Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Newcastle United and West Ham United at St James' Park. These two sides are seeking their first top-flight points of the campaign after kicking off 2017-18 with back-to-back defeats and, while it is far too soon to describe this as a must-win match, the pressure is already starting to grow on the two managers.

Rafael Benitez has made clear that he is not happy with his side's transfer business since earning promotion to the top flight, being given just half of the £70m funding he was promised by owner Mike Ashley, while opposite number Slaven Bilic has yet to see his new recruits click into gear. This is a tasty-looking fixture on paper and one that should, fingers crossed, provide plenty of drama.

NEWCASTLE UNITED TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Elliot; Manquillo, Lascelles, Clark, Mbemba; Merino, Hayden; Atsu, Ayoze Perez, Ritchie; Joselu

SUBS: Murphy, Diame, Aarons, Saivet, Jesus Gamez, Woodman, Mitrovic

Starting with a look at the home team, Benitez has handed a first start to Joselu since joining from Stoke City a little over a week ago. The Spanish strikers replaces Dwight Gayle, who has struggled for form and fitness in the opening weeks of the season and misses out on inclusion in the square entirely. Ayoze Perez will start just off Joselu in attacking midfield, alongside Matt Ritchie and Christian Atsu.

Chancel Mbemba continues to deputise for the injured Paul Dummett at left-back - the only survivor from the EFL Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest in midweek. That means a return between the sticks for Rob Elliot, who provided an honest assessment of his side's current troubles earlier this week, while Jamaal Lascelles will partner Ciaran Clark in the heart of defence. Elsewhere, Javier Manquillo occupies the right-back spot.

There is no Jonjo Shelvey for Newcastle this afternoon, of course, as he serves the second of his three-match ban for the needless sending-off against Tottenham Hotspur on the opening weekend. DeAndre Yedlin and Florian Lejeune are also absent due to injury problems, though Rolando Aarons has passed a late fitness test and is back Benitez's back-up options today. Aleksandar Mitrovic, linked with a move away before Thursday's deadline, could also play a part from the bench.

WEST HAM UNITED TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble, Rice, Antonio, Fernandes, Ayew, Hernandez

SUBS: Adrian, Fonte, Kouyate, Lanzini, Obiang, Sakho, Masuaku

In terms of the visitors, they have been handed a huge boost with the return to action on Manuel Lanzini. The silky playmaker, who picked up an injury during pre-season, is only among the subs but will likely be given 30 minutes or so by Bilic. West Ham will need him, too, as Marko Arnautovic misses out today through suspension and Andy Carroll is also nowhere to be seen despite returning to training.

There is also a return to the squad for Cheikhou Kouyate, who has sat out the Hammers' first two league games, but Winston Reid will play no part due to the injury sustained in the warm-up ahead of last week's defeat to Southampton. The big decision made by Bilic is to bring Edimilson Fernandes into a central-attacking midfield berth, taking over from Arnautovic, with fit-again Michail Antonio and Andre Ayew either side.

Bilic has also opted to stick with James Collins in the heart of defence after his solid showing against Cheltenham Town in the EFL Cup last time out, meaning that Jose Fonte has to settle for a place among the subs. Like Newcastle, the Irons are expected to go with a 4-2-3-1 formation this afternoon, using academy products Mark Noble and Declan Rice as the deepest of their midfielders.

It did not quite work out for Joselu at Stoke City, but he has a chance to reignite his Premier League career at West Ham United following a switch between the two clubs earlier this month. The Spanish striker is handed his first start this afternoon, taking over from the injured Dwight Gayle up top, while the visitors bring in Edimilson Fernandes for Marko Arnautovic.

© Getty Images

Both teams in desperate need of a positive result this afternoon, then, following a disappointing start to their respective campaigns. West Ham did at least manage to get off the mark with victory in the EFL Cup in midweek, overcoming lower-league opponents Cheltenham Town 2-0 in the second round, whereas Newcastle went down 3-2 at home to Nottingham Forest to pile further misery on disgruntled boss Benitez.

Benitez has made no secret of the fact that he wanted for more money during the summer, having so far splashed out around £35m on new recruits. Tellingly, the former Inter Milan and Real Madrid boss said on the eve of today's contest that he is having to bring in players that he can afford, rather than players he wants - a penny for the thoughts of those new signings! It is fair to say that all is not well at St James' Park at this moment in time.

