Newcastle 2 Tottenham 1: Ben Arfa's penalty condemns Villas-Boas to defeat on return

Hatem Ben Arfa's typical flash of football dexterity ruined Andre Villas-Boas's hopes of a happy return to Premier League football, leaving the Tottenham boss pinning his hopes of a six-point return from two successive home games to get his season off the ground.
Jermain Defoe's 76th-minute equaliser looked like earning the visitors a well-deserved point, but twinkle-toed Ben Arfa's attempt to dance between Rafael van der Vaart and Aaron Lennon ended when the pair combined to bring him crashing to the floor just inside the penalty area 10 minutes from the end.

Winner: Newcastle United's Hatem Ben-Arfa scores his goal from a penalty kick

MATCH FACTS

Newcastle: Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Perch, Santon, Ben Arfa, Tiote, Cabaye (Anita 71), Gutierrez, Cisse, Ba (Obertan 85). Subs not used: Harper, Williamson, Gosling, Ryan Taylor, Shola Ameobi.
Booked: Simpson, Cabaye.
Scorers: Ba 54, Ben Arfa 80 (pen).
Tottenham: Friedel, Walker, Kaboul, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto, Livermore, Sandro (Kane 85), Lennon, Sigurdsson (Van der Vaart 68), Bale, Defoe. Subs not used: Cudicini, Vertonghen, Naughton, Jenas,Townsend.
Booked: Livermore, Sandro.
Goals: Defoe 76.
Referee: Martin Atkinson.
Attendance 52,385.

Referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot and the Frenchman picked up the ball and sent Brad Friedel the wrong way.

Villas-Boas said: 'We deserved more than we got. We created most of the chances, hit the post and had a lot of opportunities, but we still ended up losing the game.

'We let it slip through the penalty but the lad went between two of our players and went down, and it was a difficult one for the referee.

'But I'm happy with the performance and I think we'll do well this season.'

Alan Pardew was, naturally, happy with a gritty three-point start, but it was accompanied by an ugly brush with authority.

The home manager, protesting against a throw-in, pushed assistant referee Stuart Burt in the back and was promptly sent to the stands by Atkinson.

Demba Ba's first goal for six months launched Newcastle into a winning start. Kyle Walker's attempted headed clearance from Danny Simpson's right-wing cross was weak and, when it dropped at Ba's feet, the Senegal striker curled a superb right-foot shot into the far corner.

First blood: Demba Ba curls the ball home to give Newcastle the lead against Tottenham

Level pegging: Jermain Defoe scores Tottenham's equaliser but his joy was short lived

Spurs' response was immediate, with Gareth Bale just running out of pitch as he charged down the left and Benoit Assou-Ekotto stinging the hands of Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul.

But the heat was not just confined to the muggy Tyneside atmosphere. Three bookings inside the first 20 minutes reflected the game's competitive edge - no Corinthian camaraderie here, then.
But who would expect less? Certainly not Pardew, seeking to repeat Newcastle's topfive finish last season and Villas- Boas, seeking solace after his disastrous spell at Chelsea.

Pardew said: 'Sometimes you have to rely on spirit and character to get you through, and we had plenty of that today.

'Spurs were better than us in the first half but we changed things tactically at half-time and kept the strikers on - and it paid off.'

Wing wizard: Arron Lennon (centre) had a lively first half for Tottenham

Battle: James Perch (left) vies for the ball with Tottenham's Jermaine Defoe

Off: Newcastle's Alan Pardew was sent to the stands

Simpson received the first yellow card after 14 minutes for a heavy challenge on Bale; Jake Livermore followed three minutes later and Sandro two minutes after that, each penalised for hauling down Ben Arfa.

It was 22 minutes before the first goal attempt and it almost brought a fortuitous lead for the home side.

Ben Arfa's raking through-ball found Ba, whose weak shot appeared to be covered by Friedel, but the goalkeeper was wrong-footed when it took a deflection off Papiss Cisse's boot and trickled a fraction wide of the post.

It was close enough for Pardew to punch the air in delight, but it quickly turned into a scowl of disappointment. After that it was all Spurs, who could count themselves unfortunate not to have scored at least twice.

Krul made a brilliant one-handed save to push a Gylfi Sigurdsson free-kick around for a corner in the 26th minute, then Defoe in the 32nd minute and Bale, four minutes later, were each denied by the woodwork.
Defoe finished a fine solo left-wing run by shooting against a post and the Welshman headed Defoe's cross against the bar.
Spurs finished the first half in clear ascendancy but Newcastle went close just before the break when Younes Kaboul edged a Cisse effort away for a corner.
And the visitors remained so much in control after the restart that it was certainly against the balance of the game when Newcastle took a shock lead through Ba.
In spite of walkie-talkie problems from his seat in the stand, Pardew was still able to supervise the arrival of new £6.75million signing Vurnon Anita, who replaced Cabaye in the 71st minute.
But the Dutchman was in for a quick disappointment. He was on the field only five minutes when Spurs drew level.

Krul could only scramble away Defoe's header but the Spurs striker was quickest to react to fire home. But parity lasted barely four minutes, with Ben Arfa winning it with his penalty.

Bad start: Andre Villas-Boas tasted defeat on his return to the Premier League

Stuck in: Cheick Tiote of Newcastle United competes with Gylfi Sigurdsson of Tottenham Hotspur