Up went to the board to indicate four minutes of added time and out went the Tottenham fans, heading for the exits and the drizzle of the High Road.

They were damp and deflated, and when the final whistle sounded those who remained summoned what energy they could boo their own team off as Newcastle celebrated victory in N17 for the third season in a row.

They have seen it all before. Too often last season, when Spurs won just three of 19 home games and lost 10.

Roberto De Zerbi wanted nothing to do with that miserable record when asked about it on the eve of this game.

Under him, he pointed out, they had won one and drawn two of three home games.

Nothing to worry about, but the notion Spurs have put all the problems of last season behind them does not ring true yet.

Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa celebrate Wissa’s goal that made it 2-0 at Spurs

The summer of unprecedented spending, eight new signings at a cost of more than £350m, and an upbeat message of hope in the programme from chief executive Vinai Venkatesham counted for nothing as they went down to second-half goals by Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa.

Spurs were better than in their opening game against Brentford but not much and two games into the new Premier League season they have no points and no goals.

Here, they made a sluggish start, embodied by captain Micky van de Ven, who did not play in pre-season and came off the bench in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday for his first appearance since the World Cup.

Van de Ven was sleeping as Anthony Elanga eluded him in the opening seconds and gave Newcastle an early chance. Among the reasons for De Zerbi to rush his new skipper back would be to cope with Elanga’s electric pace.

Others in white started slowly, including Sandro Tonali to the delight of the travelling Geordies, who cheered as he was dumped on the turf by a tackle by Joe Willock. Tonali’s poor pass cost Van de Ven short a yellow card.

£100m man Sandro Tonali shakes hands with his boss Roberto de Zerbi after being hooked 

Newcastle, who made a positive start to the season against Liverpool after a summer of turmoil, were sharper, dominating the opening 10 minutes with Nico Gonzalez composed on his debut in midfield.

Belatedly, Spurs grew into the game and found some rhythm.

Lukas Hornicek was called into action to make first half saves to deny Mathys Tel cutting in from the left and Jan Paul van Hecke with a header from a corner, and Lewis Hall made a vital block when a miscued shot by Tonali sliced square to Pedro Porro, deployed for the first 68 minutes in a more advanced role than usual on the right wing in the absence of Savio. Porro also lashed a dipping volley over with his left foot in the first half.

Having scored on his Spurs debut in the Carabao Cup against Charlton, £85m winger Savio was ruled out with muscle fatigue, detected on Friday according to De Zerbi, who hopes to have the Brazilian available next week against Nottingham Forest.

There was no Richarlison either in the Spurs squad, amid speculation he may be a makeweight in a move for Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye.

Wissa delivers an acrobatic finish past Antonin Kinsky as Spurs’ dreadful start continues

Richarlison is surplus to De Zerbi’s requirements since Omar Marmoush completed his move from Manchester City on Thursday. All of which seemed to outfox Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti was in the crowd but there were no Brazilians on the pitch.

Kevin Danso, the subject of a bid from Sunderland to take him on loan, was another not involved.

Marmoush, thrown straight into the team, grew in influence as Spurs came to life midway through the first half, the Egypt international pulling Newcastle’s central defenders out of shape and linking up with the wide players.

His finishing let him down when his first chance dropped to him at the end of the first half. He was lurking deep beyond the back post and unmarked when Andy Robertson’s corner picked him out but Marmoush dragged his effort into the side netting on the volley.

Spurs were on top either side of half-time, but Newcastle resisted and took the lead with an exquisite goal featuring a sweeping pass to the left by Gonzalez and a header down by right back Amar Dedic.

Ecstatic Newcastle fans celebrate a successful trip to the capital

Elanga collected the ball and scored on the turn, an exquisite finish spun inside the far post.

The second also came with aesthetic appeal, this time the craft of a goal poacher able to fashion an effort on goal in the blink of an eye.

Nick Woltemade had been on less than a minute when he won a header at the back post and nodded a corner down into the six-yard box where Wissa finished with an overhead kick.

It was the cue for De Zerbi to haul off Tonali to a burst of ironic cheers from the away fans and send on Dominic Solanke, but there was no way out.