Lejeune, Jacob Murphy, Manquillo and Joselu have all been brought in to strengthen the squad; a squad that came out on top in the second tier last season after trumping Brighton & Hove Albion to the title at the death. In Ashley's defence, Benitez was give huge backing to get out of the Championship at the first time of asking 12 months ago, and he feels that only minor improvements were required to bolster the ranks this time around.

Bilic pointed out earlier this week that Newcastle have actually splashed out more than West Ham this summer when it comes to net spend, with Benitez struggling to offload many of his unwanted fringe players. The Magpies now have five more days left to get rid of the excess baggage and potentially bring in one or two new faces, including a striker who can net between 15 and 20 goals.

Benitez's gamble backfired on Wednesday night when losing to Forest in extra time, seeing his side - showing 10 changes from their previous outing - seeing his side down 3-2. That made it three defeats from three and, should that record be extended today, there will be serious questions to be answered during the two-week break. Benitez is loved by supporters after sticking with the club last season, but he may well be tempted to walk if another new signing does not arrive.

The Magpies face West Ham, Swansea City, Stoke City and Brighton & Hove Albion in their next four matches either side of the international break, providing a real chance to get some points on the board. Some tipped Benitez to potentially guide his side to a top-half finish with the right additions during the summer, though simply staying above the dotted line may now be the target if current form continues.

Newcastle also lost their opening two matches in the 1999-2000 season, but they soon recovered and finished in a respectable 11th place - a position they would no doubt settle for in their first season back in the big time. Only once before have they failed to net in any of their opening three, fixtures, though - going four in a row to kick off the 2004-05 season.

That run included a goalless draw against West Ham here, but Benitez will be hopeful that Joselu can hit the ground running on his first start for the club by getting off the mark with a goal. The Magpies have lacked attacking quality in their opening two matches - defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Huddersfield Town - and have not been solid enough at the back. Far too early to panic, though signs of improvement are needed over the next couple of hours.

Benitez, still heralded by Newcastle fans despite this slow start, has never previously lost three-successive matches as a Premier League manager. The experienced Spanish tactician needs one more win to hit the 500-point mark in the English top flight, though his side's August form in recent years suggests that he could be made to wait. United have failed to win any of their last nine matches in the eighth month of the year, including a couple of defeats to begin their Championship campaign in 2016-17.

Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez has been left unhappy by his side's lack of transfer activity this summer. The Spaniard has so far spent around £35m on new recruits - around half the amount he was supposedly promised by owner Mike Ashley to stick around for at least another year. With five days of the transfer window to go, Benitez will be desperate to bring in at least another couple of recruits.

© Getty Images

PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Newcastle United have lost just one of their last 14 home matches against West Ham United, winning seven and drawing five of those. The Magpies are seeking back-to-back wins in this fixture for the first time in 15 years, having triumphed 2-1 when they last met here 19 months ago. It is also the 50th top-flight meeting between the sides; the Irons winning just seven of those.

West Ham, currently at the foot of the Premier League table with a goal difference of -5, are also in desperate need of an improved showing this afternoon. Following a tough second season in East London for Bilic, which did not actually end all that badly with the club missing out on a top-half finish on goal difference alone, has seen the pressure constantly grow heading into the final year of his three-year deal.

Bilic has made some exciting signings during the summer, bringing in experience with the arrivals of Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and Javier Hernandez through the spine of his side, while Marko Arnautovic's £20m switch from Stoke City also gave supporters hope of a far more successful campaign this time around. It has been a disastrous start for United, though, losing 4-0 to Manchester United and 3-2 to Southampton in their first two games.

West Ham were unfortunate to lose by four goals on the opening weekend, simply being blown away by their opponents' late flurry, while Southampton required an injury-time penalty to earn the points last time out. United showed character to battle back from two goals down with 10 men, thanks to the goalscoring exploits of Hernandez who remains one of the deadliest finishers anywhere on the continent right now.

DID YOU KNOW? On the subject of Javier Hernandez, the Mexico international has scored all 39 of his Premier League goals from inside the 18-yard box. Only Tim Cahill (56) and John Terry (41) have registered more in the English top flight without finding the net from outside the area. Hernandez has also scored in three of his last four starts against today's opponents.

