Louise Taylor was at St James’ Park. Here’s her verdict. Thanks for reading this MBM.
Thomas Frank talks to Sky Sports. “Fantastic mentality and character … it has been a tough week … the courage and mentality the players showed was great … last 60 I am very happy with that performance … the ability to react to setbacks was great … [the penalty decision] was absolutely a big mistake from the VAR … the ref did very well to do the ref call, and they encourage the refereeing call on the pitch … that is never a penalty … so that late, to still come back, shows a lot … our fans were excellent … the way they supported [Guglielmo Vicario] I liked a lot … [Cristian Romero’s] header is an excellent striker’s goal, I haven’t seen many strikers score a header like that!”
A stoic Eddie Howe speaks to Sky. “Don’t think it was us at our best … we battled into a position that we wanted … we just couldn’t defend that corner at the end … disappointing feeling having worked so hard … we were in the ascendency … we had some good chances … the goal was slow in coming for us … we did enough … got ourselves in the winning position and just needed to defend the corner better … [Bruno Guimaraes’s] goal was an outstanding finish … he made a difference with his energy and passion … the big thing [with the penalty] is the defender isn’t looking at the ball at all, just looking at Dan [Burn] … it was probably the right call … I was really pleased with [Anthony Gordon’s] impact … a good cameo for Ant … [the late equaliser] is a painful one for us to reflect on and take.”
Cristian Romero shares a joke about his overhead kick with Sky Sports. “It was very important … the last three, four games the team have not been good enough … it’s a difficult time … [cheeky grin and twinkle in eye] I train with Leo Messi with the national team … I watch him, it was a beautiful goal!”
The final xG numbers, seeing I was banging on about them earlier: Newcastle 1.96, Spurs 0.79.
Post-match postbag. “Disappointing result and ultimately I don’t think we deserved the three points: at no point did we exert the necessary control and it was a bit of a horror show in defence (aside from Lewis Hall morphing into prime Roberto Carlos at various points). Lots to think about for Eddie Howe, especially considering Ramsdale was arguably at fault for the equaliser” – Chris Paraskevas
“I’d argue it’s hard to look for the ball when you’re in a headlock being pushed backwards into other players, causing you to fall. Burn is not at all innocent” – Justin Madson
“Romero’s goal is justice for Spurs. That was never a penalty. We deserve a point” – Sam
… Tottenham’s two-goal hero and captain Cristian Romero engages his opposite number Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton in Socratic dialogue. It briefly threatens to kick off, but enough cool heads separate the players. Then Dan Burn comes across in an attempt to set the flames a-flickering again, but once again the chill dudes prevail. Newcastle are frustrated at letting their lead slip twice, the second time so late; Tottenham perhaps still aggrieved at being on the wrong end of a soft penalty decision that looked to have cost them a point. Everyone eventually departs down the tunnel. Newcastle were the better team on balance, but Spurs somehow found some reserves of moxie that earned them a point and snapped their losing run. Could this be a momentum shifter for the under-pressure Thomas Frank? His old club Brentford next. Newcastle will look to bounce back from this minor disappointment against Burnley.
FULL TIME: Newcastle United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Nope. Ramsdale claims, and before he can launch one last counter, the whistle goes. After which …
90 min +9: Gray shovels a pass down the inside-left channel. Tel tries to cut back for Richarlison. Newcastle bundle the ball out for a throw. Danso to fling it long. They couldn’t, could they?!
90 min +8: Thomas Frank so close to gaining a little bit of breathing space. He’s gesticulating like mad on the touchline, orchestrating desperately.
90 min +7: Not for the first time this season, St James’ Park has been almost completely silenced by a goal deep into injury time. You can hear the away fans celebrate, though. This could be a huge point for the under-fire Thomas Frank.
90 min +6: That overhead shinner bobbled into the bottom left at an almost apologetically slow speed. Spurs have had two shots on target. Two goals.
