Newcastle controlled things at the start, with a speed and intensity – you will be hearing and reading that word a lot under Matthias Jaissle – that pleased the home crowd.
The fast start, in which Bazoumana Touré and Joe Willock both had half-chances and Hall had a shot saved, did not last. Newcastle struggled to break down low block defences last season, a cause of much frustration under Eddie Howe, and the same issues appeared here.
When West Brom took a shock lead through Price’s clever free-kick, lining up to cross, only to curl a low shot beyond a flat-footed Ewen Jaouen, Newcastle were in their first predicament of the Jaissle era.