September and October provides Bilic with a chance to build some momentum, as his side face just Tottenham Hotspur among the Premier League's elite in the next couple of months. All focus right now is on Newcastle, though, attempting to dodge a third-successive defeat to kick off the campaign - something which last happened in 2010-11 when they went down. Seven goals conceded after two games is also their worst run since 1988-89.

This is the Hammers' fourth-successive away game due to the recent World Athletics Championship event held at the London Stadium. Supporters are understandably upset by that, putting their side on the back foot right from the off, though chairwoman Karen Brady insisted earlier this week that it is a one-off and will not happen again. It is the first time ever that the Irons have started a league season with three away matches on the spin.

With kickoff at St James' Park now less than five minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.

Rafael Benitez: "When I said I would stay, it was because of the city, the fans, the stature of the club, the Premier League and it was close to my family. I had a meeting with Mike [Ashley] and I was expecting we could be in a better position than we are now. We are not. We will see if we can improve as much as we can this week. I will try to do my job. How much can I improve the team? It depends on how well we work and how much the players can learn."

Slaven Bilic: "They are not happy with the transfers but they spent more money than we have spent in this transfer window, if we are talking about net money. They won the league and now it was 'now we are going to rule the world' or whatever. What I think happened is they tried but maybe they were unable to get those targets that they wanted. Maybe they were thinking too big and those players, they didn't want to come."

Rafael Benitez confident that he can get the best out of his players, then, which was the case when he was given minimal funds during his time at Napoli not so long ago. The Spaniard is loved around these parts, though there is far more pressure on opposite number Slaven Bilic, who has also seen his side fall to successive defeats to begin the Premier League campaign.

© SilverHub

KICKOFF! We are up and running in the North-East in this battle between two of the division's pointless sides. In what is the 50th top-flight meeting between the two sides, West Ham have won just seven of the previous encounters.

Ritchie has started on the left of Newcastle's attacking-midfield three, with Atsu on the right and Perez through the middle just off full debutant Joselu. Ritchie swings the ball into the box from wide but Hart is there to collect.

Zabaleta halts the run of Atsu and somehow avoids seeing a caution from referee Neil Swarbrick; the home fans letting the man in the middle know exactly what they made of that decision. Newcastle looking the brighter of the two sides so far.

Newcastle playing some nice football early on, as Ritchie feeds the ball through for Hayden down the right. The cross was met by former Stoke man Joselu, who could not turn it goalwards when under pressure inside the opposition box.

West Ham starting to click into gear now. Antonio bursts up the field to relieve some of the pressure that had been building on his side, winning a corner for his efforts. Noble was then challenged by Ritchie to give the Hammers another chance to cross.

Newcastle made a fairly bright start to the match but it has been a lot more balanced over the past few minutes. Great atmosphere inside St James' Park, with home fans knowing just how big a part they can play in helping to turn around their side's fortunes.

Not a great deal of action in the opening 13 minutes or so of the match, with the two sides essentially cancelling each other out in midfield. Newcastle stepped things up to win their first corner which fell to Joselu eight yards from goal, but he could not get a shot away.

Delightful pass from Ritchie to send Joselu free down the right. Christian Atsu could not quite direct it on goal, though, with Zabaleta helping to turn it behind for a corner. The Magpies starting to build some momentum now in front of their vocal fans.

SHOT! An off-the-ball incident leads to Mark Noble, I think, being shown a yellow card by referee Neil Swarbrick. West Ham fail to clear their lines from a corner and Hayden smashes the ball narrowly over the bar from 20 yards out.

The last 10 minutes of the match have been played almost exclusively in West Ham's half of the field. Just the one real attempt of note so far, though - Hayden's shot from the edge of the box which flew over Hart's crossbar.

The hosts finding plenty of gaps high up the field but they just cannot pick out the final ball. Andre Ayew has gone down injured, seemingly in a fair bit of pain as he signalled to the physio to come on as soon as he hit the ground.

Ayew appears unlikely to play any further part in this match, as he continues to receive some treatment on the field. Manuel Lanzini is in reserve this afternoon, but Bilic may be reluctant to turn to the attacking midfielder this early in the match.

This Ayew injury is taking a fair bit of time. Rather than picking up an injury to his ankle, it appears as though the Ghanian attacker's face is being patched up - he must have been caught by Merino's studs when falling to the ground.

