Tottenham slide to meek defeat as confident Newcastle cash in on Lloris mistakes
Tottenham (0) 1 Kane 54
Newcastle United (2) 2 Wilson 31, Almiron 41
Harry Kane scored again but it was not enough for Spurs as they surrendered their 100 per cent home record in the league to an impressive Newcastle.
They started well but mistakes gifted the Magpies a leg-up which they took full advantage of. The visitors' confidence grew in tandem with boos and frustrated grumbles from the stands.
If Antonio Conte was expecting a quick response to the 2-0 defeat at Man United in midweek from his players, he did not get it, apart from during a decent opening 15 minutes for the hosts.
Spurs set off fast and furiously with Heung-Min Son clipping the roof of the net with a curling effort and then forcing a fine save from Nick Pope, after slipping past the last man to leave the goal at his mercy.
Pope’s outstretched left foot then kept out Kane as the striker dashed into the inside left channel with that familiar drop of the shoulder and series of feints – bearing down on goal, bearing down on the all-time goals record of Jimmy Greaves which is now just seven away.
Newcastle had not come to be mere bystanders, however, and former Spurs defender Kieron Trippier was soon orchestrating some danger out wide on the right.
Eric Dier almost beat his own keeper with an overhit backpass, which fortunately for both players, went wide. Then, after half an hour, Callum Wilson made the most of an error from Hugo Lloris to put the Magpies in front.
Both players raced onto a ball hit long by Fabian Schar and the Spurs skipper’s momentum saw him crash into Wilson but end up stranded outside his area after failing to clear.
The Newcastle striker had only to turn and lift the ball into an empty net. Not even VAR could find fault, even if Spurs players were convinced Lloris had been fouled.
It got worse before the half was done, with Miguel Almiron doubling the lead after Sean Longstaff's interception of Lloris’ attempted kick out wide to Ryan Sessegnon. The Paraguayan raced onwards with only one thing in mind, and after skipping too easily around Clement Lenglet he tucked home under the Spurs keeper.
Newcastle’s instinct seemed to be to keep attacking and they almost increased their lead after the break when Shar’s drive was palmed out by Lloris, but within moments Spurs were back in it with Kane nodding in an inswinging corner at the far post.
There was an agonising VAR check for offside before Kane’s 10th league goal of the season was confirmed.
Spurs seldom looked like grabbing a second though. Their play was often frantic and littered with mistakes, misplaced passes and turnovers. The frustration among home fans seemed to transmit onto the field in the way Spurs went about their business.
It was all very different from last season’s 5-1 home win in the corresponding fixture. That was only in April too.
They came closest when Ivan Perisic’s cross found the glancing head of Dier, but the effort drifted just wide. They could not complain about the outcome. Unbeaten in seven, Newcastle are now fourth and just two points behind Spurs.
Spurs: (3-5-2) Lloris – Sanchez (Doherty 81), Dier, Lenglet (Davies 81) – Emerson Royal, Bentancur, Bissouma, Skipp (Lucas Moura 67), R Sessegnon (Perisic 61) – Kane, Son. Subs not used: Forster, Gil, Spence, Tanganga, White
Magpies: (4-3-3) Pope – Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn – S Longstaff, Guimaraes (Shelvy 89), Willock (Murphy 75) – Almiron, Wilson (Wood 88), Joelinton. Subs not used: Karius, Lascelles, Shelvey, Lewis, Targett, Manquillo, Fraser
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