Spurs went 2-0 down to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw at St. James’ Park, with captain Cristian Romero scoring a brace (header in the 78th minute and an overhead kick in the 95th) to rescue a point. The match was a chaotic affair, with Newcastle dominating possession (53%) but Spurs showing resilience.
Guglielmo Vicario 4 Some solid enough saves to keep Spurs in it; beaten on the penalty but no errors otherwise. However, dear me, his distribution is shocking. A passing accuracy of just 48% is no good. This is not Scottish football.
Destiny Udogie 6 Handled Murphy and Elanga well; goal-line clearance, but provided limited attacking options. Not really at the races.
Kevin Danso 7 Exceptional stuff. A 92 % passing accuracy and a 67% long passing rate. His long throws added threat, but he was quiet overall.
Cuti Romero 8 What a game, Spurs had been lacking bite, and he brought it. Heroic brace (header + overhead kick); booked but dominant.
Rodrigo Bentancur 5 Struggled physically in midfield; conceded the late penalty leading to Newcastle’s second goal. My real issue is he’s just not exciting to watch.
Pape Matar Sarr 6 The only Tottenham player matching physicality early; pressed well and flicked an effort that nearly scored.
Mohammed Kudus 7 cross-assisted Romero’s first goal. Decision-making was erratic at times (e.g., unnecessary kick-ups), but as usual, he was a key creator.
Lucas Bergvall 6 Didn’t quite have it all his own way, plenty of energy, making himself busy and available, stretching Newcastle’s defence and got past Livramento.
Brennan Johnson 3. He appeared to be making lots of effort, but he rarely achieves anything. A passing accuracy of 57% for a player who has so few touches; again, it really isn’t good enough.
Randal Kolo Muani 4 In one word, ‘isolated’ with no shots on target until late. Lacked service but couldn’t hold up play effectively against Burn and Thiaw.
My view on the result
Spurs’ lack of shots on target until the 78th minute (just two total, both goals) highlights ongoing creativity issues, but Romero’s brilliance masked deeper problems. Newcastle will rue missed chances and a late collapse.
Tottenham got away with one last night. A better Newcastle side could have, and arguably should have, humiliated us.