nick Pope has had to pull off a succession of sharp saves to keep the scores level.

The home crowd were, quite rightly, getting annoyed with the concentration and application of their team and substitute Jacob Murphy was on the receiving end of a lot of it. The winger gave the ball away three times after replacing Harvey Barnes and could not seem to do a thing right.

Newcastle wanted a new right winger this summer and failed to get one and the fans were not so much annoyed at him as what his continued presence in the team said about their failed transfer window.

Murphy, though, never stops running his heart out for the team and it was his excellent run, but even better timed pass, that created the Newcastle goal - a tap in for Isak. Joellinton also deserves a huge amount of praise for wriggling free of Maddison and the pass to Murphy which exposed Spurs’ high line defence

03:20 PM BST

87mins: Newcastle 2 Tottenham 1

Newcastle are sitting deep and soaking up the pressure being applied by Tottenham. Gordon picks up a cheap free-kick after a foul by Kulusevski.

03:16 PM BST

84mins: Newcastle 2 Tottenham 1

Bentancur slides in on Gordon and mistimes it. Yellow card for him.

03:14 PM BST

81mins: Newcastle 2 Tottenham 1

Tottenham sub:

Maddison & Bissouma OFF
Bergvall & Bentancur ON

03:11 PM BST

78mins: Newcastle 2 Tottenham 1 - GOAL

Newcastle have done it again against the run of play. Joelinton spins away from his man and plays a defence splitting pass to Murphy.

The sub sprints clear and squares it to Isak to tap in easily.

03:08 PM BST

75mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 1

Ball comes to Johnson in the box but he shoots over. Should have got that on target.

03:07 PM BST

74mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 1

Brilliant save by Pope to deny Maddison’s curling effort from the edge of the box. Moments later, Pope tips over a shot from Porro.

The pressure on the Newcastle goal is mounting.

03:06 PM BST

72mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 1

Newcastle’s sloppiness continues as Gordon loses the ball, Johnson bares down on goal. He tries to play the ball across to Son but Bruno cuts it out for a corner.

Tottenham sub:

Odobert OFF
Werner ON

03:03 PM BST

70mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 1

Poor from Burn as he gives the ball away with a square ball. The ball falls to Odobert and his shot at goal is deflected wide.

03:00 PM BST

68mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 1

Reckless challenge by Maddison on Bruno and he gets a yellow card.

Newcastle sub:

Longstaff & Kelly OFF
Tonali & Hall ON

02:58 PM BST

66mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 1

Murphy tries to catch Vicario out at the near post but the Tottenham keeper saves well.

02:57 PM BST

64mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 1

Home fans are getting restless. The players keep losing the ball and putting themselves in trouble. Tottenham look poised to capitalise.

02:56 PM BST

‘Newcastle invited pressure and paid the price’

Newcastle fans have been screaming at Alexander Isak to wake up in this half as he has constantly given the ball away since the break.

And it is from his poor play that Spurs get their equaliser, as he once again loses the ball. Nick Pope should have done better with the first effort from James Maddison but when he spills it straight into the path of Brennan Johnson his shot is turned into his own net by Dan Burn.

Burn did not have to do it but Newcastle have invited pressure all half and have paid the price. A deflected cross had already hit the crossbar and you just felt that goal was coming.

02:54 PM BST

61mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 1

Newcastle sub:

Barnes OFF
Murphy ON

Seeing replays of the Tottenham goal. Pope had to do better there. He has looked shaky all game.

02:52 PM BST

58mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 1

The home side are being overrun here. Bruno hacks down Maddison and is booked. Decent free kick position in a central area.

Porro takes it but shoots over the bar.

02:50 PM BST

55mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 1 - GOAL

Tottenham hit the bar from a corner

Maddison shoots, Pope does poorly and parries the ball wide. The rebound falls to Johnson, who shoots towards goal and his effort is deflected into the net by Burn for an own goal.

Calamity of errors.

02:47 PM BST

53mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 0

Son runs unchallenged towards the Newcastle box. He delays his shot and Burn sticks out a leg to block.

02:46 PM BST

52mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 0

Terrific ball by Johnson to the back post, Odobert meets it but his effort flies over the bar. Should have done better there.

02:41 PM BST

48mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 0

Bissouma picks up a yellow card for pulling back Barnes on the break.

02:40 PM BST

47mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 0

Isa bursts through, he bares down on goal and Dragusin makes a great last ditch challenge.

Moments later, down the other end, Porro squares it across the box but no Tottenham shirt is there to tap in.

02:37 PM BST

SECOND HALF: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 0

Tottenham make a half time chance. Johnson is coming on for Sarr. Very attacking change that.

We’re back underway here.

02:31 PM BST

Roy Keane reacts on Sky Sports

02:22 PM BST

HALF TIME: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 0

A smart finish by Barnes is the difference at the break. Tottenham will be frustrated not to be in front but they do look threatening.

