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Newcastle United came out on the right side of a VAR decision in their recent win at Tottenham Hotspur.

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The Premier League Key Match Incident (KMI) Panel have released details behind the decision-making process that led to Newcastle United’s first goal in their recent win at Tottenham Hotspur being awarded after a VAR review.

The Magpies picked up their first win of the season in North London and earned their first maximum under new head coach Matthias Jaissle as goals from Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa saw off Roberto De Zerbi’s men. However, it was Elanga’s opening goal that drew attention from VAR official Darren England after United full-back Amar Dedic strayed close to being offside during the buildup.

The Bosnia international got on the end of a stunning crossfield pass from fellow new boy Nico Gonzalez before heading the ball into Elanga’s path to allow the winger to turn and fire beyond Spurs keeper Antonin Kinsky. The goal was initially awarded by referee Peter Bankes and no offside flag was raised by his assistant - and their decision was checked by the VAR officials.

The KMI Panel have since reviewed the decision itself and the process undertaken by the officials involved and explained why ‘thicker lines’ were used to assess whether Dedic was offside as he challenged for the ball with Spurs full-back Andrew Robertson.

A statement released on the Premier League website read: “From the 2021/22 season, the offside process was amended and thicker lines were introduced when assessing offside decisions. This was done to give the benefit of the doubt to the attacker and to prevent marginal, or "toenail", offsides.

“When the Premier League began using semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) towards the end of the 2024/25 season, the system continued to apply the existing thicker lines, maintaining both consistency and the integrity of the competition. This came into play when Dedic was played onside by Robertson in the build-up to Newcastle's first goal. The use of the thicker lines meant that Dedic was in an onside position, and the goal scored by Elanga was correctly allowed to stand.”

It was a busy summer in the transfer market for Newcastle United as they added several new faces to their squad.

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It was another summer of change at Newcastle United as the Magpies squad underwent something of an overhaul in the aftermath of a disappointing season.

There were big-name departures as Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali secured respective moves to Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur before club captain Bruno Guimaraes joined Premier League champions Arsenal. That came after the likes of Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth and Matt Targett all departed when their contracts came to an end as the United squad was stripped of a whole host of experienced players.

After what felt like a slow start to recruitment, the Magpies landed a deal for Reims’ highly-rated goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen before Hoffenheim winger Bazoumana Toure was secured in a reported £43m agreement. That was followed by a double deal for two highly rated midfielders as around £57m was handed over to Ajax and Monaco to secure young duo Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba.

The arrival of new head coach Matthias Jaissle did not disrupt the incomings as goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek and full-back Amar Dedic were landed before a much-needed dose of midfield experience arrived in the form of Manchester City star Nico Gonzalez. Another big deal was confirmed on deadline day when United snapped up Lille’s versatile forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo in a £51m deal.

But after such a hectic summer transfer window, how much did Newcastle spend compared to other clubs in European football’s top five leagues? We take a look with figures from the experts at TransferMarkt.

Biggest summer transfer window spends by clubs in European football’s top five leagues

Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa scored as Newcastle United claimed a 2-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening.

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Former Tottenham Hotspur player and manager Tim Sherwood believes his old club will be ‘ridiculed’ if they continue to struggle after they fell to defeats against Brentford and Newcastle United in the opening week of the Premier League season.

After an eye-watering transfer spend, much was expected of Roberto De Zerbi’s side during the early weeks of the campaign - but they suffered a 3-0 defeat at Brentford on the opening day of the campaign before Newcastle earned a fourth win in five games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening to continue what has been a bright start to the season for Matthias Jaissle.

Anthony Elanga scored for the second consecutive game to open the scoring in North London before Yoane Wissa’s acrobatic effort ensured the Magpies made it four points from their first two games under their new head coach. By contrast, Spurs are now sitting at the foot of the Premier League table after failing to secure a solitary point or score a goal during the early weeks of the season. Sherwood believes there were improvements during the defeat against Newcastle - but insisted his old club must get off the mark soon to ensure they do not become the subject of further ridicule.

He told Sky Sports News: “There was an improvement - but it’s laughable me saying that there was an improvement. You get beat two-nil at home to Newcastle, who have had more changes than Tottenham probably with their best players going out of the door. Tottenham haven’t had their best players going out of the door, just players and they have brought in so called better ones, top players as they announcer would tell you there, ‘we’ve signed top players’.

