Spurs 1-2 Newcastle United: Dominic Scurr verdict

Shields Gazette

Dominic Scurr reflects on Newcastle United's 2-1 Premier League win at Tottenham Hotspur. Goals from Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak cancelled out Dominic Solanke's opener.

Transcript

00:00Here outside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where Newcastle United have made

00:04it six wins in a row in all competitions. We're made to work for it today mind if

00:10the previous five wins were a walk in the park this one most certainly wasn't.

00:14After just four minutes Newcastle found themselves a goal down. First Premier

00:18League goal conceded in the last five games. Four clean sheets in a row for

00:25Dominic Solanke though heads in to put Spurs in front and Sven Bottmann made

00:31his return to the Newcastle United starting XI after almost 10 months out

00:35with an ACL injury and beaten to the ball by Dominic Solanke as Spurs went

00:42ahead early but I thought Sven Bottmann actually recovered really well

00:48actually in the game and Newcastle had to defend particularly well in the

00:53second half because they responded very quickly Anthony Gordon draws Newcastle

00:58level under controversial circumstances. Joe Linton it does hit his hand in the

01:04build-up but then Bruno slips through Gordon and Newcastle goal level good

01:10finish from him another another goal and he's getting into a habit of those goals

01:17and assists for Newcastle United in recent games I make that two goals four

01:22assists in his last six games I think for Newcastle United so good return for

01:27him though Ange Postacoglou after the game he wouldn't address the issue

01:31specifically but did sort of very clearly hint his frustration saying

01:37Spurs were beaten today or didn't win today due to non-footballing reasons and

01:42the handball from Joe Linton in the build-up to the goal clearly something

01:48that incensed him and his players in the bench but letter of the law as

01:52explained by the ever informative Premier League Match Centre is Joe Linton's

01:57arm was in a natural position okay it was handball but if the referee is not

02:02giving it on the field then it's not a clear and obvious error because it's a

02:07different phase of play I'll go back to Sean Longstaff's goal at Sheffield United

02:12early last season in that 8-0 win ball hit Anthony Gordon's hand but he wasn't

02:17a goal scorer so letter of the law that goal is legitimate as frustrating as it

02:21is from Spurs' perspective but I thought from that point Newcastle were the better

02:25side in the first half they were controlled I thought the midfield three

02:29Bruno in particular really grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and then

02:33before Newcastle finally did go ahead they had a few good chances to actually

02:38take the lead through the likes of Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon but then

02:42Isak once again for the seventh game running in the Premier League turns in

02:45Jacob Murphy's deflected cross really good reactions good movement from Isak

02:49in the box the sort of faintest of finishes finds the bottom left-hand

02:53corner and Newcastle take the lead and from that point on had a decent chance

02:59with Anthony Gordon in the second half on the counter-attack he blazes it over

03:03the bar other than that though didn't really have many chances in the second

03:07half Martin Dabravka had a couple of decent saves to make denied Brennan

03:11Johnson and then Dominic Solanke in stoppage time Spurs huffed and puffed

03:15tried to find an equaliser they did control majority of the second half

03:20and Newcastle were able to hang on but they did definitely have to hang on and

03:26were made to work for it I think Spurs could probably feel slightly

03:29disappointed they didn't draw today but hats off to Newcastle they found a

03:32different way to win and they did win so now the only concern really is I mean

03:40everyone got through the game in theory Anthony Gordon had a scratch on his nose

03:45Sven Botman went off with cramp as you'd expect after so long without playing

03:49Premier League football but now in a few days time it's away back in North London

03:54against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg and you just wonder

03:58some big performances recently particularly the Manchester United game

04:02and then here at Spurs today how much has it taken out of Newcastle physically

04:07and is fatigue an issue heading into that Spurs game Eddie Howe said look it's

04:11something we're gonna have to manage it is it is a concern and you saw in the

04:15latter stages of the game today where Joe Willock's coming on and playing up

04:18front make of that what you will Sean Longstaff's having to come on Harvey

04:23Barnes changes I made Lloyd Kelly came on as well in stoppage time for for

04:27Sven Botman so it was one of one of those games and you just wonder how much

04:34it's taken out the Newcastle but in terms of confidence in terms of results

04:37the squad really couldn't be in a better place I mean look at where it was a

04:41month ago where look bereft of confidence they look really struggling

04:46you look at that Brentford game 4-2 defeat last time they were they were in

04:51London and since then a corner has been turned I think the Leicester game was was

04:57an ideal game to to get back into the swing of things and since then they just

05:01haven't looked back and and today I mean could have went either way it was a bit

05:05of a flip of the coin game and that second half was was a tough watch at

05:09times but found a way to win and as long as they keep doing that in the Premier

05:14League I mean there's still faith but two points behind Nottingham Forest now

05:18who play on Monday do have the game in hand but you're looking in you you're

05:23pulling away from the likes of Manchester United and Spurs you double

05:26figures in terms of points ahead of those teams who you'd expect or

05:31certainly at the start of the season you would be in and around in the table so

05:34that's a big positive to take from today's game Newcastle finding ways to

05:38win and they've got another three points today so now we're on to Arsenal we'll

05:44have all the coverage I'll be at Eddie Howe's press conference on Monday so all

05:48the coverage from that and all the reaction from this game at the Tottenham

05:52Hotspur Stadium to come over on the Shields Gazette so please check that out

05:55I've been Dominic Scurr, this is the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, cheers!

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