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Season 2023-24
Spurs (h) Premier League

 


Date:
Saturday 13th April 2024, 12.30pm
Live on TNT Sports

Venue:
St. James' Park

Conditions: Sound
 



Newcastle

Spurs

 

4 - 0


 

Teams

Goals

30 mins A Spurs attack broke down on the edge of the Newcastle box and was hoisted upfield to Anthony Gordon, towards the right flank over halfway. He left Destiny Udogie flailing and falling, before heading goalwards and slipping a pass beyond Cristian Romero to Alexander Isak.

He coolly left Micky van de Ven on his backside before emphatically firing past Guglielmo Vicario, initially receiving the ball with his left foot, taking a steadying touch with his right boot and then pulling the trigger with his right and placing it to the goalkeeper's right.


TV cameras then captured Dan Burn using BSL to convey a "love the fans" message. He had met deaf fans at the launch of the haptic shirt and was taught some sign language by them. 1-0


32 mins Spurs funnelled the ball back towards their own goal from kick-off, Gordon chasing down Vicario and forcing him into a hasty clearance towards the touchline on the Milburn Stand. 

Dan Burn beat Brennan Johnson to head the ball forward and that fell to Pedro Porro, who inexplicably tried to volley the ball back to his goalkeeper. That gifted Anthony Gordon possession and he dumped van de Ven on his Dutch derriere again, stepping infield before looping his shot home from six yards out. His subsequent fist touching celebration wasn't anything to do with BSL. 
2-0

Half time: Newcastle 2 Spurs 0

51 mins A Spurs attack broke down outside the United box and a similar clearance from Bruno to the one that prompted the opening goal sent Alexander Isak clear, outpacing Van de Ven before repeating the same three touch combination that brought his opening goal - putting it to the goalkeeper's left at the Gallowgate End this time.

Celebrations were slightly muted in anticipation of a VAR check for offside, but the linesman's decision was ratified with the scorer a yard inside his own half when Bruno Guimaraes played it forward.
3-0

87 mins Barnes set up Gordon for a shot in the area that looked to be heading in until it bounced off a defender and out of play. The taking of the right wing corner by Gordon was delayed as a visiting defender clung limpet-like to Isak. When the flag kick was belatedly sent over, it fell perfectly for the unmarked Fabian Schar to power a header home. 4-0

Full time: Newcastle 4 Spurs 0

We Said

 
Eddie Howe said:

"It was a great performance from us. I thought the players executed everything in a really professional, diligent way. I’m really pleased with the players.

"We protected the lead really well because we went for more goals and were aggressive still. We looked in a really great place physically, were able to execute what we wanted to do, and I think everyone performed at a very good level.

"Tottenham are unique in what they do and we felt we needed to change to give ourselves the best chance of what we wanted to do. 

"I thought tactically it worked, it was a really good delivery from the players, they always deserve the praise for the execution. Our concentration levels were really good."

On Fabian Schar:

"This season we've really needed him. he's been the consistent in the team and he's been incredible on the ball. It's no good being on the ball if you're defensively not at the highest level but he has been. 

" His attitude to defending has been excellent and he deserves a lot of credit for his performances."

On Bruno Guimaraes avoiding suspension:

"A big relief, for him and for us.

"I was just saying earlier, we had a meeting a long time ago and he promised me he wouldn’t get booked, and I didn’t believe a word of it to be honest!

"Because we had so many games to go and his style of play is what it is, I didn’t think he could control that in the moments he needed to.

"But an amazing thing he’s done for the team because he knew if we lost him we’d be even more depleted. As you saw today, it is so important to us.

"I thought the ironic thing was he’d get booked after the game which I could not believe so we had to calm him.”

On fringe players:

"I think the emergence of some of the players people wouldn't have thought would have played will hopefully serve us well for the next few years. 

"Elliot Anderson was excellent, he's been trying to burst into the team and stay in the team."

On whether his side can finish above Manchester United:

"Who knows? We've just got to keep doing our bit which is trying to win every game. We're hopefully returning to somewhere near our best and we've got to keep heading in that direction."

On the new Wor Flags "local heroes" banner:

"I wanted to step on the pitch and applaud it."

They Said

 

Ange Postecoglou said:

"It’s a tough one, a bit raw at the moment. 

"Newcastle were good, credit to them, I thought they were really good today.
We just didn't really get a grip of the game at all. 

"Right from the start it felt like we allowed Newcastle to dictate the way the game was played, we never really wrestled control at any stage. We paid a price for that.

"It ended up being a transition game. A lot of it was self-inflicted by us. We were not brave on the ball. We have been really good this year at understanding that when we have the ball we can be a threat. We just shied away from that today.

"When you do that you allow the game to be played on Newcastle's terms. When that happens especially away from home it is hard for us to then claw it back once it has got away from us.

"They pressed us, but no more than other teams have. We’ve always had solutions to that, but today we didn’t have the belief or bravery to play our football.

