Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur: Late Ben Arfa penalty hands Magpies opening day win

 Newcastle notched their first opening day win in five years as they overcame Andre Villas-Boas' Spurs side thanks to a late penalty from Hatem Ben Arfa.

Demba Ba had given the Magpies the advantage with a superb curling volley ten minutes into the second half before Jermain Defoe levelled with just 14 minutes left into the contest. However, the contest was settled just minutes later when Ben Arfa converted a spot kick after he had been felled in the area by Aaron Lennon.

The win was slightly marred by the dismissal of manager Alan Pardew from the sidelines for a push on one of the referee's assistants after Newcastle were denied a throw-in.

The last time Newcastle won on the opening day of the season expectations had been high, with Sam Allardyce in charge for his first game as manager after Glenn Roeder had been relieved of his duties at the end of the previous campaign.

On that day the Geordies triumphed 3-1 over Allardyce's former club Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium thanks to a goal from Charles N'Zogbia and a double from Obafemi Martins. That result proved to be a false dawn as Allardyce was dismissed in January following a string of disappointing performances.

However, despite a variety of trials and tribulations, the club has come a long way since that point and the overriding emotion at St James' Park on Saturday was that the victory could be the beginning of another special season for Pardew's side.

The Magpies stunned the majority of observers last season by securing a 5th placed finish and European football, but with the Geordies competing on four fronts this campaign many have expressed doubts as to whether they can repeat that feat.

Still Pardew's men got off the perfect start against difficult opposition on Saturday night, although the early signs did not look good as Spurs enjoyed the better of the opening period.

Cheick Tiote, Yohan Cabaye, Papiss Cisse and Ba all started for Newcastle despite reported concerns regarding their fitness. However, Captain Fabricio Coloccini missed out due to a hamstring injury, new signing Vurnon Anita started on the bench.

Spurs had pipped Newcastle to 4th place in the Premier League last season - although they were denied Champions League football because of Chelsea's triumph in the competition - and they appeared the more fluid and composed team in the early stages.

New signing Gylfi Sigurdsson had the visitors first real chance of the game, as he was denied by Tim Krul from close range, although the Icelandic midfielder had already been flagged for offside. Defoe also came close as smacked a shot against the post before Gareth Bale headed against the bar from a Lennon cross.

Newcastle did have chances of their own in the opening half, and they came close to opening the scoring when a Ba effort was deflected wide by Cisse.

Ten minutes after the interval the home side did take the lead, as Kyle Walker misjudged a deep cross from Danny Simpson to allow Ba to curl a strike past Friedel and into the bottom corner of the net.

Jubilation ensued but that was soon cut short when Pardew was sent to the stands for shoving linesman Peter Kirkup after claiming the ball had gone out of the play in the build-up to a Sigurdsson chance.

Pardew's anger was furthered on 76 minutes - just five minutes after Anita had replaced Cabaye to a rapturous reception - when Defoe followed up his own effort to scramble home from close range after Krul had kept out the England international's well placed header.

Tottenham's parity was short-lived however, as Ben Arfa - who had bamboozled Spurs for large periods throughout the match - surged into the box from a short corner only to be brought down by Lennon and substitute Rafael van der Vaart. Referee Martin Atkinson duly pointed to the spot and Frenchman Ben Arfa coolly slotted the penalty into the bottom corner to restore Newcastle's lead.

That proved to be enough to secure the points, as Spurs - clearly fatigued from the effort they put in to levelling the contest - were unable to find another way back into the game and Newcastle comfortably held out to seal victory.

The first test of the Magpies' relatively thin squad comes on Thursday, as they travel to Greece to take on Atromitos for the 1st leg of their Europa League play-off before facing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge just two days later.

The versatility and depth of Newcastle's squad will be severely examined in the coming week, but for the time being the Geordie faithful can bask in the light of an opening day win for the first time in half a decade.

New name, new look, same old blog!