GOAL! Newcastle United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Romero 90+5)
The corner’s sent in from the left. Ramsdale flaps a punch clear. The ball drops to Romero, who has his back to goal, 12 yards out, and tries an overhead kick. He connects with his shin … and the ball bobbles through a crowded box and into the bottom left! Not the greatest of connections, but expertly guided, so he won’t care a jot!
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90 min +4: Porro whips a cross in from the right. Tel pulls it back from the byline but can’t quite tee up Romero. The ball pings out for a corner on the left. Before it can be taken, there’s a VAR check for a tug on Richarlison by Thiaw. Nothing doing for that, but …
90 min +3: … so Newcastle try to disrupt that momentum by making a sub. Miley makes way for Schar.
90 min +2: Odobert crosses from the right. Deflected. Corner. Hall only half clears it. Porro whips in from the right. Burn heads clear this time. Spurs are building up a head of steam here, perhaps fuelled by a sense of indignation …
90 min: There will be nine additional minutes. “Very happy Newcastle fan with that decision but a weird one,” writes John Davis. “It’s a foul, Burn gets dragged down without the Spurs’ player looking at the ball but Burn halfway through puts his arm over his head so he can’t go anywhere but foul Burn. Clever, but usually enough for it to be a 50/50 and thus not a foul. I’d have understood it not being given.”
89 min: Elanga races after a Guimaraes pass down the inside-left channel. Danso sticks an arm out to fell him. The referee peeps for a free kick, but no further action. That was potentially a last-man situation … though there may have been a covering defender. It’d be a good one to see again. Who’d be a referee, huh?
88 min: Richarlison goes over in the Newcastle box, claiming to have been shoved from behind by Livramento. A brush on the fabric of his shirt at best. A no-go.
87 min: Odobert and Gray come on for Sarr and Kudus.
GOAL! Newcastle United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Gordon 86 pen)
Gordon whip-cracks the penalty into the right-hand side of the net, having given Vicario the eyes and sending the keeper the wrong way! Clinical!
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85 min: Before it can be taken, Richarlison is booked for the quality of his debating skills.
Penalty for Newcastle United!
84 min: The official decision: “a holding offence at the back post.” It’s a soft one, but you can also see why it’s been given, on account of Bentancur gently hugging Burn to the floor without making any effort to situate the ball. Spurs aren’t happy, as you’d expect. Thomas Frank in disbelief.
83 min: The referee’s sent over to the monitor! Bentancur isn’t looking at the ball at all, as he wrestles with Burn. That may do for him.
82 min: The corner sails over everyone’s head. Beneath it, Burn wrestles with Bentancur. The pair collapse, and Newcastle want a penalty. VAR is having a look. A good look. Have to say, this would be really harsh. In fact, Burn looks slightly confused that the VAR is having any sort of look at all.
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81 min: Woltemade slips Elanga into space down the right. Elanga’s cross is hacked out for a throw. The ball’s worked back to Hall, Woltemade doing a fine teeing-up job again. Hall has a dig from distance. It’s deflected wide left for a corner. Guimaraes to whip it in.
79 min: That’s Tottenham’s first attempt on target this evening!
GOAL! Newcastle United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Romero 78)
… but it’s not properly cleared. Kudus dribbles down the right. He shows the ball to Hall, who doesn’t get close enough. Kudus crosses low. Romero stoops at the near post and sends a diving header into the bottom right. Out of nowhere!
78 min: Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
77 min: Miley dozes with the ball at his feet by the right of his own D. Kolo Muani nicks it off his toe, spins and dribbles into the box down the channel. He’s about to shoot from a tight angle when Joelinton intervenes and pokes behind for a corner. Before it can be taken, Spurs make a triple change, replacing Johnson, Bergvall and Kolo Muani with Simons, Tel and Richarlison.
75 min: Elanga advances down the right and wins a corner off Udogie. Miley’s delivery is punched clear by Vicario. Gordon comes again down the left. He cuts infield and looks for Woltemade in the middle. The ball breaks to Miley, who tries to pass the ball into the bottom left. Vicario parries and snaffles at the second attempt.