"You can’t sit there and feel sorry for yourself, it’s not the nature of what we do. There’s some lessons in there and we’ve got to learn them."

Stats


In addition to the one-off front of shirt advertising, the home shirt worn today had an extended white back panel. That had the effect of making names and numbers more readable, providing improved contrast compared to the usual layout when both were placed over stripes.

Alexander Isak reached 17 Premier League goals this season and now has 21 in all competitions. That PL total of 17 has only been exceeded by Callum Wilson's haul of 18 last season, since Alan Shearer contributed 22 in the 2003/04 campaign. 21 in all competitions is the best by any Magpie since Shearer's total of 28 in that 2003/04 campaign.

27 PL goals sees Isak leapfrog Michael Owen and match Craig Bellamy in the club's PL scoring charts. He's now one behind Obafemi Martins and two shy of Demba Ba and Gary Speed. 

Isak netted for his sixth successive PL home game, taking him past Yoan Gouffran's five game run in 2013/14. Ahead of him lie Andy Cole (eight during 1993/94) and Alan Shearer (15 during 1996/97). 

Isak's current run also counts in a variant of that stat, counting successive home games that we played rather than ones in which that particular player featured. Les Ferdinand also managed six in 1995/96, Shearer racked up half a dozen in 1996/97 and Coles' run in 1993/94 was eight.

Anthony Gordon
reached double figures in the PL and his 11 goals for United in that competition put him level with in the club list with Dwight Gayle, Keith Gillespie, Yoan Gouffran, Salomon Rondon, Jonjo Shelvey, Moussa Sissoko, Steve Watson and Gini Wijnaldum.

The gap between the first and second goals was 95 seconds, quicker than the 90 seconds between Jamaal Lascelles and Joelinton scoring at the Gallowgate End against Chelsea in November 2023. The interval between Isak and Gordon finding the net against Manchester City at the Leazes End in January was 139 seconds.

Fabian Schar'
s goal-laden campaign continued with a fourth in the PL (five in all competitions). The Swiss defender now has 14 to his name in the PL - level with Joe Willock and Loic Remy and just one behind Andy Carroll. The nearest defender to him on the list is Steven Taylor on 12.

The 15th Newcastle goal of Schar's career also brought up a senior career half-century with his scoring contributions for Deportivo la Coruna (two), Hoffenheim (one), Basel (15), Wil (9) and the Swiss national side (eight).

With two fixtures remaining at SJP, 11 home wins equals last season's tally from the full season. 69 goals exceeds our 2022/23 total by one and is our third-highest PL total ever. They've only scored more on two occasions, hitting 74 in 2001/02 and 82 in 1993/94 (the latter a 42 game season).

43
home goals in the PL is our fourth-best best top-flight return, exceeded only by 46 in 1994/95 (21 games), 51 in 1993/94 (21 games) and 54 in the 1996/97 (19 games).

Martin Dubravka
is the first goalkeeper to keep a PL clean sheet against the Cockerels at SJP since Shay Given in December 2003. Spurs had netted at least once in all 17 PL visits until today. 

United extended their record of scoring in every PL home game this season to 17 - comfortably their best start to a season, exceeding the 13 they kicked off with in both 1995/96 and 1996/97.

That figure is within the top five scoring sequences in Newcastle's 553 PL home games to date: 

16 1993/94 
17 2023/24 (ongoing)
18 1995/96 (5) and 1996/97 (13)
18 2002/03 (17) and 2003/04 (1)
24
 1994/95 (11) and 1995/96 (13)

The most recent season that the Magpies scored in every home league game was 1982/83, when they managed 43 across 21 Second Division fixtures at SJP.

Newcastle registered back-to-back clean sheets in the PL for the first time since September 2023. Martin Dubravka last achieved that back in the PL during April 2022.


Spurs in Toon: PL era:

2023/24 won 4-0 Isak 2, Gordon, Schar
2022/23
won 6-1 Murphy 2, Joelinton, Isak 2, Wilson
2021/22 lost 2-3 Wilson, og (Dier)
2020/21 drew 2-2 Joelinton, Willock
2019/20 lost 1-3 Ritchie
2018/19 lost 1-2 Joselu
2017/18 lost 0-2
2015/16 won 5-1 Wijnaldum 2, Mitrovic, Janmaat, Aarons
2014/15 lost 1-3 Colback
2013/14 lost 0-4
2012/13 won 2-1 Ba, Ben Arfa
2011/12 drew 2-2 Ba, Sh.Ameobi
2010/11 drew 1-1 Coloccini
2008/09 won 2-1 N'Zogbia, Duff
2008/09 lost 1-2 Owen (LC)
2007/08 won 3-1 Martins, Cacapa, Milner
2006/07 won 3-1 Dyer, Martins, Parker
2005/06 won 3-1 Bowyer, Sh.Ameobi, Shearer
2004/05 won 1-0 Kluivert (FAC)
2004/05 lost 0-1
2003/04 won 4-0 Shearer 2, Robert 2
2002/03 won 2-1 Speed, Shearer
2001/02 lost 0-2
2000/01 won 2-0 Speed, Cordone
1999/00 won 6-1 Shearer 2, Speed, Dabizas, Ferguson, Dyer (FAC)
1999/00 won 2-1 Glass, Dabizas
1998/99 drew 1-1 Ketsbaia
1997/98 won 1-0 Barton
1996/97 won 7-1 Shearer 2, Ferdinand 2, Lee 2, Albert
1995/96 drew 1-1 Ferdinand
1994/95 drew 3-3 D.Peacock, Gillespie, Beardsley
1993/94 lost 0-1


