It was an impressive opening day performance from the Premier League newcomers but, somehow, Southampton came away from St. James' Park without a single point.
The Saints thought they had taken an early lead after captain Jack Stephens turned home a Will Smallbone effort, but the linesman was quick to put his flag up and silence the frenzied away supporters.
The fans were quick to find their voice again as in the 28th minute, Ben Brereton Diaz fell to the floor following an altercation with centre-back Fabian Schar - an incident that saw the Swiss international receive a red card for an alleged head butt.
Despite having the extra man, Southampton fell behind just before halftime due to a goalkeeping error, with Alex McCarthy passing the ball straight to Alexander Isak in the box, who rolled it to Joelinton to give the Magpies the lead.
The Saints dominated the ball in the second half and continued to probe for parity, but the attack lacked any real conviction and the Newcastle defence held strong, leaving Russell Martin rather frustrated as his side head back to the south coast without anything to show for their impressive performance.
Here are the four key takeaways for Southampton following this defeat:
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Stick to what you know
Although Martin never showed any sign of doubt over his possession-based football working in the Premier League, others would have felt a hint of scepticism, particularly after watching Vincent Kompany's Burnley last season.
However, although the result did not go the way he would have hoped, the way his players executed his philosophy certainly did.
Southampton had almost 80% possession, made over three times as many passes, and had an expected goals (xG) of 1.92 - compared to Newcastle's 0.25.
On another day, the result could have been very different, but the way they have adapted Martin's modern philosophy to the Premier League so quickly is certainly very promising.
The build-up play was swift but methodical, with the final pass just needing a bit of tinkering in order to finish off a well-worked attack - something that can be easily fixed with time and maybe even some new additions.
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Two more positions needed
By no means should Southampton panic following this performance, but a goalkeeper and an attacking midfielder have been needed for quite some time - with this being proven again today.
McCarthy's sloppy error was, unfortunately, costly, but an upgrade in this department has been thought about for a while now, with this, perhaps, being the final straw for the recruitment team.
With Gavin Bazunu out until the new year, McCarthy is set to be the number one until then, but the difference between relegation and safety could just be a top-quality goalkeeper.
Aaron Ramsdale, Sam Johnstone and Martin Dubravka have all been touted with a move to the south coast club, with all three options having the ability to improve the team all round.
Ramsdale would likely only be available on loan due to his high price tag, whilst the other two could be cheaper, permanent options - but either way, the Saints should be acquiring one of them.
As for an attacking midfielder, the creativity within the side was lacking against Newcastle. Martin's side dominated the ball but severely missed a forward-thinking individual who can pick passes between the lines.
Southampton have had a long-standing interest in Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley and now Atalanta have pulled out of the race for his signature, he is there to be approached.
£25m is said to be the rumoured fee and, although this might be quite high for the Saints, it would certainly be a statement signing to the rest of the division.
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Won't go down without a fight (literally)
It is fair to say that a lot of people wrote Southampton off before the season had even begun, particularly given the money that the clubs around them have.
However, performance-wise, they showed why they have a chance of staying up this season and how they are capable of playing good football - whilst also playing a bit scrappy if need be.
After Schar received his marching orders, the game got a bit feisty and the crowd started getting riled up, something the Saints dealt with, as a whole, rather well.
Stephens and Taylor Harwood-Bellis were not afraid of getting stuck in with big challenges, Flynn Downes used his physical strength well in the middle of the park, and Brereton Diaz, whether fans like it or not, was a nuisance up front for the Newcastle defenders.
These characteristics can win you games of football at points this season, so by the players reacting well to the hostile environment around them, fans can be optimistic that they will fight for every ball.
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Don't panic
St. James' Park is far from an easy place to return home from with any points, but Southampton should have.
Yes, Newcastle had 10 men. Yes, Southampton didn't take their chances. But, the overall performance was certainly more promising than any of the travelling fans could have imagined.
The Saints have Nottingham Forest (H) and Brentford (A) as their next two, fixtures that, if they play like today, can get a point from - maybe even three.
With Cameron Archer to fully settle into the team, and Lesley Ugochukwu to come in, the options that Martin has at his disposal are pretty impressive, so there is no need to panic over an opening day defeat.