Well hello there, long time no see!

Yes ever since the last day of the Premier League season things have been a little quiet on my little old blog, but with Euro 2012 heading to its conclusion, pre-season will soon be upon us. So with preparation for the new campaign set to begin in the next few weeks, what better time to get writing about the North-East's Premier football club once again.

You may have noticed that the blog has undergone a bit of a re-branding. Web design has never been my forte, but I've given the page a more clean cut look and added a picture of Newcastle's magnificent cathedral of football to serve as a beautiful background to the main header.

The main change of course is the name, after much thought I've opted to ditch 'The Bright Side of the Tyne' and switch to 'The Toon Crier'. I feel the new name has more of a ring to it and hopefully it will help me to attract more readers.

I haven't quite settled on a plan for the new season, but I hope to keep the blog ticking over as much as possible with previews, match reports, news, analysis and maybe even the odd picture gallery.

Newcastle United Football Club is set for another thrilling season, of course it will be difficult to match the achievements of last season, but with European competition to look forward to, drama and excitement will surely be in plentiful supply.

I look forward to once again blogging about the fortunes of the greatest football club on the planet. Let's hope for more scenes like this in the upcoming campaign.

Magpies end magnificent year in frustrating fashion

After the battle that was the valiant defeat against Manchester City, Newcastle's season ended in somewhat of a damp squib as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at Everton.

In the end the result proved to be immaterial in terms of Newcastle's Champions League challenge as both Arsenal and Spurs won their final day matches to secure 3rd and 4th spot respectively. Still the loss was a slightly disappointing end to what has been a magnificent season for Alan Pardew's side.

The Magpies were behind inside the first twenty minutes, as the Toffees responded to a decent start from the visitors in emphatic fashion, Steven Pienaar's deflected long range effort looping over Tim Krul to open the scoring.

Just 12 minutes later and Everton had doubled their lead, as in-form striker Nikica Jelavic beat Fabricio Coloccini for pace before seeing his effort brilliantly saved by Krul, however the Croatian showed smart reactions to volley home the rebound and put David Moyes' men in command.

Newcastle did offer some resistance, Papiss Cisse - who was attempting to take his tally to 14 goals in 13 games - had an effort well saved by Tim Howard before the interval, but it was a poor first-half performance from a side that have set themselves exceptionally high standards this season.

Pardew made two changes after the break, the Premier League Manager of the Year brought on Ryan Taylor and Sylvain Marveaux - who made his first appearance after a lengthy injury lay-off - in place of full backs James Perch and Davide Santon.

The reshuffle looked to have had a positive effect, with Marveaux comfortable on the ball as Newcastle attacked with more purpose and creativity than they had done in the opening period. Indeed, the Geordies should have pulled a goal back when Cisse skewed an effort wide after Marveaux; Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa had linked up well to put the Senegalese international one on one with Howard.

However, the game was soon taken beyond Newcastle's reach as Everton added a third when Johnny Heitinga headed in Darron Gibson's free-kick from close range.

Just eight minutes later Newcastle were given a glimmer of hope when Toffees' full back Tony Hibbert nodded Taylor's long ball past Howard and into his own net.

It was Howard who kept Newcastle from setting up a tense finale as he brilliantly clawed away a far post header from Cisse that appeared destined for the top corner. That proved to be the Magpies' last real opportunity as the home side stood firm to seal the three points which ensured that they would finish the season above city rivals Liverpool.

There was to be one last flash point at the final whistle however, as substitute Tim Cahill was shown a red card for raising his hand at Cabaye. The incident caused a minor fracas between the two teams, but it was nothing more than a minor footnote in a relatively one-sided affair, and both sides will head to the summer break in good spirits after enjoying very impressive campaigns.

Europa League football now beckons for Newcastle and the Magpies presence in Europe represents another giant leap forward for a club that has made great strides since returning to the Premier League just two years ago. 

