Tottenham’s difficult opening to the Premier League season continued as Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa scored to hand Newcastle United a 2-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Match Report
Roberto De Zerbi’s side produced a much stronger first-half performance than in their 3-0 defeat to Brentford last weekend. However, goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek kept Spurs from breaking through before Newcastle took control after the interval.
Elanga gave Newcastle the lead in the 62nd minute with a composed finish after turning inside the area, before Wissa doubled the advantage 10 minutes later with an acrobatic effort following Tottenham’s inability to clear a deep corner.
The result leaves Spurs without a point or a goal from their opening two matches, keeping them at the foot of the early-season standings. Newcastle, meanwhile, moved into third place after recording their first competitive win under Matthias Jaissle.
Tottenham were given an early scare when Antonin Kinsky failed to properly deal with Elanga’s cross-shot, although the hosts largely controlled the first half. Hornicek was the standout player at the opposite end, making important saves to deny Mathys Tel and Andy Robertson.
The Newcastle goalkeeper also needed two attempts to deal with Jan Paul van Hecke’s header, while Pedro Porro was stopped from making progress by an excellent recovery tackle from Lewis Hall as the opening 45 minutes ended without a goal.
Newcastle came out with greater purpose after the break and began putting Spurs under more pressure. Hall went close with a 20-yard curling effort that narrowly cleared the top-right corner before Elanga eventually broke the deadlock.
Elanga turned inside the right side of the penalty area after Amar Dedic headed Nico Gonzalez’s long pass into his path. His left-footed strike hit the inside of the far post before slowly crossing the line.
Newcastle then extended their lead when Wissa finished beyond Kinsky after substitute Nick Woltemade knocked the ball down at the far post. The goal stunned the home crowd into silence, and Tottenham struggled to produce any serious response for the remainder of the match.
New lease of life for Elanga and Wissa
After their disappointing opening-day loss to Brentford, De Zerbi made five changes to his starting lineup. It was the first time Tottenham had made that many changes between their first and second Premier League matches of a season.
Omar Marmoush was among the new additions, while Newcastle manager Jaissle also handed an immediate debut to midfielder Nico, who had completed his move from Manchester City earlier in the week.
Jaissle’s alterations ultimately proved more effective as Newcastle secured their fourth victory in their last five Premier League trips to Tottenham. The Magpies have now won 14 away games against Spurs in the competition, more than against any other club.
Wissa, in particular, continues to cause Tottenham problems, having now scored three goals in his last four Premier League appearances against them.
The forward appears to have rediscovered his best form after a difficult 2025-26 season, while Woltemade, who also endured a challenging campaign last term, made an immediate impact by providing the assist for Wissa with his first touch after coming off the bench.
Elanga also struggled to make a major impact during his debut season at Newcastle after arriving for a substantial fee, but he has started the new campaign impressively. He is now the first Newcastle player to score in each of the club’s opening two Premier League matches since Alan Shearer did so in 2003-04.
Elanga will look to maintain his strong form when Newcastle host Bournemouth next week, while Tottenham travel to Nottingham Forest with pressure already beginning to build around De Zerbi.