02:18 PM BST

45+2mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 0

Joelinton is the latest name to be booked after clattering into Dragusin. Porro takes the free kick but his cross beats everyone. Poor delivery that.

02:16 PM BST

45mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 0

Five minutes added on here. Tottenham have taken control of the game again and dominating the ball.

02:13 PM BST

41mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 0

Yellow card for Longstaff after bringing down Udogie, who was looking to burst in the area. The free kick is in a dangerous position and Maddison is over the ball.

He plays it short to Kulusevski, but his first touch is poor and Newcastle get the ball away.

02:08 PM BST

36mins: Newcastle 1 Tottenham 0 - GOAL

Against the run of play, the home side lead. Kelly gets to the byline, cut the ball back and Barnes meets it first time with a cool sidefooted finish from the penalty spot.

Great goal.

And just as I praise Spurs for getting back into the game they fall behind. Maddison switches off and allows Lloyd Kelly to get in behind from a throw-in. The new signing from Bournemouth does really well too, driving to the byline and crossing for Harvey Barnes. It is a brilliant finish, taking the ball at the top of its bounce, opening his body up to guide a shot into the far corner. Delicate and precise.

02:07 PM BST

‘Much, much better from Tottenham’

Much, much better from Tottenham in the last 10 mins or so and they are starting to dictate the pace of the game after weathering that early storm.

Nick Pope had made decent saves to keep out strikes from Sarr from just outside the box and there is growing pressure on the Newcastle backline.

They have stood up to it well enough so far with all the danger coming from distance but Newcastle’s front three of Barnes, Isak and Gordon has gone very quiet.

Not for the first time this season, the latter has not looked like his normal self at all. The home crowd have started to go a little quiet too.

Spurs will be pleased with the control they have got of the midfield battle in particular.

02:05 PM BST

34mins: Newcastle 0 Tottenham 0

Sarr is booked for a painful stamp on Kelly. Not enough for a red card.

02:03 PM BST

32mins: Newcastle 0 Tottenham 0

Some inventive set pieces from Tottenham. The latest one finds Porro is space on the edge of the box and his drilled effort is blocked. Tottenham still on top at the moment.

01:59 PM BST

28mins: Newcastle 0 Tottenham 0

Son nutmegs Kelly on the near side and the Newcastle full back drags him down. Easy yellow for the referee to give.

01:57 PM BST

26mins: Newcastle 0 Tottenham 0

Tottenham have been the better team since the stoppage in play. The delay has definitely hurt Newcastle’s momentum.

Sarr tests Pope again from distance and earns a corner.

01:56 PM BST

24mins: Newcastle 0 Tottenham 0

Sarr tests Pope from distance. It is a save the Newcastle keeper should make but the ball squirms away for a corner.

01:55 PM BST

22mins: Newcastle 0 Tottenham 0

Odobert is released one-on-one against Kelly and goes right at him. The Tottenham winger gets into the box but blazes over the bar.

01:53 PM BST

‘A really strong start from Newcastle’

It has been a really strong start from Newcastle who have thrown themselves at Tottenham with some gusto.

You could even describe it as the unleashing of energy as the frustration of the transfer window is put behind them.

Alexander Isak’s effort may well have been a cross, after he robbed Son Heung-Min of the ball on the right touchline, but it beat Vicario who was relieved to see it come back off the crossbar.

Harvey Barnes was also very close to finding the top corner after a long ball to Anthony Gordon had exposed Spurs’ high defensive line.

Romero has put the ball in the net for the visitors, but he did so from a pretty obvious offside position.

Lloyd Kelly has also headed just over the bar from a corner, which came when Vicario struggled to deal with a cross and Emil Krath’s effort was fortunately deflected wide.

Spurs’ high line was badly exposed in the corresponding fixture last season and Newcastle are constantly looking to expose it again.

On the plus side for Spurs, they have an equally high Newcastle line to try and run in behind and James Maddison looks sharp as he tries to find the right pass from Son to run on to.

01:51 PM BST

20mins: Newcastle 0 Tottenham 0

After a few minutes delay, we are back underway. Darren Bond is the new lino on the near side.

01:49 PM BST

16mins: Newcastle 0 Tottenham 0

Stoppage in play here because linesman Ian Hussin looks to be injured. Did he pull a hammy chasing Gordon and Romero down the wing a few mins earlier?

01:43 PM BST

11mins: Newcastle 0 Tottenham 0

Romero heads in for Tottenham after a cross from Porro but his effort is called for offside. And VAR confirms the call.

01:41 PM BST

9mins: Newcastle 0 Tottenham 0

Barnes goes close now. Gordon leads a breakaway and heads to the box. He feeds Barnes down the left and he cuts inside of Porro and bends an effort inches away from the top corner.

01:37 PM BST

6mins: Newcastle 0 Tottenham 0

Isak hits the bar. The Newcastle striker does brilliantly to dispossess Son, he heads to the box and his cross-shot beats Vicario but strikes the woodwork and gets cleared.