73 min: That was a fine finish by Guimaraes … but the goal was really all about Gordon, who sparked into life out on the left, his carpe-diem burst sending all the constituent parts of the Tottenham defence spinning like tops. Magnificent wingplay.
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GOAL! Newcastle United 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur (Guimaraes 71)
Gordon turns on the jets, backing himself in a footrace down the left against Porro and Romero. He wins it easily. He crosses low. The ball is cushioned backwards by Woltemade and sits up for Guimaraes on the edge of the box. The Toon captain opens his body and sidefoots a power-curler across Vicario and into the bottom right!
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69 min: Bergvall and Kolo Muani combine neatly down the inside-right channel, the former spinning elegantly towards the byline before rolling a tempting ball through the six-yard box. But Johnson isn’t on the front foot, and Newcastle clear with ease. The hosts counter, and when Gordon crosses from the left, the unchallenged Udogie needlessly heads behind for a corner. That comes in from the right, and Woltemade is caught offside. Both sides are pushing hard, but the final ball is sadly lacking. So far.
67 min: Gordon and Elanga come on for Murphy and Barnes.
66 min: Murphy swings in from the right. Romero is forced to turn behind for a corner. Vicario slaps the set piece half-clear, but Livramento drives through a crowded box. He really creams his shot, and it’s heading towards the bottom right. But Johnson stands firm to block. Vicario might have had it covered anyway. But it needed stopping.
64 min: … and it’s Hall who clears Kudus’s corner. Newcastle counter, and Guimaraes pings a glorious defence-splitter down the inside-left channel to send Murphy dribbling box-ward. Murphy shoots. Porro blocks. Murphy should have done much better.
63 min: Udogie wins a corner down the left. Porro sends it long. Kolo Muani prepares to sidefoot home from six yards, but Hall gets a little nick on the ball as it drops, sending it out for a corner on the other side. A crucial intervention.
62 min: Porro slips Bergvall into space down the right. Bergvall cuts back to nobody in particular and Newcastle clear. But Bergvall has been by far the liveliest member of the Spurs attack.
60 min: Spurs enjoy a bit of possession in the Newcastle end, without ever threatening to find the final pass. But small acorns.
58 min: As for that Vicario complaint just before the half-time whistle: something was apparently chucked at him from the crowd.
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56 min: … Bentancur is booked for a late clip on Hall once the ball has been lost.
55 min: Guimaraes, swinging the corner in from the left, nearly scores direct! Vicario claws out from under his bar. The next corner leads to a Spurs counter, from which …
54 min: Murphy jinks his way past Johnson down the right with ease. His cross finds Hall at the far stick. Hall volleys towards the bottom left, but the ball’s deflected out for a corner, from which bedlam ensues. Not for the first time, but with very different intent, Bergvall back-flicks over the Gallowgate-End bar.
52 min: Sarr comes haring into the back of Guimaraes and is pretty fortunate not to go into the book. Romero comes across to give the referee a piece of his mind anyway. He’s the captain, so he’s within his rights … but he’s also been booked already, so wants to watch himself.
50 min: Guimaraes crosses deep from the right. Barnes shapes to volley at the corner of the six-yard box, but Porro intercepts the dropping ball just in time.
49 min: Otherwise, it’s been a low-octane start to the second period. “If Ange Postecoglou hadn’t jumped into the hotseat at the City Ground, just imagine how high his reputation would be right now,” daydreams Kári Tulinius. “He guided this side to a European trophy. That seems unthinkable, looking at this performance. Mind you, that also seemed unthinkable watching many Spurs matches last season too.”
47 min: A slow start to the half. Nothing happening. Then suddenly Barnes bursts into space down the inside-left channel. Away from Romero too easily. He shoots. Vicario blocks at the near post. Woltemade heads the rebound goalwards, but Danso is on the line to clear.
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Newcastle get the second half started. They’ve swapped out Tonali for Guimaraes. They’re kicking towards the Gallowgate now.