“They need to start proving that and on the back of a disastrous result against Brentford, there was an improvement, there were positives there. As a manager, you can’t keep talking about the positives and then excuses of why they aren’t playing well. You keep losing football matches and even your own fans stop listening to you and you just get ridiculed on shows like this.”

Yoane Wissa impressed once again as Newcastle United claimed a 2-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening.

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Alan Shearer wants Yoane Wissa to ‘feel the love’ of Newcastle United fans after he made a bright start to his first full season at St James Park.

The DR Congo international struggled to make an impact throughout last season as an injury he suffered just days after completed a big money move to Tyneside hampered his attempts to shine. However, an impressive World Cup campaign triggered an upturn in form and confidence as Wissa scored three goals during DR Congo’s historic run to the round of 32 before they suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat against England.

Wissa looked lively during United’s pre-season campaign and produced arguably his best performance in a black and white shirt in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool as he provided a constant threat in a number ten role before reverting to the lead role in attack following an injury to Will Osula. The former Brentford forward was named as lead striker in Matthias Jaissle’s starting eleven for Saturday evening’s visit to Tottenham Hotspur and grabbed his first goal of the season with a clever finish from close range that ensured the German claimed his first win as Magpies head coach.

The DR Congo international latched on to a Nick Woltemade header before flicking the ball beyond Spurs keeper Antonin Kinsky to add to an opener from Anthony Elanga and give United yet another away win against the North London outfit.

Former Magpies captain Shearer admitted Wissa had found life difficult during his first season with Newcastle after he was brought in to replace Alexander Isak - but insisted the versatile forward deserves ‘incredible credit’ for showing signs of rediscovering his Brentford form during the first week of the new season.

‘I think he was superb’ - Alan Shearer on Yoane Wissa

He told Premier League Productions: “It was really tough and I guess there were some low moments because you read and you feel all of the negativity that goes with it. You’re not fit, when you are fit you’re getting a chance and you didn’t take that chance, which is very difficult. Then you go through pre-season, you come back and you’re hoping and praying you stay fit. There’s no doubt there is a player in there, we saw it at Brentford and that’s one of the reasons Newcastle invested very, very heavily in him - and it was a lot of money. It’s why a lot of the negativity is around because you pay the money and it doesn’t work in the first season.

Shearer continued: “But you have to give him incredible credit because, mentally, to go through what he did, and to come back and be really sharp, and he was brilliant last Sunday against Liverpool. He started off in the ten role, Osula went off, and he had to go in the nine role. I think he was superb last weekend and he was against and I hope for his sake, and his family’s sake, he can stay fit and keep putting in those performances and feel the love of those Newcastle fans.”

Nico Gonzalez made his Newcastle United debut in the 2-0 win away to Tottenham Hotspur.

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Nico Gonzalez announced himself in Newcastle United colours as an impressive debut ended in a 2-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Spanish midfielder had just two training sessions with his new teammates after joining from Manchester City for £50million on Wednesday night but was thrown straight into the starting XI.

And the 24-year-old played a major role in the Magpies’ opener, spraying a 60-yard pass into the path of Amar Dedic, who nodded the ball into Anthony Elanga’s path before the winger’s shot went in via the inside of the post.

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Matthias Jaissle delighted with Nico Gonzalez’s debut

“Great debut, not easy for a player just joining after a transfer,” Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle told NewcastleWorld.

“You know also there's a human being behind if you leave a club and if you're joining a new club, therefore I really, really think he did amazing and we're looking forward to seeing more from him.”

Gonzalez was replaced by Sean Steur in the 71st minute and had barely sat down on the bench when Yoane Wissa added a second to secure United’s first Premier League win of the season .

Jaissle added: “He showed that already today, that he can play both [long and short passes]. It is important that we are versatile, otherwise it would be too easy for our opponents to read what we are doing.

“So that's what I said also previously, that in the second half we found a good balance between staying in possession, also dominating the game in that phase, but also threatening them if there is any space behind.

“Nico was a big element in that, but also then Sean Steur when he jumped in and all the other substitutions, they were straight away in the game, really, really reliable.

“We could count on them, and that was the reason why we were winning that game today.”

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Nico Gonzalez v Sandro Tonali

Gonzalez came up against one of the players he was signed to replace in Sandro Tonali, who joined Spurs for £100million earlier this summer. The Italian was booed by the travelling Newcastle fans and jeered when he was substituted in the closing stages.

However, Jaissle would not be drawn into commenting on Tonali’s performance when asked about the midfield battle between the pair.

