Newcastle United moved up to sixth place in the Premier League with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Spurs at St James’ Park.
Alexander Isak scored a brace for the home team with a smartly taken finish in each half. His goals came either side of an Anthony Gordon effort. The rout was completed with a late header from Fabian Schar from a corner.
The defeat could have been heavier for Spurs, as Newcastle missed opportunities from set pieces and Emil Krafth hit the post ten minutes from time.
In the first half Timo Werner missed a good chance for Spurs before Isak opened the scoring. Newcastle quickly went two ahead when Gordon beat Micky van de Ven and powered a shot past Guglielmo Vicario.
The two goals from Isak put him on 17 in the Premier League this season, just two behind Erling Haaland in the race for the golden boot.
TALKING POINT
Trouble ahead for Tottenham? Having worked so hard all season to get into the guaranteed Champions League qualifying places, Ange Postecoglou’s team today slid back to fifth by dint of shipping four to Newcastle.
Recovering quickly from this is imperative for Spurs, but they face a brutal run of fixtures in which to do so. Their next match is the North London derby at home, followed by away trips to Chelsea and Liverpool; they also have a home game with Manchester City beyond that.
Every point is vital at this stage of the season. With European results this week making the prospect of an extra place in the Champions League for finishing fifth look uncertain, if Spurs are to be in the competition next season they’re going to have to do it the hard way.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United)
Is Gordon going to the Euros? On the strength of today’s performance he looks nailed on for the squad in Germany. He set up Isak’s first and fired in the corner for Schar’s goal, as well as adding a goal of his own with a smart finish. He was a constant menace throughout.
PLAYER RATINGS
Newcastle United: Dubravka 7; Murphy 6, Schar 7, Burn 6, Krafth 6; Anderson 7, Guimaraes 7, Longstaff 6; Gordon 8, Isak 7, Barnes 7
SUBS: Dummett 6, Ritchie 6, Hall 6, Livramento 7, Gillespie, White, Murphy, Parkinson
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario 6; Porro 5, Romero 6, Van de Ven 4, Udogie 6; Bentancur 6, Bissouma 6, Maddison 5; Johnson 6, Son 5, Werner 5
SUBS: Hojbjerg 6, Emerson Royal 6, Lo Celso 6, Kulusevski 6, Sarr 6
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
30′ GOAL! NEWCASTLE UNITED 1 (GORDON 30) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0 Spurs get caught two on two at the back, and Gordon slides a perfect pass through to Isak. Calm as you like Isak cuts across Van de Ven, who falls to the turf; Isak then bullets a right footer past Vicario, and Newcastle lead.
32′ GOAL! NEWCASTLE UNITED 2 (GORDON 32) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0 A double hit, what is happening here! Porro volleys a shocker of a back pass toward his own goal, which Gordon intercepts in the area; Van de Ven hits the deck again as Gordon cuts across him and slams the ball home from eight yards out. Stunning!
51′ GOAL! NEWCASTLE UNITED 3 (ISAK 51) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0 Game, set, match? Guimaraes wins the ball near his own area, and sends one long over the top. Isak is clean through, and onside having been in his own half when the ball was played. With Van de Ven chasing Isak runs the ball into the area and calmly sidefoots it home.
80′ OFF THE POST Spurs clear a corner to the edge of the area. Krafth hits a bobbler through everyone, and with Vicario frozen the ball clips the far post and goes out.
87′ GOAL! NEWCASTLE UNITED (SCHAR 87) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0 It’s four now! Gordon whips the corner to the back post where Schar rises to plant his header back across goal and into the net. What a rout this is, and it’s another pasting for Spurs at St James’ Park.