01:35 PM BST

4mins: Newcastle 0 Tottenham 0

Not the fast and furious start you come to expect from the home team. The away side have done well to take the sting out of the match and quieten the crowd.

01:31 PM BST

KICK OFF: Newcastle vs Tottenham

Away we go as Newcastle get the match started.

01:29 PM BST

Here we go!

Very tight tunnel at St James’ Park but all the players make their way out onto the pitch for what should be a very entertaining match.

Kick off is moments away.

01:26 PM BST

A reminder of the teams

Newcastle: Pope, Livramento, Krafth, Burn, Kelly, Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Barnes, Isak, Gordon. 
Subs: Alex Murphy, Almiron, Jacob Murphy, Hall, Osula, Targett, Tonali, Trippier, Dubravka.

Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie, Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison, Kulusevski, Son, Odobert.
Subs: Devine, Davies, Bentancur, Spence, Johnson, Werner, Bergvall, Gray, Forster.

Robert Jones is the referee.

01:21 PM BST

Howe’s pre-match thoughts

01:12 PM BST

Newcastle have failed Howe and all of their fans in this transfer window

Failure is an emotive word to use to describe Newcastle United. As one of European football’s great underachievers, it is a word synonymous with far more painful periods in the club’s history.

Nevertheless, that is a word that can be used to describe this transfer window - and is - by frustrated supporters.

The Newcastle board failed manager Eddie Howe by depriving him of the players he wanted to improve his starting XI, leaving him to face a hostile press conference on transfer deadline day, trying to defend the club’s failure to sign England international Marc Guehi – or anyone else – from Crystal Palace after a month-long pursuit.

They failed the club’s supporters, who were led to believe that Newcastle, backed by the wealth of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, were unrelentingly ambitious; with a desire to be, in the words of chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the “number one” club in the country.

Against that framework, this window has been a huge disappointment. Emotions are raw. There have been lots of pledges made, lots of nice words, very little action.

Click here to read the rest of Luke’s piece.

12:55 PM BST

Tonali is poised to make his first league appearance since October 21

12:45 PM BST

‘Newcastle chairman makes pre-planned visit’

After a disappointing and divisive summer, the timing of chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan’s visit to St James’ Park for today’s game against Tottenham Hotspur is interesting, to say the least.

Newcastle failed to sign a single player to improve their first team and manager Eddie Howe has appeared unsettled and distracted during a period of upheaval in the boardroom.

It is the first time that the club’s Saudi chairman has visited since January and it is the first time he has attended a home game since October last year - the 4-1 thrashing of PSG in the Champions League.

Telegraph Sport has been told that the visit was a pre-planned one and is supposed to be a show of support rather than a response to what has happened this summer.

But there are bound to be some interesting conversations going on behind the scenes given the club has attracted criticism for the way it is being run for the first time since the takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in October 2021.

On the pitch, Newcastle’s only free transfer arrival from Bournemouth makes the starting XI with William Osula on the bench.

Tino Livramento is preferred to Kieran Trippier at right back. Interestingly, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes both start on the flanks.

12:35 PM BST

Tottenham starting XI

12:35 PM BST

Newcastle starting XI

12:23 PM BST

Newcastle welcome Tottenham to St James’ Park

Hello and welcome to live coverage from the Premier League as Newcastle host Tottenham at St James’ Park.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has admitted some of his players are yet to return to the “optimum” fitness levels they need to play his high-intensity brand of football.

Howe’s team scrapped their way to a 1-0 home win over Southampton with 10 men before escaping from Bournemouth with a 1-1 draw and then progressing in the Carabao Cup by virtue of a penalty shoot-out at Nottingham Forest in midweek.

Asked about the intensity needed to play the high-pressing game which has proved so successful during the 46-year-old’s time at St James’ Park to date, he said: “It’s something you have to protect and work towards every single day because the players can’t just turn up and perform that way in isolation, it’s something we hone and work on continuously.

“It is related, of course, to our fitness. We have to be really, really super-fit to deliver that style of play for 90 minutes.

“That’s something, I think, we’re working towards. It’s no secret that we’ve got a group of players that probably aren’t at their absolute optimum fitness-wise. But very quickly, we’ve got to find our best physical levels to produce that style of play.”

Recent games between Newcastle and Tottenham have produced goals - 16 in the last three - and have been decidedly one-sided with the former winning 6-1 and 4-0 on Tyneside either side of a 4-1 defeat in North London.

Meanwhile, Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has backed James Maddison to force his way back into England contention after being left out of the first squad picked by interim boss Lee Carsley.

“I think he’s started the season really well and had an impact in both games,” Postecoglou said.

“He was very close to getting on the scoresheet in both. His general play in both games has been really, really good.

“As long as he’s training well and playing well, then I’m sure he will be back in England reckoning and I guess it is a question for Lee for future camps.

“I know he desperately wants to get back into the England set-up, but if he continues to play like he does and makes more and more of an impact, like we know he can, then I see no reason why he can’t get back into the England side.”