NEWCASTLE TOTTENHAM
DAN BURN insists Newcastle are still in the fight for Champions League qualification.
The Toon defender says Eddie Howe’s men have not given up on squeezing into the top four or five after hammering Spurs.
Alexander Isak and Co are keen to rattle their rivals despite being 10 points adrift of Ange Postecoglou’s men with six games to play.
Newcastle’s run-in includes trips to Crystal Palace, Burnley, Manchester United and Brentford plus home games against Sheffield United and Brighton.
Tottenham have a dangerous schedule with Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool up next and a home game against Manchester City.
Burn said: “We have momentum going into the last bit. Spurs were 13 ahead of us but have a tough run-in and we have laid down a marker and they will now always be looking over their shoulder.
“Can we catch them? Yeah, that has got to be the aim, finish high as possible. We don’t know what will happen with that extra Champions League place as well.
“That has got to be the belief. Around us no one is playing unbelievably. It is hit and miss.
“If we can be the team to kick on with 18 to play for, and max out, we are not hanging on trying to look after ourselves, just going all out.”
Isak scored twice, to take his tally to 21 for the season, along with Anthony Gordon and Fabian Schar.
The win was masterminded on the training ground, with a tactical plan to exploit Spurs’ high line, and frequently leaving their centre-back pair exposed against Isak and Gordon’s pace. Spurs’ rivals will look at the game plan and copy it. Postecoglou might be forced to reconsider a tactical tweak.
Burn added: “Spurs play in a very specific way. A high line. They always play a high line. We have very specific roles we had to fill. We caught them a bit by surprise.
“When we were winning the ball high up and getting goals from it, it pushes you on to think this is working, keep going.
“We have the pace to exploit a high line, no matter how quick you are.
“It has worked for them but it was something we looked to expose.”
Burn has been back to his best as Howe’s side revived in recent weeks after the FA Cup defeat to Manchester City.
On the extreme mood swings, Burn said: “It does swing around and I know that as a fan. You are always wanting more. I understand it.
“I always said if we got any type of European football it would be a good season.
“Replicating last season and getting top four was always going to be difficult.
“We’d changed our way of playing and had a surprise factor and teams struggled to play us.
“This year teams have caused us problems.”
Sweden international Isak is proving world-class with his finishing power and it will be an achievement to keep him in the summer.
“Alex has everything. He has that superstar quality that you want to keep a hold of,” added Burn. NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-3-3): Dubravka 6; Murphy 7 (Livramento 77), Krafth 7, Schar 7 (Dummett 90), Burn 7; Longstaff 7, Guimaraes 8 (White 90), Anderson 7 (Ritchie 89); Barnes 7 (Hall 89), Isak 9, Gordon 8.
TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Vicario 4; Porro 3 (Royal 49, 5), Romero 4, Van de Ven 3, Udogie 4; Bissouma 5 (Hojbjerg 58, 5), Bentancur 5 (Sarr 58, 5); Johnson 5, Maddison 6 (Lo Celso 81); Werner 4, Son 4 (Kulusevski 58, 5).