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Newcastle United’s Rolls Royce is finally back.

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He may have got off to a sputtering start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after almost 10 months out for Newcastle United, but it didn’t take Sven Botman too long to show his class.

Once Eddie Howe declared Botman ‘available’ for the match at Spurs, he was always going to be hard-pressed to leave a player of his quality out of the side. Despite so long out, Botman has been training fully for six weeks and played three practice matches in preparation for his long-awaited return.

I was present for Botman’s first return to action for Newcastle Under-21s against Chelsea as he strolled through 60 minutes and kept a clean sheet. But this was quite different to a cold Monday night at Whitley Park!

Unlike last season, the risk of starting Botman after his serious ACL injury this time around was minimal. The Dutch defender has been back in the gym since the summer and has undergone a meticulous recovery process.

A minor illness over the festive period prevented Botman from returning on the bench at Manchester United on Monday. But in the days building up to the Spurs trip, Botman informed Howe that he was fit and ready to start on Saturday.

A shaky start for Sven Botman and Newcastle United

Botman came into the side in place of the suspended Fabian Schar, who will also miss the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Arsenal on Tuesday night. The 24-year-old was coming into a defence that had not conceded in its last four Premier League outings.

But it took just four minutes for Spurs to break the deadlock and end that run of over 360 minutes without conceding. Dominic Solanke showed good movement to peel off Botman and head the hosts in front early on.

Some rust was expected from Botman and it was evident in the opening goal as he was caught on the back foot. The Dutch defender’s performance was initially shaky as he had to quickly get up to speed with the game.

Falling awkwardly on his left knee early on wouldn’t have helped proceedings as his passes were slightly hesitant and he was pulled out of position. But once Newcastle drew level through Anthony Gordon and gained some control of the match, Botman grew into things.

Newcastle United’s swift turnaround

An impressive block to deny Solanke’s edge-of-the-box effort after 10 minutes was the first positive action Botman had in the match, but it wouldn’t be the last. The Dutch centre-back quickly gained confidence and composure along with his team-mates in the game.

Only Bruno Guimaraes and Tino Livramento had more touches for Newcastle in the game than Botman, who made the most tackles and interceptions of any Magpies player. Botman had to dig deep, put his body on the line and get involved - it wasn’t like Newcastle’s recent wins that have largely been a stroll in the park for the defence.

Botman’s big strength as a defender is his ability to play the ball out and break the lines - something epitomised by his stunning 50-yard free-kick to release Jacob Murphy down the right at the end of the first half. Sadly it came to nothing.

After Alexander Isak put Newcastle in front, Botman was one of the reasons the scoreline remained 2-1 with an assured defensive display in the second half. A last-man challenge shortly after the restart cleared the danger after it initially looked like Newcastle had allowed Spurs to break clear.

As the fatigue started to set in in the closing stages, Botman was booked for a late challenge on James Maddison on the edge of the box - fortunately, it came to nothing. Eventually, the defender was substituted in stoppage time after going down with cramp.

Perhaps the most impressive and encouraging thing about Botman’s display was how he was able to get through 90 minutes of an incredibly physically and mentally demanding match.

Despite limping off, Botman has since declared himself available for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg trip to Arsenal (8pm kick-off).

As his match sharpness and fitness improve with each passing game, Botman should prove himself a bigger and bigger asset to Eddie Howe and Newcastle United once again.

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Newcastle United beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Saturday afternoon in a match both managers felt their side deserved to win.

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Spurs took an early lead with Dominic Solanke scoring after just four minutes. But Newcastle quickly responded with Anthony Gordon drawing the visitors level just two minutes later.

The decision to allow Gordon’s goal infuriated Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou on the touchline as the ball hit the hand of Newcastle midfielder Joelinton in the build-up to the goal. The Brazilian’s hand was deemed to be in a natural position by VAR.

Alexander Isak made it 2-1 to Newcastle, who were able to hang on to their narrow lead until the end of the match and secure a sixth successive win.

After the match, Postecoglou felt his side deserved to take all three points and Newcastle won the match due to ‘unfair’ non-footballing reasons.

“It's a game we deserved to win and we should have won,” Postecoglou said. “On a fair and even playing ground we would have won the game.

“I'm disappointed that it wasn't football that denied us getting our rewards today. If all things were equal and balanced we would have won.”

When Postecoglou’s comments were put to Howe in his post-match press conference, the Newcastle head coach responded by stating his side did enough to see out the win after a strong first half display.

“I’ve just got to concentrate on us and Newcastle,” he said. “I’m just very proud of the effort the players put in.

“I thought we were dominant in the first-half today, it could or should have possibly been more [than two]. Yes, Tottenham played well in the second-half and they brought on some quality players that pushed up back at times but we did enough to get over the line.

“Scoring so quickly after they scored and then having the maturity and quality in our play to dominate that first-half in the way that we did is really good signs for the future, I think.”

Howe added: “It's never a perfect game, you're never going to have everything your own way. We certainly didn't today but we found a way to come back and get a magnificent win from our perspective so long may that continue.

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Injured Tottenham Hotspur defender Destiny Udogie took to social media to voice his frustration during the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United.

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Newcastle came from behind to win 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with goals from Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak cancelling out Dominic Solanke’s early header. But it was Newcastle’s equaliser scored by Gordon that was a particular point of contention in the match.

The goal came about after Joelinton intercepted a pass from Lucas Bergvall before finding Bruno Guimaraes who slipped in Gordon to make it 1-1. But replays showed that the ball hit off Joelinton’s arm to win back possession of the ball.

