London: After an unbeaten spell of 11 matches, including nine victories, from the start of the season, Tottenham Hotspur seemed to have lost their way with four defeats in five consecutive Premier League games until hitting two goals in each half for an emphatic 4-1 win against Newcastle.
Tottenham manager, Ange Postecoglou, praised his team captain Heung-Min Son and striker Richarlison, for their performance: “That’s what you need from leadership and the rest of the lads fed off that. We were a lot more threatening in the final third than we have been. With Sonny, he’s still our best finisher and I thought getting him back on the left would give us some more avenues to score goals.”
About Richarlison, the £50m signing from Everton last season, who scored twice on return from groin surgery, he said: “Since he’s come back he feels a lot better physically and I think that’s helped him mentally as well. It wasn’t just his goals, it was his general work-rate, energy and physicality.”
Tottenham were an attacking force throughout the game and clinical up front. Although it was Newcastle who could have taken the lead within the first 10 minutes but Alexander Isak missed the chance as he side-footed into touchline from point-blank range and held his head in disbelief.
Spurs too missed chances. Christian Romero’s header was hooked off the line by Miguel Almiron, then Richarlison just failed to meet a superb cross from Son first and then Brennan Johnson’s pass into the area was a little too far ahead of him.
But the spurt of Spur’s goals began just over midway through the first half. It came from a low cross from Son which Destiny Udogie firmly drove in as he rushed at it along with two defenders on him.
The second goal came in the 38th minute with Son beating Kieran Trippier as he dribbled past him and pulled the ball back to the six-yard line from where Richarlison drilled his shot in. Trippier had been having a difficult time in marking the Tottenham captain who kept beating him on the left wing throughout the match.
Newcastle should have scored shortly before the break when Anthony Gordon sent a fine pass to Almiron who hit his shot too close to Guglielmo Vicario in the Tottenham goal.
A quarter of an hour into the second half, Spurs extended their lead with Richarlison meeting a long pass from Pedro Porro and going past Jamaal Lascelles then sliding the ball through the legs of Martin Dubravka before guiding it into the net for the third goal.
Five minutes before normal time, Son converted a penalty after he had been fouled by Dubravka and in added time Joelinton scored a consolation goal for the visitors.
Newcastle manager, Eddie Howe, who has injury problems in the squad said: “Physically we looked a fatigued side and there wasn’t much we could do about it. We’re in a difficult position but we’ll keep going. The players are used to it, big games with minimal rest. All we can do is take the next challenge on.”
English Premier League results on Sunday:
Everton 2 (Doucoure 54, Dobbin 90) Chelsea 0
Fulham 5 (Jimenez 22, Willian 31, Adarabioyo 41, Wilson 60, Vinicius 89) West Ham 0
Luton 1 (Adebayo 45+2) Manchester City 2 (Silva 62, Grealish 65)
Tottenham 4 (Udogie 26, Richarlison 38, 60, Son 85-pen) Newcastle 1 (Joelinton 90+1)
Played Saturday
Aston Villa 1 (McGinn 7) Arsenal 0
Brighton 1 (Adingra 77) Burnley 1 (Odobert 45)
Crystal Palace 1 (Mateta 57-pen) Liverpool 2 (Salah 76, Elliott 90+1)
Manchester United 0 Bournemouth 3 (Solanke 5, Billing 68, Senesi 73)
Sheffield United 1 (McAtee 45+1) Brentford 0
Wolves 1 (Cunha 32) Nottingham Forest 1 (Toffolo 14)
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