Half-time postbag … and neither fanbase is particularly happy. “Without Bruno Guimarães we are a different team. Even an an off day he adds value in so many small and underrated ways. His vision and range of passing is probably unmatched. Our rhythm is completely different and we don’t have the same incision or threat on the break” – Chris Paraskevas
“I fear that this match and the upcoming meeting with Brentford might ratchet up the pressure on Frank to unbearable levels. Lose these two and I feel it’ll be curtains. The scoreline isn’t as bad as it was against Fulham, but the performance is worse. We can’t string two passes together in midfield, while giving the ball away repeatedly near the box as we are completely unable to bypass their aggressive press. We lose every single duel and get outmuscled and outran every time. We don’t press, we don’t attack, we don’t hold possession, we don’t shoot. The supporters are furious and he hasn’t helped himself with the ‘not a true Spurs fan’ comment from the press conference last week. I support Frank and consider him a good manager, but it’s not just the fact we’re losing, it’s that we look so unbelievably stodgy and dire while still losing, and there’s no style of play or development that I can see” – Alexandra Ashton
HALF TIME: Newcastle United 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Joelinton hit the post, while Bergvall went close with an elaborate backheel. Other than that, nothing to report. Kind of what you’d expect from teams that started the day 12th and 13th.
45 min: Vicario has a long word with the referee, who pops over and has a word with a member of the Newcastle club staff. That staff member then starts talking into his walkie-talkie. Not sure what’s been said or done, but the Spurs keeper isn’t happy, and the ref’s seen fit to escalate the complaint. More when we have it.
44 min: Barnes shoots from the edge of the D. The ball’s deflected wide left. But the flag pops up for an offside against Woltemade.
42 min: Kudus crosses low from the right again. Bergvall tries another backflick, along the ground this time, but it’s blocked and cleared by Thiaw.
41 min: Spurs have enjoyed 59 percent of possession in the last ten minutes. A vast improvement, though the bar was set low. They still haven’t had a shot on target, mind.
39 min: Bergvall barrels down the inside-right channel, a determined 50-yard run. He flicks on for Kudus, who takes all the momentum out of the attack. Spurs have belatedly woken up.
37 min: Kudus has another shot blocked. I should quote dismal xG scores more often. It’s now 0.42-0.41, by the way.
36 min: … then up the other end, Kudus has a shot blocked, before in another wave of attack, Kudus skips past Hall down the right and crosses low. Begvall backflicks cutely, and the ball only just clears the bar instead of planting into the top-left corner! That would have been one hell of a finish!
35 min: Well, those xG stats nearly provoked the Football Gods into action! Joelinton spins into space down the inside-right channel, away from Bentancur, and whistles a low drive across Vicario and off the base of the left-hand post. The ball pings away from danger. Momentarily. It’s returned from the left, but Murphy and Woltemade get in each other’s way by the right-hand post. Spurs so fortunate.
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34 min: The xG of this match is currently Newcastle 0.4, Tottenham 0. And so here we are.
32 min: Murphy sends a speculative looper in from the right. It sails hysterically over Vicario and only just wide left. That would have been a bit daft.
31 min: Tonali whips a cross in from the right. Thiaw wins a header at the far stick. Burn can’t do the same in the middle, six yards out. Vicario claims.
30 min: Joelinton grafts his way down the left and wins a corner off Bentancur. The set piece leads to a brief game of head tennis, before Bentancur blooters clear. This game hasn’t taken off, it’s fair to say.
28 min: Hall attaches himself to Kudus, strips him of the ball, and spins away. He runs out of ideas after that, but that moment of grit and skill sure entertained the crowd.
27 min: A better cross comes in from the right. Livramento this time. Joelinton can’t win a header at the far stick. A few inches lower and Spurs might have been in bother.
25 min: Murphy hoicks a dreadful cross in from the right towards someone deep in the stand behind. On the touchline, Eddie Howe exhales and mutters a dispirited but unambiguous “fuck me!” It’s a masterclass in comic timing.
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24 min: Spurs are getting a little ragged, and now Bentancur has a nibble at Joelinton, who really is in the wars at the moment. No booking this time, but Newcastle are dominating both possession and territory, and the visitors are becoming agitated.
