Surprisingly, it was Wolves who started on the front foot and forced Nick Pope into action after just eight seconds when Rodrigo Gomes pounced on a loose ball straight from kick off and forced the Newcastle stopper into a fine save.
It didn’t take Newcastle too long to assert their authority on the game, though, and when they did, only Sam Johnstone prevented them from opening the scoring, as a stunning save from point-blank range prevented Jacob Murphy from netting his first goal of the season.
Eddie Howe felt aggrieved that his side weren’t facing 10 men when Mosquera bundled Harvey Barnes over after he appeared to be the last man, but he turned despair to delight on the half-hour mark when his side took a deserved lead.
It was one of Howe’s big-money signings who grabbed it, with Nick Woltemade climbing highest at the far post to power home from Murphy’s inviting delivery on his Newcastle debut.
The Magpies kept their foot to the floor before the break but were unable to double their advantage before half-time, despite the best efforts of the influential Murphy, who curled narrowly wide minutes before the interval.
However, that momentum didn’t continue after the break, making way for a tepid start to the second half – though that suited the hosts, who were assured in possession without overly risking the advantage they’d built up.
Wolves boss Vítor Pereira made a triple change shortly after the hour mark in a desperate bid to see his side wrestle a foothold in the game.
His substitutions failed to have the desired impact as Wolves looked distinctly blunt in the final third, although some would argue that wasn’t a great surprise in the absence of star striker Jorgen Strand Larsen.
The second half proved to be something of a non-event throughout, with even Newcastle struggling to assert themselves after the break.
They’d got the job done in the first half through Woltemade, as they snapped their five-match winless league run, which stretched back into last season. The picture is a lot bleaker for Wolves, though, who remain the only Premier League side without a single point to their name this season.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United)
