Before Kick-Off

It was a summer filled with excitement and restlessness: after England made it to the semi-finals at the World Cup, Newcastle supporters turned their attention back to the club.

Tensions mounted over the future of both Rafa Benitez and re-securing top-flight status, as there was a perceived lack of incoming quality over the transfer window. Though there was a quintet of new faces that arrived at Newcastle, there have been fears too little was done to keep pace with the rest of the league.

To kick off the campaign, St. James’ Park was host to title contenders Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham, visitors at the beginning of the ‘17-’18 campaign as well, defeated NUFC in both fixtures last season.

As Tottenham are favored to qualify for Champions League again, and Newcastle is predicted to finish in the lower half of the table, this match promised to be telling of Newcastle’s potential for the ‘18-’19 campaign.