Newcastle showcase European quality as City triumph in gripping encounter

Manchester City put one hand on the Premier League title at the weekend, as they battled their way to 2-0 win over Newcastle United at St James' Park.

Newcastle may have been on the losing side on Sunday, but the team; the club and the city; can hold their heads up high after playing a starring role in a compelling piece of footballing theatre.

The stage was set early in the day as Newcastle unveiled a statute of former Manager Sir Bobby Robson hours before kick-off. Sir Bobby's spirit will always inhabit St James' Park, but the addition of a physical tribute to the great man at the famous old stadium seemed apt ahead of the type of mammoth clash that Robson would have relished both as a player and as a Manager.

Undoubtedly watching from the heavens, Sir Bobby will have been engrossed by what he saw, as Newcastle and City stood toe to toe in a gripping battle of wills that would either effectively decide the destination of the Premier League or add more power to the Magpies' Champions League surge. 

Artistry and gritty determination were in plentiful supply, with City, spurred on by the technical sorcery of messrs David Silva, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero pressed and probed to find a way through the Newcastle back line. The home defence - as it has done on many occasions this season - proved to be an impenetrable force for the much of the contest however, with the agile reflexes of Goalkeeper Tim Krul supported by a back four well versed in the 'all hands to the pump' routine.

In the end, it took some brute force from midfielder Yaya Toure to break down the Newcastle wall, the Ivorian firing in two well taken goals to put Roberto Mancini's side on the cusp of their first league crown since 1968, when the likes of Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee secured the title after a dramatic 4-3 triumph at St James' Park.

The appearance of the stadium and the game of football have changed dramatically since that day, but the equation remained the same for City, win and they would be virtually ensured of the title, with only a home game against struggling Queens Park Rangers standing in their way.

Perhaps motivated by history, the visitors started the contest the brighter of the two sides, the ever reliable Krul forced into low stops from Silva and Aguero. Newcastle were not to be kept quiet however, and after half an hour without registering an effort on goal, they finally managed to get hold of the ball, Demba Ba's long range effort grazed flew just over the bar before Joe Hart produced a fine near post save from the Magpies' enigmatic midfield maestro Hatem Ben Arfa.

Despite the deafening jeers of the Tyneside audience, City dominated possession and played with the confidence and flow of a team that believed they could secure glory. The Citizens had their best opportunity to hit the front just before half time when Silva played in Gareth Barry one on one with Krul. The England midfielder looked certain to score, but Newcastle's defiance was exemplified by the efforts of Captain Fabricio Coloccini and Davide Santon who each blocked on the line to deny City the lead.

City upped the ante and pressed with increasing vigour and motivation after the interval, but as the second half wore on they appeared a frustrated and slightly bewildered outfit as they struggled to fashion as many goal scoring opportunities as they had done in the opening period. Newcastle's sterling defensive performance was roared on by an approving public and it looked as if City's cross-town rivals Manchester United were to be handed the initiative in the title chase.

Mancini had an ace up his sleeve however, and with half an hour to play he sent on the pantomime villain of the day, Nigel De Jong, in place of Samir Nasri. De Jong, whose tackle broke Ben Arfa's leg in two places back in the autumn of 2010, received a chorus of boos from the Newcastle faithful upon his introduction to the pitch.

It was the type of reception reserved most recently for the likes of Michael Owen and Andy Carroll -two figures who were chastised on their return to St James' Park after leaving the club for pastures new - but the move proved to be an inspired one, as De Jong's presence in the holding midfield role allowed Toure to be unleashed further forward to quite devastating effect.

At first the change seemed to have galvanised Newcastle, particularly Ben Arfa, who soon after the substitution jinked his way into the City penalty area before lashing a shot into the side netting. However, just a few minutes later Mancini's decision was vindicated as Toure escaped the attentions of Yohan Cabaye to collect a lay-off from Aguero before curling a well placed shot past the diving Krul and into the bottom corner to put the visitors in front. 

