Micky van de Ven had a game to forget as Eddie Howe’s side ran amok in the face of surprisingly feeble resistance from their visitors
“It was a great performance from us,” says the Newcastle manager in a BBC interview. “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.”
Premier League: Alexander Isak scored twice in the face of astonishingly feeble Tottenham resistance, as Newcastle ran riot to go sixth in the table. Louise Taylor reports from St James’ Park …
James Maddison: “It was just a really bad day,” the Tottenham midfielder tells TNT Sports. “We conceded the first goal and when you concede a second so quickly at a place like this … From the kick-off we sloppily went back to the keeper knowing they’re going to press and you find yourself 2-0 down and give yourself a mountain to climb.
“I felt at 0-0 out there there were some chances for us, spaces to play. We just weren’t brave enough, I think, with the ball - too many safe passes, too many safe options, not enough courage to try and play a riskier pass. It was all a bit safe which I think cost us at 0-0. When you concede two so quickly … well, it’s sloppy little details that cost us.”
Anthony Gordon: “We knew we couldn’t play our normal way against this team because they are so good with the ball,” the Newcastle winger tells TNT Sports. “So we changed tactically, went man for man and the game plan that the manager set us up with was outstanding.”
“It’s a tough one, a bit raw at the moment,” says the Tottenham manager in an interview with the BBC. “Credit to Newcastle, I thought they were really good today. We never really got to grips with the game and weren’t able to execute any of the stuff we usually do.”
On Newcastle’s quick-fire opening two goals: “I thought even before that we lacked a little bit of conviction today in a lot of things. They can hurt you particularly in transition and they did that today.”
On Tottenham’s need to put this result behind them: “You’ve got no choice,” he says. “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.”
Newcastle’s players take the plaudits. And they’re well deserved. It was an excellent performance from Eddie Howe’s depleted side, who go above Manchester United and West Ham into sixth place. Tottenham stay in fifth place, level on points with Aston Villa but one goal worse off after 32 games each.
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeeep! It’s all over at St James’ Park, where Newcastle have run out thoroughly deserving winners on the back of an excellent performance in the face of surprisingly feeble opposition. It’s a big setback for Spurs, who will need to quickly purge this dreadful performance from the collective system ahead of several stern tests.
90+2 min: Newcastle double-substitution: Paul Dummett and Joe White come on for Bruno Guimaraes and Fabian Schar. Barring a dust-up on the touchline or in the tunnel, Guimaraes is now free to get booked with impunity for the rest of the season, so a tip of the hat to him. A tip of the hat to Schar, too. He has been outstanding for Newcastle today.
90 min: It will be interesting to hear what Ange Postecoglou has to say in his post-match interview. Expect to see minimal eye contact with his interrogator as he tries to unpick the horror of what he has seen unfold over the past 90 minutes. Tottenham have been shocking today.
Newcastle make it four! Anthony Gordon sends the ball towards the far post, where a completely unmarked Fabian Schar rises to steer a header back across the face of goal and into the back of the net. Oh Spurs.
85 min: Sean Longstaff wins a free-kick deep in Newcastle territory and his side advance upfield. Harvey Barnes cuts inside Van de Ven and rolls the ball into the path of Gordon, who should have hit it first time. He dilly-dallies instead and Newcastle have a corner. From which they score!
82 min: Spurs continue huffing and puffing to little effect but win a corner when an Emerson Royal cross is put out of play by Elliot Anderson. It’s been a very easy day at the office for Newcastle’s players, due in no small part to some atrocious defending on the part of their visitors.
82 min: Spurs substitution: Giovani Lo Celso comes on for James Maddison.
80 min: Newcastle corner. Gordon’s delivery is cleared by Emerson Royal, but only as far as Krafth. His dipping shot hits the foot of the far upright.
80 min: Newcastle substitution: Tino Livramento is on for Jacob Murphy, who seems to have picked up a knock.
77 min: Next up for Spurs? Arsenal (h), Chelsea (a), Liverpool (a). In the unlikely event they play as badly as they have today, they will get absolutely battered in all three of those games. Well, two of them. They also have to face Manchester City in a month’s time.
75 min: Timo Werner pulls the ball back to Hojbjerg near the edge of the Newcastle penalty area. The midfielder’s shot is blocked.
74 min: Emile Krafth puts the ball out of play with a well-timed tackle to prevent Timo Werner running on to a through ball from Maddison. Good defending.