“It's not my part to make comparisons,” he said. “For me, it was just a really good debut from Nico, really well done for the first match, and I'm looking forward to seeing more from him.

“It would not be smart if I'm telling him right now and then in the media that that was already his full potential.”

Matthias Jaissle and Robert De Zerbi disagreed on the outcome of Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United.

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Matthias Jaissle felt Newcastle United deserved their 2-0 victory at Tottenham Hotspur - but Robert De Zerbi believes the result was “unfair”.

The Magpies and Jaissle are up and running in the Premier League this season after just two matches, following second goals from Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa.

After opening the scoring in the opening-day draw against Liverpool last weekend, Elanga did the same at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the 62nd minute before Wissa added an all-important second 10 minutes later.

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Matthias Jaissle & Roberto De Zerbi disagree on result

Reflecting on the win, Jaissle said: “Really pleased, not only because of the goals we scored, also because of the performance they showed and how they were improving during a match. That gives me confidence and should give us confidence to be able to adjust things. That's what the lads showed, especially in the second half.

“It was really good in both phases, we even controlled the transition moments much better. Therefore I also think it was a well-deserved win.”

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While Jaissle thought it was a deserved win for his side, Spurs boss De Zerbi felt hard done by.

The Italian said: “Disappointed for the result because until the first goal we conceded, I think we played better than Newcastle. We lost ball possession in the first half because we didn't defend in the right way, the distance between the defenders and attackers was too big.

"We can improve in the defensive phases but today was an unfair result.

"At the beginning of the second half we had some chance to create the potential chances. We created many chances to score, we have to improve the last decision, because that will make a difference. At the end we are disappointed for the result and our fans. We are working to be a great team. When we become a team I think we can change the story of the last two seasons for Tottenham.

"We are working to be good on the pitch, if you believe in work and training then you have to improve day by day."

Newcastle United are set to face Sandro Tonali for the first time since his £100million move to Tottenham Hotspur.

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Sandro Tonali has backtracked on claims he spoke to Roberto De Zerbi before the end of last season.

Newcastle United fans were left stunned when the Tottenham Hotspur boss slipped up when speaking to reporters earlier this summer. De Zerbi claimed he expressed interest directly with Tonali before the Magpies faced West Ham United in May.

Tonali is claimed to have given the green light to commence Spurs talks as long as they stayed up. A meeting between the two took place in the midfielder’s home just two days after the campaign ended.

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Sandro Tonali backtracks

Speaking to Sky Sports, Tonali has claimed De Zerbi was simply “joking” with his initial message - and the contact did not become serious until later in the summer. He said: “The first time, he was joking, because he was really happy for last season. We started to speak a little bit later in the summer.

“Just one time, we met. Our town is so small, it's not very big. We met like friends. The first time we never spoke about football, so this was very good for me. We started to speak about football after five or six days. We spoke for 10 minutes, and after 10 minutes I decided to sign here, because he convinced me very quickly.”

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‘A family club’ - Sandro Tonali

Continuing the charm offensive - otherwise known as PR spin - Tonali also opened up about his love for Newcastle. He added: “Newcastle is really a family club. The people who work inside… there are a lot of people. The whole team is different. Full of energy, full of passion. All the people there are like a piece of the puzzle.

“Every person is important at the same time. If you are a kid, a manager, if you are the director, if you are a player… For us, it was a key to play the best game (in) every game. I said (I wanted) the best transfer for them because they deserve everything. They showed me what I really love.

“When I signed for Newcastle, just after eight games I was banned. They showed me love like my mum and dad. I said to my agent ‘I want the best deal for them’, because they deserve everything.”

Newcastle United visit Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday for their first Premier League away trip of the season.

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Newcastle United boss Matthias Jaissle admits Tottenham Hotspur’s signings this week have made it more difficult to prepare for the trip to North London on Saturday evening.

The Magpies and Spurs have both done business with Manchester City this week, with midfielder Nico Gonzalez moving to St James’ Park in a £50million deal, while winger Savinho and forward Omar Marmoush have arrived in the capital.

Savinho marked his £85million switch with a goal on his debut as Robert De Zerbi’s side beat Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the Carabao Cup second round on Wednesday. Gonzalez and Marmoush are expected to make their respective debuts this weekend.

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Both Savinho and Marmoush found the net against Newcastle last season, but the latter has been a particular thorn in United’s side, scoring seven of his 16 goals for Man City against them. The Egyptian has joined Spurs on an initial loan deal with a £60million obligation to buy next summer.