It was the first goal that Newcastle had conceded in 497 minutes of football at St James' Park, and it should have been swiftly followed by a second as Aguero missed wide after latching on to Silva's delicately chipped through ball. 

Newcastle almost made City pay for Aguero's lack of accuracy when Cisse headed well over from close range, and a grandstand finish looked increasingly likely as the Magpies pushed further into the City half.

It was not to be however, as Newcastle fell victim to the sucker punch. Cabaye was dispossessed stretching to retain the ball in midfield, and this enabled City to counter at alarming speed before the ball fell to Toure inside the box, who finished from close range to clinch a hard fought win for the prospective Champions.

The home side did search for a consolation, and Cisse came close as his low shot was well saved by the excellent Hart, but it proved to be too little too late as the final whistle was met jubilantly by the travelling City support.

Despite the defeat Newcastle's efforts were met with warm appreciation from the home crowd, and the majority of the stadium stayed behind to applaud the squad on what has been a magnificent season for the club.

By virtue of Liverpool's 4-1 win over Chelsea, the Magpies can now finish no lower than 5th, and go in to the final day of the Premier League season knowing a win could see them secure Champions League football after Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur could only manage draws with Norwich City and Aston Villa respectively. 

Alan Pardew and his side should take great pride from their performance against City, and they will surely head into their final day clash with Everton with nothing to fear. If Newcastle showed one thing against Manchester City last Sunday, it is that they can compete with Europe's elite, a victory at Goodison Park this Sunday could see them win the right to do just that on a weekly basis next season.

Cisse inspired Newcastle bounce back from Wigan hammering

Wonder strike: Papiss Cisse celebrates his 2nd goal against Chelsea

Thankfully, I struggled to find the time to publish a reaction to Newcastle's humbling defeat by Wigan Athletic at the weekend, but the short turnaround to Wednesday night's game against Chelsea gave me the chance to write about something much more positive, Newcastle's impressive 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

A clash with Roberto Di Matteo's resurgent blues was always going to be an extreme test of Newcastle's Champions League credentials, especially considering the manner of the defeat they suffered on the Saturday before.

The relegation threatened Latics blitzed past the Magpies and had the game wrapped up within the first 45 minutes, as two goals from Victor Moses, one from Shaun Maloney and a superb long range effort from Franco Di Santo put the game beyond Newcastle's reach despite the best efforts of star striker Papiss Cisse to reduce the arrears.

Resiliency has been a key factor in Newcastle's season however, and Cisse soon made amends in West London as he fired in two spectacular strikes to keep the Magpies in the hunt for a top four place.

Jumping for joy: Cisse put Newcastle ahead 19 minutes into the game

Chelsea started the game brightly and could have taken the lead when Raul Meireles fired a free-kick over the bar, but Newcastle soon took control of the game and began to dominate both possession and territory. They were rewarded for their good start when Cisse delivered the first of two remarkable efforts 19 minutes into the contest, the Senegalese international collected Davide Santon's pass before teeing up a delicious left footed volley past Petr Cech and into the top corner.

Di Matteo's men struggled to make much of an impression in the first half, but should have levelled matters when Florent Malouda headed Fernando Torres' cross wide of the goal.

Still it was Newcastle who looked more likely to score the game's second, Demba Ba - who has not netted since the 2-1 win over Aston Villa - forced a good save from Cech before being denied by the crossbar after latching on to a Hatem Ben Arfa corner.

The Londoners held on to the break but were unable to create any clear opportunities after the interval despite the introduction of Juan Mata and later Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

Indeed Newcastle kept the home side at bay with surprising ease, and midway through the second half the most eventful thing to have happened was an injury to Cheick Tiote, who had to be stretchered off after sustaining a cut to the head in a collision with John Obi Mikel.

The Magpies remained stern in defence throughout and their fortitude was summed up by Santon, who showed the presence of mind to clear a John Terry header off the line just three minutes from the end of normal time.