After a four-minute break, we are back under way at St James' Park. The West Ham physios are hoping to get Ayew back on the field after patching him up, so Lanzini will not be needed just yet. Can the Magpies refind their momentum?

Newcastle, not for the first time in these opening 29 minutes, let down by the last ball as a cross from the right goes straight out of play. Ayew, sporting the number 60 shirt now, is back on the field of play following that facial injury.

SHOT! West Ham's turn to enjoy an attacking spell, with Cresswell smashing the ball over the bar after being picked out by Ayew's knockdown. Ayew had Hernandez better positioned in front of him, but did not spot the Mexican.

Perez's attempted pass deflects off Ogbonna and Hart was quick to pounce, as Newcastle begin to find some rhythm to their play once again. The hosts have struggled a little since play resumed following that four-minute stoppage.

Still waiting for this game to really spark to life. A shot or two at either end so far, but neither goalkeeper has had a serious save to make. The Magpies have been just about the better side but need to show more quality in the final third.

Newcastle's long wait for a Premier League goal is over, as Joselu taps the ball over the line from close range to mark his first start in style. Declan Rice lost possession of the ball in midfield, allowing Mikel Merino to play in Christian Atsu who unselfishly squared for Joselu a few yards out.

West Ham attempt to make an instant response through Antonio, but all they get out of the attack is another corner. The set piece was not initially cleared, but Elliot was able to collect the loose ball to give his side a chance to breathe.

SAVE! After scoring from their first shot on target, Newcastle have just racked up a second through Merino's strike which Hart did well to get behind. Ritchie is the latest to receive some treatment after going to ground.

Newcastle certainly look far more confident since edging in front, showing a little more urgency and starting to ask more questions of their opponents. The onus is on West Ham to seriously improve in the second half, as they head for a third-successive league loss.

Just to clear up the confusion regarding that yellow card earlier in the half, it was Hernandez - not Noble - who was cautioned for an off-the-ball incident. The Mexican is the third player to go down injured, though he will be OK to continue.

We are into the second of six added-on minutes at St James' Park, largely due to the lengthy stoppage for Ayew's facial injury earlier in the half. West Ham the team on top at the moment, desperately seeking a leveller before the break.

West Ham still yet to register an attempt on target, and have had just three shots in all. Simply not good enough as far as the Hammers are concerned, which could force Bilic to turn to Manuel Lanzini at the midway point.

Atsu charged forward a good 25 yards before testing Joe Hart with a shot down low - the final act of a first half that the home side have edged. Joselu's close-range finish is the difference between the two sides at the moment, converting after being picked out by Christian Atsu in front of goal.

The Hammers failed to create anything of note in the opening 45 minutes, with home keeper Rob Elliot not having a single save to make. Newcastle only fared marginally better in front of goal, converting from their first serious attempt as Joselu was given the simple task of netting from close range after Christian Atsu unselfishly squared the ball to him.

The attack came about as a result of West Ham academy product Declan Rice losing possession in midfield, allowing Mikel Merino to play Atsu through and in turn punish the visitors. Isaac Hayden blasted over the bar and Merino tested Joe Hart with a straightforward save as the Magpies pushed for a second. They very nearly got it from the final act of the first half, too, as Atsu was given the chance to drive forward before shooting towards the bottom corner, where Hart was well positioned to keep it out.

Far from a classic opening 45 minutes to the match, though Newcastle United will argue that they are good value for their slender lead. Much for Slaven Bilic to ponder at the break - will he be tempted to tinker with his side for the second half?

NEWCASTLE UNITED SUBS: Murphy, Diame, Aarons, Saivet, Jesus Gamez, Woodman, Mitrovic

WEST HAM UNITED SUBS: Adrian, Fonte, Kouyate, Lanzini, Obiang, Sakho, Masuaku

© SilverHub

RESTART! We are back under way at St James' Park, where there is news of a half-time change. Declan Rice, at fault for the game's only goal, has been replaced by Manuel Lanzini - an attacking switch by Bilic and one that was desperately needed.

SAVE! Perez makes good inroads down the left-hand side and manages to get a shot away at the end of it, which Hart pushed clear of his goal. Fast start to the second period for the home side, who have the wind in their sails.

The change of tactics has not had the desired effect for the visitors just yet, because Newcastle have dominated the early stages of the second half. Benitez will be delighted with this improved showing from his players.

