World’s richest club Newcastle prove they do not have to break bank to mount challenge

It took two special finishes to consign them to defeat and on albeit brief evidence they look capable of competing at this level, but that will be of scant consolation as Nottingham Forest were taught a harsh early lesson on their first day back at the Premier League's school of hard knocks.

They kept Newcastle at bay for almost an hour, and should have been level immediately after Fabian Schar's stunning opener so there were plenty of positives to take back down the A1 in the absence of any tangible points, the only one of the three promoted sides to emerge empty handed on opening day.

Forest will not be alone in returning empty-handed this season from the increasingly fortress-like St James' Park, as Eddie Howe's side maintained the impressive momentum with which they ended the last campaign to earn a fully deserved victory,

It took them until December last season to register a first home league win but despite fielding just the single summer signing in their starting line-up in England goalkeeper Nick Pope, the world's richest club showed you perhaps do not have to break the bank, or FFP rules, in order to mount a sustained challenge at the sharp end of the league.

Forest have been far from shy in terms of splashing the cash since their play-off final victory over Huddersfield in May, and of their six debutants, former Manchester United keeper Dean Henderson, and defenders Moussa Niakhate and Neco Williams all stood out in a predictably testing rearguard action.

Four Newcastle corners in the opening 10 minutes appeared to be the prelude to a torrid afternoon for the visitors, who to their credit withstood the predictable early onslaught to carve out a couple of half-chances for Sam Surridge, ones which the forward