With 10 minutes of injury time to be played due to the delay caused by Tiote's injury, the Stamford Bridge crowd were more than confident that Chelsea could pull off a late rally.

All Blues' hopes were dispelled three minutes into added time however, as Cisse produced one of the goals of the season to seal the points for Alan Pardew's side. The goal came about from a seemingly innocuous Newcastle throw-in just inside the Chelsea half. Substitute Ryan Taylor launched the ball into the path of Shola Ameobi, whose knockdown fell to Cisse, who instinctively hit an audacious right-footed volley that swerved over the head of Cech and nestled in the top corner.

The visiting fans were sent into sheer delirium, Drogba and sections of the Chelsea fans applauded in admiration, Stamford Bridge and the Premier League had just witnessed a thing of beauty, one of those rare goals that unites fans in appreciation of the immense talent showcased by an individual.

Cisse's strikes have kept Newcastle right in the thick of the race for the Champions League, but his second will not be remembered for that, instead it will rightfully be regaled as one of the greatest goals in the history of the Premier League.

Cabaye confirms Newcastle's place in Europe

Masterclass: Yohan Cabaye celebrates his second goal 

European football is to return to St James' Park after Newcastle United romped to a comfortable 3-0 home victory over Stoke City.

The win confirmed that the Magpies will at least be competing in the Europa League next season as Everton failed to win against Manchester United at Old Trafford - though they did play out a thoroughly entertaining 4-4 draw with Sir Alex Ferguson's side - a result which leaves the Toffees unable to overtake Newcastle in the league.

That Newcastle have now qualified for European competition is no surprise, their performances throughout the season have merited a return to continental football,something that they have not experienced since 2007. What has come as a shock to many observes is that Alan Pardew's men continue to demolish teams with a style and confidence befitting that of a Champions League team.

If they are able to maintain current form then the Champions League is exactly where Newcastle will find themselves, the Geordies now occupy the fourth and final qualification place for European football's biggest club competition and sit three points ahead of nearest rivals Tottenham Hotspur - who slipped to defeat at Queens Park Rangers - and just two behind third placed Arsenal.

Saturday's triumph was masterminded by Yohan Cabaye, the French midfield general was at the forefront of Newcastle's vibrant attacking play and was rewarded with two goals.

Cabaye nodded in the game's opener from close range 14 minutes in, Hatem Ben Arfa, who was in typical swashbuckling form swung in a deep cross which was met perfectly by Papiss Cisse. The Senegal international's effort crashed against the bar but Cabaye showed the quickest reactions and judged the flight of the rebound perfectly to give Newcastle a deserved lead.

Four minutes later and the former Lille man turned provider, as he and Cisse produced a passage of play that was as close as you can get to footballing telepathy. Cabaye collected Jonas Gutierrez's pass on the left hand side and slid a expertly timed long range pass through the Stoke back line and into the path of Cisse, who - after timing his angled run perfectly - proceeded to slot the ball past Asmir Begovic and into the bottom corner.

Newcastle took their foot of the gas slightly after the break but still poured forward with enthusiasm and vigour. Pardew's charges were denied a third goal shortly into the second half when Cisse prodded home a rebound after Demba Ba's fierce drive had been spilled by Begovic. However the linesman ruled that Cisse had been offside, a decision that appeared contentious at best.

The Magpies did have their third moments later though, as Cabaye curled an exquisite shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area to seal another fine three points and put the pressure on their rivals in what is in an increasingly intriguing battle for the final two places in the top four. 

Stoke did have their chances, most notably six minutes into the contest when Jonathan Walters fired over after latching on to a Peter Crouch knockdown, but in truth Newcastle could have won by more. A Cheick Tiote piledriver was well saved by Begovic, and Fabricio Coloccini should have scored when he headed wide from a Ben Arfa corner.  

