Newcastle scouted Mohammed Kudus but went a different way in the summer
If things had worked out differently in the summer, Mohammed Kudus could have been lining up in a black and white shirt when Tottenham Hotspur came to Tyneside.
On the evidence of last night, it may have been something they should have pursued.
The battle between Lewis Hall and Kudus was one of the most intriguing match-ups of the game. Hall is in fine form and for the first 30 minutes his aggression in defence and forward running were too much for the Spurs winger.
Newcastle looked dangerous down their left flank. Hall and Harvey Barnes were strong in the press, forceful and powerful on the break and Kudus was offering little protection to his full-back Pedro Porro.
Gradually, however, the Ghana international began to show why he cost £55million in the summer - and why Newcastle looked hard at him for a second time, having heavily scouted the wide man in when he was at Ajax before deciding against a move as he joined West Ham United instead.
As Newcastle looked to bring in a right-winger in the summer to replace Miguel Almiron, Kudus was on the shortlist, along with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo. He was available, with West Ham desperate to move him on, but United ultimately rejected the chance to sign the 25-year-old.
Instead, plumped for Anthony Elanga, a different type of profile to Kudus. The Swede is more explosive but lacks the subtlety of the Spurs man.
Kudus' attributes were very much in evidence at St James' Park. In a game where Spurs didn't create too much, his trickery and crossing ability were their main threat.
No player has more assists in the Premier League this season and the Ghana star showed why. He turned Hall inside out before delivering a right-footed cross that Lucas Bergvall flicked onto the roof of the net in the first half and then whipped in a brilliant left-footed cross for Romero's first goal, his fifth assist of the season.
Hall will be disappointed with his role in that goal. He could have got tighter and stopped the cross but the execution by the Ghanaian was top drawer.
Hall stuck to his task but again showed signs of fatigue late on in the contest as he continues to push himself back to full fitness after a disrupted campaign.
The World Cup is the carrot dangling for the left-back, with an England spot up for grabs. Kudus will be showing his skills off on the biggest stage at all having fired Ghana to the tournament last month.
In what has been a tough season for Spurs, their £55m man has been something of a shining light. In contrast, Newcastle's own summer signing for the same position has yet to win over the Newcastle fans.
It was a surprise, after his best game in a Newcastle shirt at Everton on Saturday, that Elanga was relegated back to the bench rather than being given the chance to build on that performance and add some momentum to his game. When he did eventually step into the game as a replacement for Jacob Murphy, his contribution was fitful.
While Anthony Gordon, his fellow 66th minute sub in a double move by Howe, was instantly involved, having a hand in the opening goal and then scoring a penalty, Elanga was on the periphery once more. He had 15 touches compared to Gordon's 13, but put just one cross in and his pass completion rate of 75% was the lowest of any Newcastle player.
Eddie Howe values physicality, speed and power but last night was a game where Newcastle needed more guile, craft and control. A player they rejected showed exactly what they were missing.