text: SOCCER - OUT-OF-SORTS NEWCASTLE CRASH 2-1 AT HOME . LONDON 1996-08-24 Newcastle 's early season teething problems continued on Saturday when they lost 2-1 at home to premier league pacesetters Sheffield Wednesday . England striker Alan Shearer gave Kevin Keegan 's talent-laden side the lead from the penalty spot after 13 minutes after Wednesday 's Yugoslav Dejan Stefanovic pulled down Colombian forward Faustino Asprilla . But two minutes later Wednesday equalised through Peter Atherton , who found space in the penalty area to meet Mark Pembridge 's free kick with a precise glancing header . Guy Whittingham stole three points for the Yorkshire side with a goal 10 minutes from time . To add to Newcastle 's misery , England striker Les Ferdinand was stretchered off in the second half . Wednesday , who escaped relegation on the final day of last season , have now won their first three games of the season . Elsewhere , title hopefuls Liverpool were held 0-0 at home by newly-promoted Sunderland , and in London , the tie between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton also ended goaless . Frenchman Frank LeBoeuf and Italian Gianluca Vialli scored their first premier league goals as Chelsea beat Coventry 2-0 , and managerless Arsenal won by the same scoreline at Leicester . Last season 's league and Cup winners Manchester United host 1995 champions Blackburn on Sunday .