Indeed, Newcastle may well have triumphed by a wider margin, but the manner of the win and the artistry of their performance sent a clear statement of intent to the rest of the league. The Magpies have now won six games on the bounce and if the victory over Stoke is anything to go by, they certainly aren't finished yet.

Vertonghen a must if Newcastle reach Champions League

As Newcastle continue to battle for a place in next season's Champions League, rumours are beginning to surface as to which players Alan Pardew could recruit should his team qualify for Europe's biggest club competition.

One player whose name has re-surfaced as a potential target for the Magpies is Ajax Captain Jan Vertonghen, the Belgian centre-back is widely anticipated to leave the Dutch giants in the summer, with Arsenal and Tottenham also mentioned as possible contenders for his signature.

Pardew was pictured at the Amsterdam Arena on Sunday as Vertonghen and his team mates romped to a comfortable 3-1 win over Eredivisie basement dwellers De Graafschap. 

The Newcastle boss will certainly have been impressed by Vertonghen's performance as he showcased his skills as a ball playing centre half, setting up Derk Boerrigter for the Champions' third goal.

Competition for Vertonghen's services will be stiff, and he will command a fee of at least £10m, but after watching the 24-year-old on a visit to Amsterdam earlier in the season, I am of the opinion that an investment in Vertonghen would be an extremely wise one on Newcastle's part.

Pardew has often spoken of his desire to ensure that Newcastle control more games and dominate possession, and this is certainly something that they have been able to achieve in their recent unbeaten run. However, in order to do this on a European stage they would certainly require more players of a higher calibre who are comfortable with the ball at their feet.

Vertonghen certainly fits the bill, much like current Newcastle Captain Fabricio Coloccini he is a defender who is not afraid to attack and is often at the centre of Ajax's forays into the opposition half. Unlike Coloccini however, the Belgian is relatively prolific in front of goal, he has scored nine goals in all competitions this season, an impressive tally for a central defender.

Indeed, Vertonghen is a rare breed of defender who excels in both defence and attack, comfortable in the air and in possession, the Germinal Beerschot academy product reads the game excellently and his intelligence and assuredness at the back has seen him rise remarkably quickly through the ranks at one of European football's most famous clubs. 

Newcastle's strikers have been on top form throughout the current campaign, but Vertonghen's goal scoring prowess would certainly be of use to the Magpies as they look set to compete on four fronts next season.

The Geordies have been linked with a host of other names in recent weeks, including FC Twente's Brazilian centre back Douglas, Montpellier's Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and PSV Eindhoven full back Erik Pieters.

Yanga-Mbiwa is another that likely need an assurance of Champions League football to make the move to the North-East with Montpellier sitting two points ahead of Paris Saint-Germain in the race for the Ligue 1 title.

A move for Pieters on the other hand would not be a surprise, the Dutch international was repeatedly linked with a switch to St James' Park last summer, and has a good relationship with Newcastle Goalkeeper Tim Krul. The Eindhoven man can operate on the left side of the defence or in the middle and his versatility would certainly give Pardew more options in defence, an area in which Newcastle have become extremely stretched over the last few weeks.

It is negotiations with Douglas that appear to be at the most advanced stage however, with rumours circulating that Newcastle have already agreed a deal to bring the player to the club.

The Brazilian is not a ball playing centre half like Vertonghen, but his presence could definitely help sure up the Newcastle back line. Standing at 6ft 4in, Douglas is a dominant physical presence that would not be daunted by the challenge of facing up to some of the Premier League's more intimidating strikers. His height would also  be useful in helping the Magpies deal with set pieces, an area of the game that they struggled with this season.

Newcastle will certainly require a number of reinforcements for any potential European challenge, further up the field the Pardew's side have been linked with a move for midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson and have reportedly already agreed to sign Reims' winger Romain Amalfitano.

However, if the Geordies are destined to play in the Champions League, then their first port of call should be to Amsterdam to secure the capture of Vertonghen, a player who could make a huge impact for the club at both ends of the pitch.