Matthias Jaissle on preparing for Tottenham Hotspur clash

“Difficult,” Jaissle said about preparing for the visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. “Especially when the opposition are constantly signing a lot of players, so many things can change then. That makes the preparation a bit more tricky, but we're already quite ahead, we're doing our best and have a clear picture of what to expect.

“But we need to also be honest: we will face a top, top team, they will fight for the top places in the table, for sure, with these signings, but it's a good challenge.”

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Will Nico Gonzalez start v Tottenham Hotspur

Jaissle has hinted that he could throw Gonzalez straight into his starting line-up, having done the same with Amar Dedic. The Bosnian right-back had been on Tyneside less than a week when he was he named in the team for the Premier League opener at home to Liverpool.

He trained with us and he looks sharp,” Jaissle said. “He is an option.

“It will take time and I cannot tell you how long it takes, but he's a smart player, he has huge potential and already brings so much quality in the squad. I think he will adapt fast into our system, into our way of playing.”

Newcastle United issue Tino Livramento injury update as full-back returns to training.

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Matthias Jaissle is taking no chances with Tino Livramento as the Newcastle United full-back nears a return from injury.

An injury-hit 2025/26 campaign for Livramento was compounded by his withdrawal from England’s World Cup squad. The 23-year-old suffered a calf injury in the week leading up to the tournament that ultimately required surgery.

After missing the whole of pre-season, Livramento was spotted back in training last week ahead of the Premier League opening day draw with Liverpool at St James’ Park, and has also been involved in preparations for the trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening.

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Newcastle United issue Tino Livramento injury update

But Jaissle admits he is in no rush to include the former Chelsea and Southampton right-back in his matchday squad, preferring to give him longer than he potentially needs.

“Step by step,” Jaissle said. “First of all, we're happy that he's back in training, now also fully integrated.

“He still follows some an individual programme, but sooner than later he's fully back in training and then we can talk about squad planning, when he will be able to be in a matchday squad, getting the first minutes.

“But again, step by step. He was long out and we want to take our time, learn out of the past also, giving him rather one week longer than shorter to have him then on a consistent basis.”

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Newcastle United new boy Amar Dedic hits the ground running

An excellent start to life at Newcastle for £30million signing Amar Dedic has eased the pressure on Livramento’s return at right-back.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina international was thrown straight in against Liverpool before claiming two assists in the Magpies’ 3-2 Carabao Cup second round win over West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday.

What has undoubtedly help is Dedic has worked with Jaissle before at RB Leipzig and FC Liefering

“First of all, amazing that a player adapted so quickly,” said Jaissle. “It feels like he's already here for months, years actually.

“Also, how he interacts with the other players, that is so important because he joined us late, in a position where we really had need. Therefore we're pleased, really pleased and happy that he's here.”

Newcastle United are set to reunite with another former hero against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

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Harvey Barnes has promised “no niceness” when Newcastle United face Sandro Tonali this weekend.

Alexander Isak already faced the wrath of the Toon boo boys last Sunday. On that occasion, the hostile home support clearly affected the Swede, who also turned down a last-minute penalty to silence the critics.

Tonali will have the majority of the stadium on his side tomorrow but a 3,000-strong travelling contingent are expected to make their voices heard. Newcastle fans will roar on a Matthias Jaissle side on the road for the first time in the Premier League.

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Harvey Barnes on Sandro Tonali

Ahead of the clash, in-form winger Barnes - who bagged a brace on Wednesday against West Bromwich Albion - insisted Newcastle players will show no special treatment to their former teammate.

When asked if he is looking forward to facing Tonali, the 28-year-old said: "Yeah, definitely. We've had a great few years with him. He's on the other team for 90 minutes on Saturday, so there'll be no niceness on the pitch but afterwards there will be, 100 per cent. He's a familiar face and we know him well."

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Newcastle United in transition

Barnes remains fully aware that the Magpies are in transition this season but is preferring to take the positive approach. He added: "I think there's going to be a lot of clubs like that this year. We've got different things going on.

“Like I said there's different managers, different players coming in, there's a lot of clubs in the same boat, so you can't underestimate anyone. You've just got to go with it, with the preparation and a game plan to go and win, that's exactly what we'll do.

“It'll also be great to go and get our first (away) win there. But we'll just do all our prep, make sure we're ready to go and see what we're up against.”