Newcastle felt the absence of wantaway striker Alexander Isak as they were held to a 0-0 draw at 10-man Aston Villa.
Isak was left out by boss Eddie Howe as the Sweden international tries to force a move away from St James’ Park this summer.
But the Magpies could have done with their star man as they failed to find a way past Villa, who had Ezri Konsa sent off in the 66th minute.
Howe’s side, who missed clear-cut chances in the first half, huffed and puffed against 10 men but never really looked like winning it.
The draw between two sides who look set to compete for a place in the top six this season was a better result for Villa, who will now remain unbeaten in the league at home for over a calendar year.
Newcastle actually looked strong going forward early on and fashioned three good opportunities in the opening 15 minutes.
Anthony Elanga has been the marquee signing of the summer so far, joining from Nottingham Forest for £55million, and he had an ideal opportunity to make his mark in just the third minute as he raced clear but shot straight at Villa goalkeeper Marco Bizot.
Anthony Gordon, leading the line in a central position, could have done better with a header from Harvey Barnes’ cross before forcing Bizot, playing instead of the suspended Emiliano Martinez, into a low save.
Villa, who have had their hands tied in the transfer market because of financial rules, failed to muster a shot in the first half as they struggled for any rhythm.
But they improved after the break and could have gone ahead in the 47th minute, but Boubacar Kamara’s header from John McGinn’s cross went straight at Nick Pope.
As the game endured a lull in action, both sets of fans came together in protest at the Premier League’s financial rules, which have restricted the two clubs’ spending over the last couple of seasons.
Attention returned to the action on the pitch when Villa were reduced to 10 men in the 66th minute.
After Ollie Watkins’ snapshot was saved by Pope, Newcastle launched a counter-attack which saw Elanga play in Gordon, who was hauled down by Konsa.
Referee Craig Pawson had no hesitation in brandishing the red card and the dynamic of the game changed.
Newcastle now had the momentum, but they were not exactly knocking down the door as Villa’s organised defence held firm and battled bravely.
Indeed, Bizot only had one save to make, easily dealing with Gordon’s shot from distance as Newcastle missed the killer instinct of their talismanic striker.
And the away fans made their feelings about Isak’s stance clear at the end of the match as they chanted ‘there’s only one greedy b******’.