22 min: Romero, freshly back from suspension, clatters into Joelinton and picks up his sixth yellow card of the season so far. Gotta keep that totaliser ticking over.
20 min: Tonali’s delivery isn’t all that, but Kolo Muani misdirects his clearing header and sends the ball out for a corner. Hall balloons it in from the right and out to the left. About ten feet over everyone’s head.
19 min: Udogie slides in hard on Murphy. Late and from behind. Or maybe from the side, just, because the referee doesn’t flash yellow. It is a free kick, though, out on the right. Tonali to send it into the mixer.
17 min: Barnes wins the ball off Bergvall on the left touchline. Hard but fair. He advances on the box and cuts back for Miley, who opens his body and aims a strong sidefoot towards the bottom right. It’s telegraphed, though, and easily snaffled by Vicario. The first effort on target.
15 min: Woltemade chases a lost cause down the left and cuts back for Burn, who is in acres … but the whistle goes. The ball had gone out for a goal kick. The flag-and-whistle people make the right decision this time.
13 min: Barnes bustles his way to the byline down the left and loops long for Murphy, who swivels and acrobatically swipes at the ball in mid-air, but can only send it miles over the bar. “There’s something pleasingly old-school about that picture of Nick Woltemade,” writes Brendan Garry. “Seventies hair - check. Seventies style three-stripe tracksuit - check. Headphones - no check. Takes me back to my youth.”
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12 min: Kudus’s delivery is no good. Nevertheless, he gets a second chance to put in a cross, and this time he slices it out for a goal kick.
11 min: Johnson and the under-lapping Udogie combine nicely down the left and this time Spurs are awarded the corner they earn. Porro wanders over to take it. At the near post, Woltemade eyebrows it through the six-yard box and out of play for another corner, which will come in from the right this time.
9 min: … or perhaps too confident, as Porro tries a backheel in an attempt to play out from the back. Newcastle push forward again and win a corner down the right. Hall swings it in. Vicario, out of form and shorn of confidence, flaps, but the ball drops to Kudus who is able to scuttle it away from danger.
8 min: That counter has given Spurs a little succour after a slow start. They suddenly look more confident on the ball.
6 min: Tonali hits the corner too flat, and Bergvall is able to slam clear. An appalling delivery. Spurs are able to counter through Johnson down the left. A low cross, intended for Kudus, is intercepted by Hall and deflected out for a corner … which Spurs don’t get when the dead ball’s hooked back upfield by Thiaw and play is erroneously waved on. Newcastle get away with one.
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5 min: Spurs can’t get out of their final third at the moment. Woltemade snaffles possession out on the left and wins the first corner of the game. Tonali to swing it in.
4 min: Hall drags a shot wide right from the edge of the D. Then a cross comes in from the right and Woltemade heads harmlessly over. A fast start by Newcastle.
3 min: Barnes nips past Porro on the left with ease and cuts back for Tonali, who can’t get a shot away in time. Livramento tries to keep things going on the other flank, but is eased off the ball by Udogie, who stands on his foot as the two fall. No penalty, but no lasting damage to Livramento either.
2 min: Tottenham’s fans are positioned high up in the Leazes end. They’re doing a good job of making themselves heard from the heavens.
Tottenham Hotspur kick off. A fine early-evening-pints-fuelled atmosphere at St James’ Park. Spurs are kicking towards the Gallowgate in this first half.
The teams are out! Newcastle in their famous black and white stripes, Spurs in 1982 FA Cup final yellow. A quick blast of the theme from Local Hero and we’ll be away. Howay!
