Antonio Conte declared his Tottenham team to be “now in the race” for Champions League qualification after they swept Newcastle away with a devastating second-half performance.
Tottenham’s third successive win, and their sixth in eight, lifted them into the top four for at least 24 hours and the manner in which they cut loose to score five goals may look ominous for their rivals. Conte has urged caution about their prospects since being appointed in November, suggesting more than once that they are well short of the level required for Europe’s elite, but he has seen enough improvement to believe they have a realistic shot at finishing the season successfully.