Waffle

On a day when they debuted a new sensory shirt benefiting deaf fans, Newcastle shook Champions League hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off, those of a home persuasion inside St. James' Park picking up good vibrations.

Almost a year to the day that they'd pulverised the Cockerels 6-1, there was little anticipation of a similar showing. As it turned out though, this four goal victory was every bit as emphatic as 2023's.

Losing Lewis Hall and Joe Willock following the previous Saturday's victory at Fulham, Eddie Howe adopted a flexible back three/five approach and was able to name a front trio comprising of messrs Gordon, Barnes and Isak starting together for the first time.  

United started the brighter of the two sides and half chances for Harvey Barnes and Elliot Anderson in the first quarter could easily have led to the opener, Timo Werner badly miscuing an even more presentable chance at the other end.

There was a nagging concern that Emil Krafth's lack of pace would be exposed after he was turned twice early on, but with James Maddison more interested in fouling and histrionics than using his undoubted skill, that perennial thorn in our side Son Heung Min was crucially short on support. 

Once ahead, United simply blew away the visitors with two goals in each half: Alexander Isak added a brace to his phenomenal tally on a day when a first Toon treble was within his grasp.  Two expert strikes took him to 21 in all competitions this season - 17 in the Premier League - Anthony Gordon and Fabian Schar completing the rout with fine finishes of their own.

Newcastle's opener came on the half hour, Gordon taking Bruno's pass from the edge of his own area and eluding Destiny Udogie before heading goalwards and slipping a pass beyond Cristian Romero to Isak. He coolly left Micky van de Ven on his backside before emphatically firing past Guglielmo Vicario.

He was fishing the ball out of the net again 95 seconds later; Dan Burn's ball down the left touchline falling to Pedro Porro, who inexplicably tried to volley the ball back to his goalkeeper. That gifted Gordon possession and he dumped van de Ven on his Dutch derriere again, stepping infield before looping his shot home from six yards out. 

From then on, Newcastle completely controlled a Spurs side as nondescript as their kit, seemingly fashioned from old army blankets. Back with a vengeance was the energetic and aggressive press, crucially combined with intelligent covering when the visitors threatened to break out.

Visiting boss Ange Postecglou emerged early for the second period but his team showed rather less enthusiasm and just six minutes into the second half, Isak strode clear of the Spurs high line to tuck the ball home.

Celebrations were slightly muted in anticipation of a VAR check for offside, but the linesman's decision was ratified with the scorer a yard inside his own half when Bruno Guimaraes played it forward.

Three goals to the good, the hosts were content to soak up pressure from a Spurs side who retained the ball outside the United box but seldom looked like testing Dubravka. Post-match statistics revealed that United barely had a quarter of overall possession.

Having won umpteen corners and claimed possession from them without scoring, Emil Krafth's volley after an 80th minute flag kick looked to have born fruit - only to glance off the goal frame.

However one of his defensive colleagues would make a late breakthrough, Fabian Schar powerfully heading home Gordon's corner three minutes from the end to send the last remaining Spurs fans to the exits, with chants of "it's happened again" ringing in their ears from gloating home followers.

They may have come at different times and in different contexts - notably the day that an already relegated Magpies side wiped the floor with Spurs here in 2016 - but the delicious delight in sticking it up this lot at Gallowgate never gets old.   

Three points took Newcastle above West Ham and Manchester United into sixth - our highest placing since last December. Howe's side then retained that position on goal difference after the Red Devils drew 2-2 at Bournemouth on Saturday teatime.

Sunday then brought the bonus of a 0-2 home loss for West Ham at the hands of Fulham, leaving the Hammers two points behind Newcastle and having now played a game more than ourselves.

Despite the ongoing dismay over not beating Everton here, ten points out of 12 since losing the FA Cup Quarter Final has rekindled our season, not only in the stands but also in the dressing room. 

That's despite the ongoing injury issues and unexplained absence of Trippier from the squad, involved in promotional work with the RNID shirt but absent from the post-match victory photo.

Howe has been unfairly compared to more illustrious bosses by some in recent weeks, but today this victory was achieved by a side doing it his way, disciplined, dangerous and organised.

Biffa/Niall MacKenzie


 



Page last updated 24 June, 2024