Match ends, Newcastle United 2, Tottenham Hotspur 3.
Newcastle manager Steve Bruce said he will "carry on as best I can" after the club's new era under its Saudi Arabian owners got off to a losing start at home to Tottenham.
Watched by new non-executive chair Yasir Al-Rumayyan and part-owner Amanda Staveley, Newcastle led after two minutes as Callum Wilson returned from injury to head in.
The home fans went wild with delight, a continuation of carnival-esque scenes before the match.
Bruce, marking his 1,000th game in management, might have felt a sense of optimism while clinging to hope he may continue in the job.
But then reality struck for a team yet to win in eight Premier League games this season as Spurs scored twice in five minutes.
First, Tanguy Ndombele fired in a right-footed drive, before Harry Kane scored his first league goal of the season when he beat the Newcastle offside trap to dink in, the goal awarded by the video assistant referee after initially being ruled out.
The game was then halted when a fan suffered a medical emergency in the stands.
Supporters and players - including Eric Dier - played their part in alerting medics to the seriousness of the situation before the game was suspended.
Play resumed with five minutes of the first half remaining, and Tottenham extended their lead when Son Heung-min slid in at the back post for his fourth of the season.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side, who moved up to fifth in the table, looked comfortable in the second half as the mood turned sour towards Bruce, with home fans calling for him to be sacked.
A poor audition to stay in the job was made worse when substitute Jonjo Shelvey received a second yellow card for a rash challenge on Sergio Reguilon after 83 minutes.
And despite a brief response when Dier's own goal made it 3-2, the result left Newcastle next-to-bottom of the table with a huge transformation needed to turn the club into the superpower that the new owners want them to be.
Asked if he will remain in the job, Bruce said: "That is for other people to decide. Ever since I have walked into this club, it is difficult. I knew how difficult it was going to be with the frustrations.
"I will carry on as best I can until I hear otherwise. The owners have conducted themselves respectfully since they came in. As long as I don't hear otherwise, I will go into work tomorrow."
- What Newcastle need to do to stay up - analysis
- Fan 'stable' after game halted because of medical emergency
- Reaction from Sunday's games including Tottenham's win at Newcastle
- Go to the Newcastle page
- Go to the Spurs page
Carnival atmosphere disappears as fans turn on Bruce
Prior to kick-off, there was a unique atmosphere outside St James' Park and around the city.
There were some fans who celebrated the Saudi Arabian-backed takeover by wearing headdresses and draping themselves in Saudi flags, but the overwhelming majority answered the call to wear black and white as they celebrated a new era after Mike Ashley's 14-year reign came to an end.
Inside the stadium, the Gallowgate End was a sea of black and white as supporters waved flags and unveiled a banner quoting lyrics from Newcastle-born performer Jimmy Nail's 1995 song Big River, about the city and rebuilding hope for the future.
It must have been an uplifting sight for Al-Rumayyan, who was attending his first game in his capacity as the governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which now owns 80% of the club.
He broke out into a huge grin as Wilson scored early on from Javier Manquillo's cross, while Staveley hugged her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi.
But the way Tottenham opened up the Newcastle defence showed how much work is needed to take the club to the top end of the Premier League, let alone into contention to win the title. The priority this season is to avoid relegation.
And the result will not have given Bruce any further security about his job.
After reports last week that he would be sacked, with the club then saying he would remain in charge for this game 45 minutes before his pre-match press conference on Friday, his future remains unclear.
But this was a demonstration of a team struggling for form, and with little chance of the game turning Newcastle's way, chants of "We want Brucey out" came from the Gallowgate End after 74 minutes and continued until the end, when the final whistle was met with boos.
It was a message that would have been heard loud and clear by the new owners.
Tottenham keep composure on dramatic day
On a day when the visitors might have been distracted by the atmosphere, this was a welcome boost to Spurs boss Nuno, whose side have earned successive wins after a derby defeat by Arsenal that led to many questions about the club's direction.
Tottenham's front four of Ndombele, Son, Lucas Moura and Kane were a menace to the hosts, who need to prioritise a defensive midfielder among their spending plans.
Prior to the game being stopped and with Spurs already leading 2-1, Moura headed on to the bar, and they looked far more likely to score in the second half than their opponents before Dier's late own goal.
"We knew we had to ignore the noise and do our job," said Nuno. "We did not start well but did an amazing job after. I'm really proud of them.
"I would like to score more, the boys would also, but Newcastle are a good team with good defenders."
