Quickfire double from Magpies duo Spurs on a hammering win
TWO HOWLERS FOR VAN DE VEN
SUBSTITUTES
TINO LIVRAMENTO ...... N/A
For Murphy (78min).
LEWIS HALL .................... N/A
For Barnes (88min).
MATT RITCHIE ............... N/A
For Anderson (88min).
JOE WHITE ...................... N/A
For Guimaraes (90+3min).
PAUL DUMMETT ............ N/A
SPURS
For Schar (90+3min).
Not used: Karius, Gillespie, A.murphy, Parkinson
*Subs must play 15 minutes of normal time to gain a mark
Vicario, Porro (Emerson, 49’), Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie, Johnson, Bissouma (Hojbjerg (58’), Maddison (Lo Celso, 81’), Bentancur (Sarr, 58’), Werner, Son (Kulusevski, 58’). Subs: Dragusin, Gil, Davies, Austin
GOALS: NUFC: Isak (30’, 51’), Gordon (31’), Schar (87’); SPURS: NONE
BOOKINGS: NUFC: ; SPURS: van de Ven (27’), Bissouma (47’), Romero (56’), Maddison (61’)
SENT OFF: None
REFEREE: Tim Robinson
ATTENDANCE: 52,252
NEWCASTLE United’s remarkable battle against all the odds this season continued as Tottenham Hotspur were handed a real hammering at St James’ Park.
On paper, this looked like a tough test for the Magpies against a Spurs side in contention for the Champions League, but at times Eddie Howe’s team made it look easy. Alexander Isak (2), Anthony Gordon and Fabian Schar helped themselves to goals in a real rout on a sunny Tyneside afternoon.
This was a day in which James Maddison got a taste of what he’d missed out on by opting for a move to Spurs ahead of Newcastle last summer. As Maddison struggled to show his best form, the likes of Gordon and Isak turned on the style in an excellent victory which put Newcastle in sixth spot.
The Magpies made a fine start to the game with Gordon getting forward and seeing a cross cleared before Elliot Anderson’s header was blocked in the opening couple of minutes. Spurs applied a little early pressure of their own on seven minutes when Brennan Johnson crossed from the right but Timo Werner blazed hopelessly over the top from inside the box.
Newcastle were operating with a back five when out of possession with Anderson and Jacob Murphy deployed as wing-backs and it worked a treat for Howe. The pair were assigned roles to try to minimise the threat of Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie with the inverted full-backs causing chaos in the reverse fixture in
December when Spurs picked up a 4-1 win.
But Newcastle dished out some punishment of their own here after keeping Spurs at bay for the first half an hour. First Gordon won the ball in the middle before slipping in Isak on the half-hour mark. Isak then weaved around Micky van de Ven, who fell on his backside, and slammed it past Guglielmo Vicario in the Spurs goal.
Having waited patiently for their opportunity, Newcastle doubled their lead within two minutes. Porro lost the ball in awful fashion before Gordon cut inside and finished as Van de Ven slipped past him for a second nightmare moment in as many minutes for the Dutchman.
In the space of 95 seconds, Newcastle had established full control in a key Premier League game.
Isak had a couple more chances to extend the lead even further but Spurs hung on.
Newcastle went in at the break with just
33% possession to their name but nobody could argue with the way they’d dealt with the first half’s big moments. Spurs needed a quick response in the second period and the London side were sent out early by Ange Postecoglu.
With 50 minutes played, Werner curled a shot at Martin Dubravka who managed to hold on at the second attempt. But the game was as good as over a minute later.
Newcastle’s third goal looked a simple enough move as Bruno Guimaraes hoisted the ball through the middle for Isak to run on to, but the pass was technically sublime and the ice cool nature of the striker was there for all to see. The Swede raced through before taking a touch to steady himself and calmly applying the finish at the Gallowgate End on 51 minutes. Spurs made a desperate bid to try to haul themselves back into the contest by making a treble change. Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur were replaced by Dejan Kulusevski, Pieree-emile Hojbjerg and Pape Mata Sarr.
England’s
James Maddison was booked for a wild challenge on Jacob Murphy, but could easily have been sent off had he been punished for his foul on Gordon in the first half. Anderson tried to get in on the act just after the hour mark when cutting inside and forcing a save out of the keeper.
Maddison, reminded frequently of his decision to pick Spurs ahead of Newcastle throughout the afternoon, tried his luck from long range on 68 minutes but failed to hit the target. At the other end, Anderson had a go from outside the box but his effort did not trouble.
Howe withdrew Jacob Murphy on 78 minutes with Tino Livramento coming on in his place after the former Norwich man complained of cramp. With 10 minutes left, a Newcastle corner led to Emil Krafth thumping a shot at goal with the ball smacking the bottom of the post.
Maddison’s day of misery was capped when his number came up with nine minutes left and he was replaced by Giovani Lo Celso. The former Leicester City star, who teased the prospect of a move to Newcastle in interviews during the last World Cup, was taunted as he left the field with his side well beaten.
The Magpies added further gloss to the scoreline as Gordon’s corner on 86 minutes was swung in for Fabian Schar. He rose high and sent a bullet header past Vicario to send the Gallowgate End wild.