But the ball in from Jonjo Shelvey is easily dealt with by the Seagulls defence.

The visitors mount an attack - Newcastle will have a job of keeping 'goal o'clock' Glenn Murray quiet.

We have a chance....

Newcastle on the attack straight away - nothing less than the home fans would expect.

They win a corner...

• The players are in the tunnel
• Benitez looks reasonably happy
• They're playing the Blaydon Races
• We are moments from kick-off
• And we're LIVE

Image source, Reuters

Guy Mowbray
Match of the Day commentator

This is huge for winless Newcastle.

Finally take three points, and they can reflect on tough early fixtures whilst looking ahead with optimism.

Lose, and a rotten mood could be paired with the smell of a rot setting in.

They must start with the same verve that took them into a two-goal lead at Manchester United, and then keep the momentum that went against them there.

Brighton can be cooler with their approach, in accordance with Chris Hughton's sanguine take , externalon their poor away record.

Beneath the calm exterior though, there'll surely be a strong desire to get one over the owner of the club he led back to the Premier League before being sacked far too soon , externalafterwards.

Image source, PA

Image source, .

Newcastle bring Welsh left-back Paul Dummett into the starting line-up - he replaces Javier Manquillo.

The Magpies are otherwise unchanged from the side that lost 3-2 at Manchester United.

Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Fernandez, Dummett, Ritchie, Shelvey, Diame, Kenedy, Perez, Muto.

Image source, .

Brighton boss Chris Hughton makes two changes to the side that beat West Ham before the international break.

Jose Izquierdo and Dale Stephens come into the side.

Brighton XI: Ryan, Saltor, Duffy, Dunk, Bong, Jahanbakhsh, Stephens, Kayal, Izquierdo, March, Murray.

Image source, Getty Images

The stat that doesn't bode well for Newcastle is this one: their tally of two points is their lowest after eight games of a top-flight campaign.

In fact, you have to go right back to the 1898-99 season for an almost equally dismal run - when they went the first 10 games without a win - but even then they had three points by the eighth game.

However, after a good showing against Manchester United (up until the home side scored their first), they will be fairly confident going into today's home fixture against Brighton, led by former Magpies boss Chris Hughton.

In the away corner, "Hughts'" Seagulls have amassed a relatively comfortable total of eight points from their first eight games - their stats of W2 D2 L4 were exactly the same at this stage last season.

Consistent.

However, the Brighton boss has yet to win at St. James' Park as an away manager in four attempts (D1 L3), which is also consistent.

How do you see this one going?

Stay tuned.