Pre-match postbag. “I’m glad to see Aaron Ramsdale getting a bit of a run: I’ve been keeping an eye on the Newcastle bench this season and his enthusiasm is so infectious that at various points I’ve expected him to storm the pitch and start flying into tackles in midfield. Actually, that’s more of a Nick Pope thing. What ever happened to the good ol’ days of Shay Given and Brad Friedel, eh? Keepers shouldn’t be allowed to leave their six-yard-box. The game is gone” – Chris Paraskevas
“What are the odds that I’ll be in tears of anguish and frustration? Whispering COYS” – Nick Wayne
This is a big game for Tottenham, who have lost their last three matches in all competitions, shipping 11 goals in the process. The last of those was a wonderful combination of opportunism and execution by Fulham’s Harry Wilson, though the Spurs fans were perhaps understandably more focused on Guglielmo Vicario’s unfortunate role in the lead-up to the goal. Rob Davies takes a snapshot of the discontent in N17 right now.
Eddie Howe talks to Sky. “It’s an opportunity for us … a difficult game … Spurs have been really good away from home … two tough teams going against each other … we anticipate a tough game but hopefully a good one … rotation for Bruno [Guimaraes] … give him a breather amid a hectic schedule … it’s really important how we start … our intention, our body language, our energy …. hopefully the crowd can do the rest.”
Thomas Frank speaks to Sky Sports. “Micky [van de Ven] is a super-important player … but this is the fourth game in ten days … we make sure to keep the freshness … the players have never been fitter in the last three years than they are now … we are positive … we believe we can get something from the game and win up here … it demands a top performance against a super-good team … we need to bring the energy … bravery … composure on the ball … I expect a super-tight game … it will be at times quite open but I expect a super, super-tight game.”
There are two other Premier League games being played tonight. Bournemouth host Everton while Manchester City travel to Fulham. Both of those have just kicked off, and Will Unwin is your man for up-to-the-minute news of those … plus an additional La Liga treat by the looks of it. We spoil you rotten.
Newcastle make two changes to their starting XI after the 4-1 win at Everton. Sandro Tonali and Jacob Murphy come in for Anthony Elanga and captain Bruno Guimarães, who both drop to the bench.
Spurs make four changes to their starting line-up following the Fulham fiasco. Brennan Johnson, Pape Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur and captain Cristian Romero return; Archie Gray, Richarlison, Micky van de Ven and João Palhinha are benched.
The teams
Newcastle United: Ramsdale, Livramento, Thiaw, Burn, Hall, Miley, Tonali, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy, Woltemade, Barnes.
Subs: Ruddy, Schar, Gordon, Elanga, Willock, Alex Murphy, Guimaraes, Ramsey, Neave.
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Danso, Udogie, Sarr, Bentancur, Bergvall, Kudus, Muani, Johnson.
Subs: Kinsky, Joao Palhinha, Simons, Richarlison, Tel, Gray, Spence, Odobert, van de Ven.
Referee: Thomas Bramall
VAR: Paul Tierney
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Preamble
After that debacle against Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and their insta-beleaguered boss Thomas Frank are in desperate need of a spirit-replenishing result. We wish them all the best with that tonight, as they’re about to face a Newcastle United side high on life after walloping Everton, in a fixture they’ve recently lost 2-1, 4-0 and 6-1. Throw in the fact that Newcastle have won five of their last six in the league against Spurs, and that they’ve not lost a midweek league match at home since 2021, a run that stretches back ten games, and Spurs are up against it all right.
Rhythmically, and in search of balance, this would be the point at which we trot out some stats to offer Spurs hope. But they’re in short supply. While Newcastle tend to enjoy midweek league fixtures, Spurs most signally do not: they’ve won just one of their last 13, losing the last seven on the bounce. And then there’s Eddie Howe’s personal record against Frank: he’s won six of eight. But hey, personal hoodoos are there to be broken – Howe did exactly that himself against Pep Guardiola the other week – so rule nothing out. And despite all the negative mood music accompanying Spurs, when it all comes down they’re still ahead of the Toon in the Premier League standings. All to play for, then. Kick-off at St James’ Park is 8.15pm GMT. It’s on!
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | AFC Bournemouth | 13 | -2 | 19 |
| 12 | Tottenham Hotspur | 13 | 5 | 18 |
| 13 | Newcastle | 13 | 1 | 18 |
| 14 | Everton | 13 | -3 | 18 |