Credit must also go to Reguilon and Dier for the part they played in alerting medics to the stricken supporter and to midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who continued after the incident, having also played when Denmark team-mate Christian Eriksen had a cardiac arrest during their Euro 2020 match against Finland in June.
After a day when there were conflicting emotions and no end of drama, it put the result into perspective.
Player of the match
Son Heung-minSon Heung-min
Newcastle United
Avg
- Squad number10Player nameSaint-MaximinAverage rating
6.13
- Squad number9Player nameWilsonAverage rating
5.72
- Squad number28Player nameWillockAverage rating
5.10
- Squad number26Player nameDarlowAverage rating
5.03
- Squad number11Player nameRitchieAverage rating
4.89
- Squad number14Player nameHaydenAverage rating
4.85
- Squad number19Player nameManquilloAverage rating
4.84
- Squad number36Player nameS LongstaffAverage rating
4.71
- Squad number6Player nameLascellesAverage rating
4.70
- Squad number2Player nameClarkAverage rating
4.64
- Squad number7Player nameJoelintonAverage rating
4.55
- Squad number23Player nameMurphyAverage rating
4.30
- Squad number21Player nameFraserAverage rating
4.06
- Squad number8Player nameShelveyAverage rating
2.70
Tottenham Hotspur
Avg
- Squad number7Player nameSon Heung-minAverage rating
7.56
- Squad number3Player nameReguilónAverage rating
7.24
- Squad number28Player nameNdombeleAverage rating
7.20
- Squad number27Player nameLucas MouraAverage rating
6.97
- Squad number5Player nameHøjbjergAverage rating
6.81
- Squad number10Player nameKaneAverage rating
6.78
- Squad number29Player nameSkippAverage rating
6.72
- Squad number4Player nameRomeroAverage rating
6.47
- Squad number1Player nameLlorisAverage rating
6.37
- Squad number12Player nameEmerson RoyalAverage rating
6.18
- Squad number15Player nameDierAverage rating
5.89
Line-ups
Newcastle
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 26Darlow
- 19Manquillo
- 6Lascelles
- 2ClarkBooked at 54mins
- 11Ritchie
- 14HaydenBooked at 68mins
- 10Saint-Maximin
- 28WillockSubstituted forMurphyat 77'minutes
- 36S LongstaffBooked at 34minsSubstituted forShelveyat 60'minutesBooked at 83mins
- 7JoelintonBooked at 90mins
- 9WilsonSubstituted forFraserat 77'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Schär
- 8Shelvey
- 12Lewis
- 16Hendrick
- 18Fernández
- 21Fraser
- 23Murphy
- 29Gillespie
- 34Gayle
Tottenham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Lloris
- 12Emerson RoyalBooked at 64mins
- 4Romero
- 15Dier
- 3Reguilón
- 5Højbjerg
- 29Skipp
- 27Lucas Moura
- 28Ndombele
- 7Son Heung-min
- 10Kane
Substitutes
- 6D Sánchez
- 8Winks
- 11Gil
- 18Lo Celso
- 20Alli
- 22Gollini
- 23Bergwijn
- 25Tanganga
- 33Davies
- Referee:
- Andre Marriner
- Attendance:
- 52,214
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home35%
- Away65%
- Shots
- Home7
- Away14
- Shots on Target
- Home1
- Away4
- Corners
- Home2
- Away9
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away4
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Newcastle United 2, Tottenham Hotspur 3.
Booking
Joelinton (Newcastle United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Joelinton (Newcastle United).
Post update
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Joelinton (Newcastle United).
Goal!
Own Goal by Eric Dier, Tottenham Hotspur. Newcastle United 2, Tottenham Hotspur 3.
Post update
Foul by Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur).
Post update
Joelinton (Newcastle United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur).
Post update
Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Dismissal
Second yellow card to Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle United) for a bad foul.
Post update
Sergio Reguilón (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle United).
Post update
Attempt blocked. Jacob Murphy (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jamaal Lascelles.
Post update
Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Eric Dier.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Ryan Fraser (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Allan Saint-Maximin.
Post update
VAR Decision: No Penalty Tottenham Hotspur.
- Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment
Comments
Join the conversation
Class!!!
The rest of the premier league is looking forward to your relegation and prolonged stay in the lower leagues.
It'd be very funny if Newcastle went down.
Get well soon Newcastle fan.
Be hilarious if Newcastle got relegated 🤣