Tottenham Hotspur shared the spoils in a frantic 2-2 draw at St James’ Park to bring their run of three defeats in all competitions to a halt.
Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from Newcastle 2-2 Tottenham:
Cristian Romero delivers a captain’s performance for Tottenham vs Newcastle
The pressure was definitely on Tottenham Hotspur coming into their encounter with Newcastle United today, as Thomas Frank’s side needed to avoid defeat at St James’ Park to reduce some of the heat the manager was getting from his own fans.
Frank made some changes, and amongst them was the return of Cristian Romero to the Tottenham side after serving his one-game suspension for picking up a booking.
Surprisingly, it was the Tottenham captain who proved to be the game-changer for Spurs, as he was immense in the opposition box.
The Argentine pulled Tottenham back into the game twice in spectacular fashion, first with a flying header and then with an overhead kick late in the game when the three points looked destined for Newcastle.
Romero definitely spared Frank’s blushes as he put in a proper captain display, leading from the front.
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Spurs escape with a point despite Newcastle dominance
Of course, when a defender is the one dragging you from the brink of defeat, then that often tells the story of how the game went.
In all fairness, Tottenham will count themselves lucky to have come away with a point, as Newcastle were the better side statistically.
Eddie Howe’s side started the game with intent and looked like the team interested in winning tonight, playing total football and dominating Spurs, managing 19 shots, seven on target, while registering an xG of 1.96.
The Magpies also created good chances and were denied by the woodwork at times, while Spurs did not manage to hit the target until the 78th minute through Romero’s opener, and the fact that their only two shots on target were the goals sums up how fortunate the point ultimately was.
VAR penalty decision adds to Premier League inconsistency
The officiating in the Premier League this season has been chaotic to say the least. The referees lack consistency of any sort, and we have already seen the confusion around offside when players are in the eyeline of goalkeepers.
Today brought another example, as Newcastle were handed a soft penalty for holding in the box, which is a complete lottery given how often these incidents are overlooked in the league.
It was a poor decision that put the Magpies in front, leading to more questions over the use of VAR in the Premier League, given the lack of consistency involved when the technology is used.
Xavi Simons benched again as Tottenham selection questions grow
Frank made big decisions tonight, and many fans will have been surprised by the lineup the manager went with.
Indeed, the Dane might have had in mind the need to deal with Newcastle’s physicality, which made the inclusion of Pape Matar Sarr understandable.
Maybe height played a role in Johnson and Bergvall’s involvement. However, Xavi Simons being benched for the fourth game running is strange given how much he cost Tottenham this summer.
Frank already stated that he believes Simons needs to adapt, but it is difficult for a 22-year-old to do so without any game time.
Tottenham have Brentford next, and it will be interesting to see if the Dutchman is handed a start there.
Guglielmo Vicario responds strongly after recent Tottenham error
Last time out, Guglielmo Vicario’s howler made the headlines, and rightfully so, as it cost Tottenham a goal.
Despite that, he was once more handed a start tonight, which is not surprising as he often gets the nod even after poor displays.
The Italian is definitely a big character, and his display tonight showed that he was not flustered by the error and was willing to move on from it quickly.
He was crucial for Tottenham, making several important saves to keep them in the game, while also coming up with some strong high claims when Newcastle looked to threaten from set pieces.
The Tottenham number one on his day is a very good shot stopper, but his problem is inconsistency. You just never know when he will have a down moment, which are often very costly.
But tonight, he deserves his flowers for how well he bounced back.