Hello and welcome to Eurosport's live commentary from this Premier League clash between Newcastle and Norwich City. This is Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) taking you through all the action from St James' Park.

Norwich City find themselves pinned back into their own half by intense pressing from a buoyant Newcastle side. Early statistics show the Magpies have enjoyed 59 per cent possession in these opening 15 minutes.

GOAL! Newcastle 1-0 Norwich City. Huge goal for the home side and a just reward for a blistering start. Sissoko evades a challenge on the edge of the box before sliding the ball perfectly into Wijnaldum, who fires nervelessly into the bottom corner.

CHANCE: Sissoko lays the ball off to Dummett and the Newcastle academy graduate swings in a much better cross that narrowly evades Mitrovic before Norwich City hack it clear.

Newcastle are imposing themselves early with some high pressing and Dummett gets the chance to fire in a cross from the left, but his ball in skims straight through to Ruddy.

Colback chases what appears to be a lost cause and pressures Dorrans until the ball runs out. He claims a corner but Anthony Taylor is having none of it.

Perez feeds the ball into Mitrovic on the edge of the Norwich City area and the Serb shows power and persistence to keep hold of the ball, but is eventually smothered before he can think about testing Ruddy.

Brady's delivery from the resulting free-kick floats into the box but sails over everyone and is comfortably claimed by Elliot.

Well that was quick! Tiote crunches into Redmond from the side and referee Anthony Taylor responds with the first yellow card of the game.

Mbemba is allowed to carry the ball forward before being dispossessed on the halfway line, but Norwich City can't capitalise as the ball ricochets around the middle third.

Norwich City come forward for the first time and Brady clips in a cross from the left, but Dummett heads clear under no pressure.

Tettey fouls Perez and Colback's swinging free-kick momentarily causes panic in the Norwich City box but Ruddy eventually gathers.

Norwich City get us under way, attacking from right to left.

The players are out on the pitch at St James' Park, which looks a sea of black and white. Kick-off is moments away...

How do the teams look ahead of today's game?

Today promises to be an emotional one for Newcastle's legendary tea lady Kath Cassidy, who has stepped down from matchday duties after 52 years. She's won a few high-profile admirers along the way...

Arsene Wenger: "Dear Kath. I understand you are retiring after more than 50 years' service to Newcastle United. On behalf of everyone at Arsenal, we send you our best wishes for your retirement. Your loyalty and commitment is absolutely outstanding and is rightly being acknowledged by many in football. Here's to your health and happiness."

Sir Alex Ferguson: "Enjoy your retirement Kath. Serving tea to the media cannot be an easy job so you well and truly deserve a long and happy retirement!"

Alan Shearer: "Thanks, Kath. Everyone knows that two things make a football club - the fans and the tea lady - and we had the best of both. Always there with a kind word and friendly smile, it won't be the same without you. Good luck in your retirement."

A source of hope for Newcastle is that Norwich City have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their eight Premier League games this season. Their only away victory, however, came on their last visit to the North East - a 3-1 win over Sunderland in August.

Newcastle, of course, are winless in their first nine matches this season but the team's rut pre-dates Steve McClaren. They have won just one of their last 19 Premier League games and need to start finding victories if they are to have any hope of preserving their top-flight status - particularly with the Wear-Tyne derby against a Sam Allardyce-led Sunderland to come next weekend.

Norwich City boss Alex Neil: "It will be a tough game, as they all are in the Premier League, but if we perform at our maximum and play like we have done for the majority of the games this season, then there is no reason why we can't go there and get the result."

Newcastle boss Steve McClaren: "It's not alien to us [the poor start] but we were hoping to do better. It's not gone that way. There's no magic wand. We've just got to stick together and hopefully that first win will come soon."

It's a crucial day for Newcastle boss Steve McClaren. Five points adrift of Premier League safety already, he needs a win to change the mood around Tyneside - and possibly to save his job. But he'll need to do so without the services of Tim Krul, who is out for the season with a serious knee injury. Rob Elliot deputises.

Here are the teams in full:

Newcastle: Elliot; Janmaat, Coloccini, Mbemba, Dummett; Sissoko, Tiote, Colback, Wijnaldum; Perez, Mitrovic. Subs: Woodman, Lascelles, Haidara, Anita, Thauvin, De Jong, Cisse.

Norwich City: Ruddy; Whittaker, Martin, Bassong, Olsson; Redmond, Dorrans, Tettey, Brady; Howson; Mbokani. Subs: Wisdom, Jerome, Hoolahan, Jarvis, R. Bennett, O'Neil.