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Joelinton scored the only goal as 10-man Newcastle United got off to a winning start in the Premier League by edging out newly promoted Southampton 1-0 at St James’ Park.
Southampton made a bright start on their Premier League return, with Jack Stephens’ early strike denied by the offside flag before they were handed a numerical advantage when Fabian Schar was shown a straight red card following a tangle with Ben Brereton Diaz.
But it was Newcastle who struck first through Joelinton as the Magpies pounced on Alex McCarthy’s error just before the break.
Lewis Hall cleared Adam Armstrong’s shot off the line as the visitors sought an equaliser in the second half, but the hosts held out for a hard-earned win.
Eddie Howe’s side join a glut of sides on three points at the top of the early standings with Southampton in 17th, still seeking their first points.
How the match unfolded
Southampton settled the quicker of the two sides and had the ball in the net following a neat build-up after 10 minutes – Will Smallbone helped Joe Aribo’s cutback towards the far post for Stephens to tuck into an empty net before the offside flag came to Newcastle’s rescue, with VAR confirming the assistant referee’s call.
The hosts were then reduced to 10 men 18 minutes later. Brereton Diaz collided with Schar before going to ground when the pair subsequently squared up, with the referee’s decision to dismiss the defender confirmed after a VAR review.
However, Newcastle settled down and broke the deadlock just before half-time. McCarthy’s loose pass was intercepted by Alexander Isak, who swiftly set up Joelinton to slot home.
Southampton continued to enjoy large periods of possession after the break, and within five minutes of the restart, Amstrong was denied on the line before Nick Pope tipped over the former Newcastle striker’s long-range effort.
Armstrong then saw a shot deflect narrowly wide, while substitute Carlos Alcaraz headed straight at Pope as the visitors continued to carry the greater attacking threat, but their efforts proved in vain as the Magpies held on for all three points.
Newcastle shut up shop
Had it not been for Manchester United’s FA Cup final heroics at the end of last season, Newcastle’s seventh-place finish would have secured them a second successive campaign featuring European football.
A typically raucous atmosphere welcomed the players at St James’ Park, but the anticipation among the home faithful turned to gasps of concern when Stephens’ goal was ruled out, and they became more restless after the red card.
The home defence was already treading carefully following Hall’s early booking, and a tactical reshuffle was required after Schar’s dismissal with Krafth immediately replacing Murphy.
Nevertheless, they were able to regroup and took their opportunity when it was presented to them by McCarthy.
The second half required a huge collective effort to preserve the lead, and Howe got just that from his players as they stubbornly kept their opponents at bay, ensuring a third-straight victory on matchday one for him and the Magpies.
Southampton show promising signs
Back in the Premier League after a year away, Southampton’s first port of call was a 650-mile round trip to St James’ Park, where they had won just one of 18 previous top-flight visits.
Russell Martin’s philosophy does not appear to have altered too much from last season with his side swiftly settling into their rhythm and enjoying large periods with the ball.
However, the difficulty of repeating that at a higher level was exposed with McCarthy’s attempt to play out from the back culminating in them falling behind, and they were subsequently unable to respond, though not for lack of trying.
Southampton are historically slow starters in the Premier League, having won just two of their opening games in the competition.
And though disappointed not to have capitalised on their numerical advantage, Martin will be encouraged by what he saw from his players, who demonstrated plenty of confidence and looked a threat going forward.