Tottenham’s hopes of securing Champions League football suffered a major blow at St James’ Park, where Newcastle channelled their 6-1 win in this fixture last season by winning 3-0 in another comprehensive win.
Poor defending allowed Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon to score within two minutes of each other as Newcastle took a 2-0 lead into the break.
Isak then scored the hosts’ third on the counter-attack to consign Tottenham to another difficult afternoon on their travels this season.
Dom Smith was at St James’ Park to rate the Spurs players’ performances…
Guglielmo Vicario 5
Beaten hands down for all three Newcastle goals but saved well from Elliot Anderson after the break.
Pedro Porro 4
A horrendous back-pass from Pedro Porro was directly responsible for Newcastle’s second goal, and his inability to stay wide enough allowed Newcastle in down the flank on numerous occasions. Now an injury doubt after coming off shortly after half-time, having struggled here last year too.
Booked by referee Tim Robinson for an accumulation of fouls in the first half, before ending up on his backside as Newcastle sent him flying for both of their first-half goals. Outrun by Isak for the third goal.
Cristian Romero 5
Good block from Harvey Barnes’s cross when none of his team-mates looked like putting a challenge in, but part of a backline that were given a runaround all afternoon.
Destiny Udogie 5
One or two decent blocks did not make up for poor positioning.
Rodrigo Bentancur 4
Totally outpaced by Anthony Gordon in a straight sprint early on and never really recovered. Subbed before the hour mark.
Yves Bissouma 5
Put in a busier shift than Bentancur but was also replaced before 60 minutes.
Brennan Johnson 5
This game could have ended differently if Timo Werner had converted from Johnson’s excellent cross early on. The Welshman then faded, though.
James Maddison 4
Wants to be held to high standards and so must shoulder some of the responsibility for Spurs’s nonfunctional attack. Poor decision-making including long-range shots that wasted possession.
Timo Werner 6
Spurs’s best performer on a dismal afternoon in the North East. Always an outlet on the left flank and was adventurous with the ball at his feet.
Son Heung-min 4
Substituted on 57 minutes having achieved next-to-nothing of note in the game.
Subs:
Emerson Royal (Porro, 49’) 4
Lacked energy when he came on in the second half.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Bissouma, 57’) 5
Gave Spurs more of a foothold in the game than they had before his introduction.
Pape Matar Sarr (Bentacnur, 57’) 4
Again, anonymous.
Dejan Kulusveski (Son, 57’) 5
Made some nice runs down the right but was rarely found by his team-mates. More threatening than either Johnson or Son had been.
Giovani Lo Celso (Maddison, 81’) N/A
Not used: Austin, Dragusin, Gil, Davies