A big call by referee Neil Swarbrick, as he opts against showing Hernandez a second yellow for his challenge on Merino. The home fans are furious with the decision; understandably so considering most officials would have reached into their pocket.

SAVE! Incredible defending from Clark to keep his side's lead intact. Elliot was called into action for the first time today to keep out Cresswell's shot, before Clarke somehow kept out Hernandez's follow-up attempt on the line.

Nearly an hour played at St James' Park and it is Newcastle who remain in the lead. That lead is looking very slim at the moment, though, as West Ham came very close to levelling a few minutes ago through those Cresswell and Hernandez attempts.

Hayden is the latest player to pick up a knock, eating up another couple of minutes. Benitez sends out a couple of midfielders to warm up, though the Arsenal academy product looks as though he will be OK to continue.

The match is going through a quiet spell at the moment, which will suit Newcastle just fine as they were on the back foot for a few minutes prior to Hayden's injury. As expected, the midfielder has managed to run off the slight knock.

CHANCE! Newcastle really should be two up, having carved out a four-against-two counter in their favour. Ritchie failed to make the most of the chance, going for goal and testing Hart with a weak attempt. Zabaleta then pounced on the rebound.

SAVE! Elliot is certainly busier in this second half compared to the first, as Hernandez directs a cross goalwards with his head. Simple stop in the end, but at least the Hammers are now starting to register some attempts on target.

YELLOW CARD! Edimilson Fernandes becomes the second visiting player to be shown a yellow after fouling Ayoze Perez. Benitez holding off making any changes to his side, while Bilic has still made just the one sub.

WEST HAM UNITED SUBS! Bilic makes his second and third change of the afternoon, replacing Noble and Ayew with Sakho and Kouyate. Benitez appears to be readying a couple of players to come on for the home side, too.

NEWCASTLE UNITED SUB! Goalscorer Joselu, whose strike looks increasingly like being enough to win the match, is replaced by fan favourite Aleksandar Mitrovic for the final 20 minutes of the match - the Magpies' first change.

Ciaran Clark eases the tension around St James' Park by netting a second goal for his side. It came via good work from Matt Ritchie, who sent in a delightful delivery from the right for the defender to glance off the post and over the line.

Newcastle currently looking the more likely to add a third goal of the match, as Ritchie races on to the ball inside the box but sees his shot blocked in front of goal. Surely not even the Magpies can throw away the lead from this position?!

Hayden's ball is so nearly turned over the line by Ritchie, who could not quite get his boot on the end of it when sliding in. Newcastle completely in control of the match now, with West Ham unable to get out of their own half.

YELLOW CARD! Substitute Diafra Sakho is the third visiting player to be cautioned. Mitrovic barges into Lanzini in another off-the-ball incident, with the visitors claiming that he went in with his elbow - replays are inconclusive.

NEWCASTLE UNITED SUB! Hayden, who picked up a knock earlier in the half, is replaced by Diame for the closing stages of the match. Benitez just looking to protect this two-goal advantage now as he closes in on that first league win.

SAVE! The lively Mikel Merino is the first Newcastle player to be cautioned. Substitute Mitrovic with a big chance to add a third for his side, but his shot is well stopped by Hart when through one-on-one. Magpies dominating now.

Newcastle have been by far the better team in this second half and look as though they have another goal in them before the full-time whistle sounds. Looks as though Benitez will make his third and final change in the next few moments.

Moments after missing a one-on-one, Mitrovic has better success when played through for a second time as he rounds Joe Hart and tucks into the back of the net. It is turning into a rout, with West Ham falling apart at the back.

Four minutes to be played at the end of this second half, which Newcastle have largely dominated. Talk of a crisis in the build-up to this match but they have been excellent this afternoon, rightly earning a comfortable win.

Newcastle happy to let West Ham knock the ball around at the moment, with the Hammers doing little to trouble their opponents. That chance for Hernandez earlier in the half, with the scoreline a lot tighter, seems a long time ago.

Referee Neil Swarbrick blows for full time at St James' Park, meaning that Newcastle United are off the mark with their first Premier League points of 2017-18. A massive win for them but more agony for West Ham United, who have themselves failed to pick up a point from the first nine on offer.

That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events in the North-East. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while updates from the evening kickoff in the Premier League between Manchester United and Leicester City are now under way right here. Enjoy!