Newcastle United player ratings: strikers shine despite Tottenham defeat

Goals from Jan Vertonghen and Dele Alli - either side of a leveller from Joselu - were enough for Spurs to claim three points at St James's Park in an entertaining curtain raiser.

But who stood out for Rafa Benitez's men during the defeat?

Here's our take on how the Magpies performed...

MARTIN DUBRAVKA - A couple of nervy moments in the first half, but made some fine stops after the break - especially his fine reflex save from Moussa Sissoko. 6

DEANDRE YEDLIN - Switched off far too often and was punished for it when Alli netted Spurs' second. Struggled to keep up with Spurs' attacking movement. 5

JAMAAL LASCELLES - Not a standout performance from the Newcastle captain, but he kept Harry Kane fairly quiet. 6

CIARAN CLARK - Made a few early blocks and, along with Lascelles, did a good job up against Kane. 6

PAUL DUMMETT - Steady if unspectacular from the left-back, but he struggled up against Christian Eriksen and the high-pressing Serge Aurier. 5

MO DIAME - Gave away possession cheaply on occasion and was often outnumbered in the centre of the park. 5

JONJO SHELVEY - His vision provided plenty of opportunities in what was a disciplined performance from the central midfielder. 6

MATT RITCHIE - Surprisingly substituted by Benitez, his delivery seemed Newcastle's best source of a route back into the game. His cross for United's goal was simply sublime. 7

AYOZE PEREZ - Largely anonymous and struggled to have a meaningful impact on the game, although he did force Lloris into a decent second half stop. 5

KENEDY - Helped drive Newcastle forward and lifted the crowd with some lung-busting runs. Far from his best, but a lively performance nonetheless. 7

JOSELU - Strong in the air, lively on the ground and a threat throughout. Took his goal well and did his future chances no harm. 7

SALOMON RONDON - Showcased his pace and power and was perhaps unlucky not to end up on the scoresheet after striking the bar. 6

CHRISTIAN ATSU - Looked lively and saw plenty of the ball, but there was little end product. 5

YOSHINORI MUTO - N/A after only entering the fray in the 80th minute.

Newcastle unused substitutes: Karl Darlow, Javier Manquillo, Fabian Schar, Ki Sung-yeung

Tottenham line-up: Hugo Lloris; Serge Aurier, Davison Sanchez, Jan Vertonghen, Ben Davies; Eric Dier (Luke Amos 88), Moussa Sissoko; Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli (Son Heung-min 80), Lucas Moura (Moussa Dembele 68); Harry Kane

Tottenham unused substitutes: MichelVorm, Toby Alderweireld, Kyle Walker-Peters, Fernando Llorente

Referee: Martin Atkinson