It never rains but it

Newcastle tumbling to the foot of the table. Benitez may retain the fans’ backing, but owner Mike Ashley’s patience won’t last forever.

This was the fourth game in a row he has attended and in that time, Newcastle have picked up a solitary point.

What made this latest setback all the more galling was that it was against visitors who had forgotten how to win on their travels.

Brighton had gone 17 away games without a victory, prompting Benitez to announce before kick-off this was the perfect fixture to kick-start their season.

It wasn’t to be with Beram Kayal’s 29th-minute deflection earning Brighton boss Chris Hughton his first win at the club he led to promotion eight years ago.

Hughton said: “It is a big win for us and we really had to earn it.

“We were up against a side desperate to get a result and we faced a lot more shots than we normally would.

“It was a game where we had to put bodies on the line and I thought our keeper and centre-halves were outstanding.”

Perez, Newcastle’s top scorer last season, has yet to open his account