Newcastle United bounced back to winning ways with an obliteration of Tottenham’s backline, destroying any remaining Champions League hopes the North London club may have carried into Sunday’s game.
Prior to the match, Cristian Stellini, Tottenham’s interim manager, had described how St James Park is one of the ‘worst stadiums to play at’ because of the ‘atmospheric power’. However, Spurs were largely their own worst enemies with a kamikaze start that left them 3-0 down within nine minutes and 5-0 down within the first 21 minutes.
Jacob Murphy opened the scoring in the second minute, before Joelinton doubled Newcastle’s advantage in the sixth minute of play and just three minutes later it was time for Murphy to again find the net, this time with a superb long range effort, giving him his second of the afternoon and his third of the season.
Ten minutes later, Newcastle’s record signing claimed his goals of the game, with two well taken finishes coming within two minutes of each other, taking the Swedish striker into double figures for his debut Premier League season.
In the second half, Tottenham started well with Harry Kane showing his ever present quality to get one back for Spurs, but the game had already been lost. Newcastle showed their resilience to see out the game, with Callum Wilson adding another in the 67th minute.
This was Newcastle’s biggest win at home against Spurs since their 7-1 win at home in December 1996 against the North London club.
The victory takes them six points above Spurs having played one game less, seemingly giving the Magpies near certainty over Champions League football being played at St James Park.
Story of the Match
Going into Sunday afternoon’s game, Eddie Howe made just the one change from last week’s 3-0 loss to Aston Villa with Antony Gordon dropping to the bench to be replaced by Sean Longstaff.
Meanwhile, Stellini decided to switch the formation up for Tottenham, bringing in Pape Matar Sarr in the midfield in exchange for either Davinson Sanchez or Clement Lenglet at the back to make it a 4-3-3 formation.
As a result, Tottenham, for the first time this season, lined up with two full backs in Pedro Porro and Ivan Perisic, with Cristian Romero and Eric Dier playing as a centre-back pairing.
Newcastle blow Tottenham away within 20 minutes
However, the tactical gamble which had initially left Spurs fans optimistic did not pay off, with Newcastle taking the lead in just the second minute.
The ball was bouncing around in midfield before Bruno Guimarães got it on the deck, fizzed it out to Joelinton who turned inside, easily going round both Pedro Porro and Romero before firing a low shot towards goal. Hugo Lloris made the save, but his defenders were too slow to react with Murphy smashing in the rebound.
Just four minutes later, Newcastle’s lead was doubled when Fabian Schär expertly played a long diagonal ball from the right side of his own half to Joelinton who seemingly went unnoticed by Romero and Porro as he ran in off the back of them to take it past Lloris and fire the ball into the empty net.
Three minutes later, it was starting to get embarrassing for Tottenham. Dier played Son into trouble, the latter lost the ball to Schär with Murphy subsequently picking it up and trying his luck from range.
The ball was superbly struck by the right winger, flying past Lloris into the right hand side of his goal with the Frenchman stood motionless as the ball hit the back of the net.
Murphy seemed equally surprised with a wry and confused smile as Tottenham self-destructed in one of the make or break games of their season.
Nine minutes later, Tottenham were still imploding. Guimarães once again won the ball in the middle of the park where he played it to Joe Willock. With the outside of his boot, he audaciously threaded the ball in between the Tottenham backline to Isak who with a calm and assured finish slotted it past Lloris to make it 4-0 to the Magpies.
Two minutes later, Isak added another with his tenth goal of the season. A short passage of play down Newcastle’s right hand side, from a free-kick in their own half, ended with Sean Longstaff cutting it back to Isak, who fired the ball into the far corner past a defeated Lloris.
Newcastle’s frontman again looked bemused running away with his hands in the air as if to ask ‘what is going on?’.
With just 21 minutes on the clock, the game was finished, with the issue of who would most likely be playing in Europe’s top competition next season seemingly decided as well.
In the 23rd minute, Sanchez was brought on for Sarr with Stellini looking like a man out of ideas and one who had already given up on his big tactical change – the first thing that had differed the Italian from his former boss Antonio Conte.
With Sanchez on, Spurs gained more composure, but Newcastle maintained their attacking desire, coming close on numerous occasions to add to Tottenham’s misery.
By the 38th minute, the Toon faithful were singing ‘hooray’ every time their side completed a pass which comically almost ended up with the ball in the back of the net. Former Arsenal man, Willock, fired just over after Isak had teed him up.
Spurs had no attacking intent throughout the first half, relying on individual moments of brilliance to try and break down the Newcastle backline. However, quite often, the ball ended up with Lloris who would smash it far away and out of play for a Newcastle throw-in.
Far too little, far too late from Tottenham
At half-time, Lloris, who is still Tottenham’s captain, was replaced by Forster. Whether it was down to the way the Frenchman was playing or injury is still yet to be known.
Tottenham started the second half well and with an early goal from Harry Kane, things seemed a little brighter. Porro started to show his attacking intent down the right hand side while Perisic was fed by an eager Son only to fire over Nick Pope’s goal.
However, it was a story of far too little and far too late for Tottenham. Newcastle were happy to take a more patient approach in the second half, sitting back and maintaining their shape when they needed to before attacking with aggressive intent.
In the 53rd minute, Dan Burn almost made it six with a header that was blocked by Sean Longstaff who couldn’t get out of the way in time.
Newcastle looked assured and in the 67th minute, Callum Wilson, who had replaced Isak off the bench, made it 6-1 with another rebound effort after substitute Miguel Almiron’s effort was blocked by Romero before bouncing across to the waiting Wilson who poked it past Forster.
In the 70th minute, Gordon joined the field of play. Minutes later, he went close to getting his first Newcastle goal, only to be denied by the left boot of an outstretched Forster.
By the time the full-time whistle went, Newcastle fans had been long assured of their victory and were already dreaming of Champions League football.
The Magpies now sit in 3rd position, above Manchester United and more importantly six points above 5th placed Tottenham, who look out of ideas and out of ambition.
Player of the Match - Jacob Murphy
There were many contenders in that Newcastle side to be player of the match with impressive displays by Joelinton, Isak and Guimarães.
However, the star man was arguably Murphy. The winger provided a constant threat down the right side and capped his display with two goals – the first a rebound effort and the second being his superb long range effort.
Newcastle have THREE!! 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/GaGmo9nnI9
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 23, 2023