Newcastle 4-0 Spurs
by Roger Domeneghetti
at St James’ Park

THEY say that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes, and there were echoes here of the 6-1 victory Newcastle recorded at St James’ a year to the month ago.

In the early exchanges, Spurs looked in the mood to avenge that defeat. Indeed they dominated the ball throughout having 73 per cent possession. However, they did criminally little with it, Their two best chances feel to Timo Werner, who squandered both.

Once Newcastle sucker punched them with a swift double blow around the half an hour mark, they collapsed. By contrast, Toon boss Eddie Howe was full of praise for his team.

“It was a great performance from start to finish,” he said, “I thought we were very good in almost every area. You can plan a game plan but its irrelevant really, it’s down to the players and how they execute that.”

The first goal came when Bruno Guimaraes punted clear from a Spurs attack. Anthony Gordon bullied Destiny Udogie off the ball and found Alexander Isak on the left. The Swede shimmied past Micky Van de Ven, the young Dutchman obligingly falling on his backside, and struck a low shot into the corner of the net.

A minute later it was two. Gordon again was at the centre of the action, latching on to Pedro Porro’s wild backpass, dumping the hapless van de Ven on his backside again and curling the ball past Guglielmo Vicario from close range.

It was if a switch had been flicked. Despite continuing to concede possession, Newcastle were dominant from that point. The break could not come soon enough for the visitors.

It offered little respite. They were three down within six minutes of the restart, Isak their tormentor again. He didn’t beat the offside trap so much as dismantle it, running from his own half to latch onto a long ball from Guimaraes before passing the ball into the net, Spurs, punished for playing the highest of high lines.

Fabian Schar finished the scoring with a towering header from a late corner, to send Newcastle into sixth. It was Spurs’ worst defeat under Ange Postecoglou and saw them slip to fifth on goal difference.

“There’s no point sitting around feeling sorry for yourself,” said the Australian. Indeed they have little time to do so. Next up is the north London derby, followed by trips to Chelsea and Liverpool.