Spurs Strike Five to Spring Into Top Four

Sunday 3rd April 2022 - 4:30pm

Match Report

Tottenham Hotspur 5 – 1 Newcastle

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Competition: English Premier League

"Pre-Match Thoughts – Spurs back in action following an international break. With Arsenal 3 points ahead of us in 4th, every game is huge from here until the end of the season. On paper, Newcastle at home should be an easy win, but Eddie Howe appears to have sorted them out, stringing together a number of good results that has lifted them out of the relegation zone and up to 15th in the table. Spurs tend to struggle against teams that sit back and defend against them too.

It's a tough one to predict because it could go either way - we could score a few goals and run rampant, or find ourselves in a real low-scoring scrap.

I'll go positive with the prediction, 3-0 Spurs."

Conte made a single change to the line-up as Emerson Royal came in for the injured Reguilón, and Doherty switched to the left to allow him to play as the right wing-back.

The opening stages involved Spurs passing it around in front of the Newcastle box, unable to pick the lock.

17' Kulusevski drew a foul in a shooting position on the edge of the area. Slightly to the right, it was better suited to a left-footer, but Dier stepped up and struck a decent effort at goal that was just wide.

22' Dier snatched at a clearance in his own area and Newcastle bundled it into a shooting position around the 6-yard box, Romero came sliding in to make a vital block at the last to prevent the shot from troubling Lloris' goal.

35' Royal carried the ball in from the right before playing it back out wide to Kulusevski who cut back to the top left corner of the box and sent over a cross that Højbjerg met with his head, but his effort was narrowly over the bar.

38' Son dived into a tackle from behind and conceded a silly foul in a dangerous position.

39' Goal. Slightly to the left, Schär stepped up and caught Lloris out by dispatching it low across goal into the bottom right corner. Hugo got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out. 1-0.

Spurs who'd already been struggling for chances now had even more work to do if they were to win this game.

43' GOAL! Son sent in a corner, Romero flew in and won the header, it ricocheted off a Newcastle defender and fell to Dier, he was quick to lay it back out to Son on the left side who whipped in a delicious cross that Davies rose toward to glance an excellent header into the right side of the net. Spurs straight back on level terms. 1-1.

"Thoughts at Half-Time – It was all very pedestrian for the majority of the half, with Spurs struggling to break down the Newcastle wall sitting behind the ball. It looked alarming when they scored, but thankfully Spurs struck straight back. Let's hope Conte fires them up in the dressing room and we come out and find a way to win in the second half."

48' GOAL! Kulusevski intercepted on halfway and played it into Kane who wrestled off the giant Dan Burn and worked his way into a pocket of space on the right side. He curled a ball in behind the Newcastle backline that Son looked certain to side-foot home, but he completely missed it. Thankfully Doherty was creeping in at the far post and diving headered against the ground and up into the top left corner. Perfect start to the half. 2-1.

54' GOAL! Højbjerg found Kulusevski who touched it back to Kane who stroked another exquisite pass down the right flank for Kulusevski to sprint onto. He knocked it further down the line before rifling across goal into the feet of Son, who took a touch to control, then dispatched it into the back of the net. 3-1.

63' GOAL! Son found Doherty on the right, he turned back and played a one-two with Kulusevski on the top corner of the box. Receiving it back inside the area, Doherty cut back onto his right foot and crossed in to Royal who slid to beat the defender to it and poke the ball against the base of the post and in from close range. 4-1.

66' Sublime diagonal pass from Kane from inside his own half to pick out Son in space on the edge of the area. Son took it into his stride before striking low across goal but it trickled a fraction wide of the far post. He just dragged it a touch.

79' Winks got the ball out of his feet and struck a curler toward the top right corner from around 30 yards out. It was a good effort but just a tad too high.

83' GOAL! Bergwijn bounced up off the bench and slotted one home for himself! Dier won it on the left side on halfway, Son took over and played inside to Moura, Moura went to dribble it forward but was taken down under pressure, thankfully he managed to squeeze it through to Bergwijn who finished coolly low to the left. 5-1.

85' Hojbjerg chipped over the top to Bergwijn who smashed it on the half-volley, it beat the keeper but landed on top of the net rather than in it. It would have been a spectacular goal.

90' Kane was eager to get in on the goals and cut inside on the edge of the area before unleashing a shot for the near post. It was just wide though.

"Thoughts at Full-Time – Conte certainly fired them up in that dressing room at half-time. Spurs came out a different side in the second half and ran rampant. It got us the goal difference that temporarily takes us into 4th above Arsenal, and could prove crucial come the end of the season. All eyes on Arsenal at Palace tomorrow to see if we remain there."

Tottenham Player Ratings

• 1. Hugo Lloris – 6 – Caught out on his side from the free-kick after stepping to his right anticipating it to come up and over the wall. Had hardly anything else to do.

• 4. Cristian Romero – 9 – A rock at the back again. Made a vital block to deny Willock in the first half. Won everything that came his way and does so with such vigour that it seems to put attackers off going near him.

• 15. Eric Dier – 8 – Organised the backline well again. Decent free-kick in the first half and won the ball on halfway in the build-up for the fifth.

• 33. Ben Davies– 8.5 – Another dutiful display from him. Did his jobs and found the net with a lovely glancing header that got us back on level terms. It was a goal he clearly enjoyed and one he thoroughly deserves.

• 2. Matt Doherty – 9 – Continues his resurgence under Conte. Many wouldn't have been impressed to see him line-up on the left, but he did brilliantly, chipping in with a well-taken goal and an assist too.

• 5. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg – 7.5 – Came close with a header at one point. Went about his dogged work in the midfield again and helped keep things ticking over all game.

• 30. Rodrigo Bentancur – 7.5 – Looked classy in the middle again with his composure on the ball. Almost lost it in a scuffle with Saint-Maximin but came out of it with just a yellow. Another well-rounded performance.

• 12. Emerson Royal – 7 – Started out with some sloppy passes but grew into the game and grabbed his first goal for the club that clearly delighted him.

• 21. Dejan Kulusevski – 8.5 – He uses the ball so well. Never seems to give it away and creates so many chances. Electrifying assist down the right wing to assist Son's goal. What a signing he's turning out to be.

• 7. Son Heung-min – 9 – Gave away the free-kick that they scored from. More than made up for it from then on though with an excellent cross that Davies headed home, and a class touch and finish to score himself and make it 3-1. It was his 9th league goal in 9 home appearances which demonstrates his importance and consistency.

• 10. Harry Kane – 9 – Struggled to get involved in the first half, was immediately more involved in the second half though and soon supplied a superb assist for Doherty's goal. He continued getting on the ball and playing perfect passes including another to Kulusevski down the right that lead to the third goal.

Substitutions:

• 30. Rodrigo Bentancur ⬅ 76' ➡ 8. Harry Winks – 6 – Looked to get involved and showed some decent touches. Had a shot from range that was close to finding the top corner.

• 21. Dejan Kulusevski ⬅ 76' ➡ 27. Lucas Moura – 6 – Whether he meant it or not, he managed to squeeze through the pass to Bergwijn for the fifth.

• 12. Emerson Royal ⬅ 81' ➡ 23. Steven Bergwijn – 7 – Quick to grab himself a goal with a good finish. Almost scored a sublime second shortly after. Continues to make a case for more minutes.

Man of the Match – 7. Son Heung-min