72 min: Romero and Isak go to ground after a coming-together and there’s a short break in play as they untangle themselves. Free-kick for Newcastle, wide on the left. The ball’s sent towards Schar but headed away by his near namesake Sarr.
70 min: Maddison drills a cross-shot through the Newcastle penalty area and the ball ends up at the feet of Kulusevski. His shot is blocked by Dan Burn.
68 min: It’s heart-in-mouth time for Spurs fans as Vicario, with the ball at his feet, comes under pressure from Harvey Barnes. The goalkeeper neatly sidesteps the Newcastle winger and sends the ball towards the touchline.
65 min: Now Spurs have a corner. Maddison takes it short and Newcastle clear with a minimum of fuss. Tottenham substitution I missed eight minutes ago: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg on for Yves Bissouma.
64 min: Newcastle win their 14th corner, many of which Tottenham have defended abysmally. They’re looked really uncomfortable under crosses. Van de Ven clears the latest inswinger from Anthony Gordon, who has been superb for Newcastle today.
62 min: James Maddison is booked for a high boot on Jacob Murphy. It was quite a dangerous, forceful challenge and the Spurs No10 is perhaps lucky to avoid a red card.
60 min: We pass the hour mark, with Newcastle three goals to the good. Sheepish confession: I thought Tottenham would batter Eddie Howe’s side today but Newcastle keep defying my low expectations in the face of their injury crisis.
57 min: Tottenham double-substitution: Pape Sarr and Dejan Kulusevski replace Rodrigo Bentancur and Heung-min Son. Brennan Johnson moves into the middle of Tottenham’s front three, with Kulusevski taking his place on the right.
56 min: Gordon curls a free-kick from the left across the Newcastle penalty area but Isak is not quite able to glance it goalwards.
54 min: Newcastle have a penalty appeal for handball correctly turned down and have to settle for a corner. Gordon sends the ball towards the near post, where it’s cleared by Destiny Odogie.
Newcastle score a third! Given the freedom of the park by – that man again – Micky van de Ven, Alexander Isak sprints on to a long ball from deep, bears down on the Newcastle goal from inside his own half and fires the ball past Vicario. It was a brilliantly timed run but what was Van de Ven doing? His head is in the tumble-dryer.
51 min: Timo Werner cuts in from the left and unleashes a ashot. It’s straight at Dubravka, who is unable to hold on to the ball but grabs it at the second attempt.
50 min: Tottenham substitution: Emerson Royal is on for Pedro Porro, who seems to have picked up an injury. Nothing comes of the Newcastle corner.
48 min: Newcastle send the free-kick into the box. It’s flicked towards Isak by Fabian Schar and the Swedish striker wins a corner for his side. It’s very poor defending by Tottenham.
46 min: Yves Bissouma sees yel;low for an ill-judged lunge on Sean Longstaff. It seems a harsh booking but his name is taken.
46 min: Play resumes with no changes on either side and reports from TNT that some raised voices could be heard from the Tottenham dressing-room during the break. “They need to cut out the individual errors and close down Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak,” says Peter Crouch., who is on duty as a pundit.
Micky van de Ven: Caught in one-on-ones on two occasions, replays show Tottenham’s central defender was sat on his backside by Isak and Gordon as they cut inside him and he was running too fast to change direction withoutlosing his balance. If anything, Clive, he’s running too quickly …
Peep! Referee Tim Robinson signals the break and the players troop off. Newcastle lead courtesy of goals scored by Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon in the space of 90 seconds, both featuring comically slapstick cameos from Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven. Spurs’ chances have been limited and Timo Werner has missed the two most presentable ones.
45 min: Martin Dubravka saves comfortably from a Maddison tester as we approach half-time.
42 min: Dan Burn catches Rodrigo Bentancur with a high boot in the Newcastle penalty area but Spurs don’t get a spot-kick despite their appeals and video assistant ref Stuart Attwell having another look at the incident.
39 min: Newcastle’s opener was a strange goal. Anthony Gordon did very well to hold off Destiny Udogie before playing a lovely pass from the right inside to Isak. With Van de Ven between him and Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, the defender appeared to just trip over his own feet, allowing the Swede to pick his spot and fire home.
Much the same thing happened as Gordon scored Newcastle’s secvond goal, prompting TNT Sports co-commentator Ally McCoist to speculate that the Dutch speed merchant must be wearing rollerblades instead of football boots.
37 min: Spurs are on the ropes and Van de Ven is in the thick of the action again. He slides in to deny Alexander Isak after the striker had been played through on goal by Harvey Barnes.