The decision to let the goal stand angered the Spurs players and head coach Ange Postecoglou on the touchline. Meanwhile Udogie, who was watching the match on TNT Sports, took to social media platform Snapchat to post his thoughts.

“VAR, what a joke,” the 22-year-old left-back wrote.

VAR checked the goal and allowed it on the basis that Joelinton’s arm accidentally made contact with the ball in a natural position. As Joelinton neither scored nor assisted the goal, Spurs’ argument was weakened further.

Explaining the decision, the Premier League Match Centre stated: “The referee’s call of goal was confirmed by VAR, who checked for a potential handball by Joelinton in the build-up and deemed that his arm was by his side, in a natural position and the contact was accidental.”

And Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe felt VAR and the officials were simply following the rules.

“I can’t sit here and lie and say I haven’t seen it because I have,” Howe said. “It definitely hit Joelinton’s arm, I can give you that as well.

“But I’m not in control in the referee’s decision. I believe his arm is down in a natural position and I think the referee and VAR have followed the rules and protocols that are in place so that’s why it is given.”

A fifth successive Premier League win keeps Newcastle fifth in the table after 20 matches but they are now just one point behind Chelsea in fourth. Next up is the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Arsenal on Tuesday night.

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Anthony Gordon scored his fifth Premier League goal of the season as Newcastle United came from behind to beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1.

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Dominic Solanke headed Spurs into an early lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before Gordon quickly drew Newcastle level after being slipped through by Bruno Guimaraes. Alexander Isak completed the comeback in the first half as The Magpies held on to claim a sixth successive win in all competitions.

Gordon was withdrawn after 78 minutes shortly after clashing with Dejan Kulusevski inside the penalty area. The England international went down holding his face with a bloody nose.

While Howe confirmed after the match Gordon was withdrawn due to a ‘legitimate injury’ it was later revealed to only be a ‘nasty cut’ to his nose rather than anything more serious. Gordon now has three goals and four assists in his last eight matches for Newcastle.

After the match, Gordon took to Instagram to post an image of himself celebrating his goal along with the caption: “Good away win.”

The win moves Newcastle to just one point off the top four and two points behind high-flying Nottingham Forest in third. But with Forest playing on Monday against Wolverhampton Wanderers, they could increase the gap back to five points.

With no match and Newcastle live on TNT Sports, two Nottingham Forest players watching the game were former Newcastle midfielder Elliot Anderson and Gordon’s England team-mate Morgan Gibbs-White.

Anderson, who is close friends with Gordon from their time at Newcastle, responded to Gordon’s post with two ‘flame emojis’ while Gibbs-White asked: “How’s that snoz [nose]?”

Gordon liked both replies as he impressed in front of new England manager Thomas Tuchel at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Premier League have revealed why Tottenham Hotspur were not given a penalty during their defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday.

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Spurs went ahead very early on thanks to Dominic Solanke’s brilliant diving header. That goal marked the first that Martin Dubravka had conceded in the Premier League since replacing Nick Pope following his knee injury.

A swift reply from Anthony Gordon got the Magpies back on level terms before a strike from Alexander Isak put them ahead - a lead they would hold until the final whistle. Spurs’ search for an equaliser saw them threaten without testing Dubravka too often but they may feel aggrieved that they were not awarded a penalty just moments into the second half.

A VAR check for a potential handball by Tino Livramento took place but was swiftly concluded with no offence committed. The ball struck Livramento after ricocheting off one of his teammates but VAR deemed that a penalty should not be given.

As always, the PL Match Centre explained the decision on X, writing: ‘The referee’s call of no penalty for a potential handball by Livramento was checked and confirmed by VAR, deeming that the ball was played on to his arm by a teammate from close range, while his arm was in a natural position.’

That was the second time VAR had to check a handball during the match with Gordon’s goal also heavily scrutinised for a potential handball by Joelinton in the build-up. Again, VAR deemed that Joelinton’s hand on that occasion was in a ‘natural position’ and that the goal should stand.

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Newcastle United secured their fifth Premier League win in a row with victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

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Goals from Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak helped the Magpies on their way to victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following Dominic Solanke’s early opener. Whilst not their very best display, Newcastle ensured they continued their good form at a venue that has seen them suffer a couple of heavy defeats in recent seasons.

Eddie Howe made two changes from their win over Manchester United at Old Trafford with Tino Livramento and Sven Botman coming into the back line to replace Kieran Trippier and the suspended Fabian Schar. As has been their key to success in recent weeks, Howe opted to name a midfield three of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton.

Guimaraes, as team captain, played an important role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and won a number of fouls late on in the game to help his side keep their noses in front. Always one to react to matches on social media, taking to X post-match, Guimaraes wrote: ‘The smile of victory! What a team, what a performance. Proud of what we’re doing, NUFC. Onwards for more! Another assist. You’re such a lucky charm, vidoca.’

The Brazilian will be suspended for their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium after picking up two bookings in the competition this season. Schar will also miss Tuesday’s match through suspension but both will be available for the visit of Bromley next weekend.

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Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou felt his side deserved to beat Newcastle United after a controversial equaliser scored by Anthony Gordon.

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Spurs went ahead early on through Dominic Solanke’s header before first-half goals from Gordon and Alexander Isak saw Newcastle claim a 2-1 win. But Gordon’s equaliser was a source of contention in the match as the ball hit off Joelinton’s arm in the build-up to the goal.

The Premier League Match Centre explained the decision in a brief statement: “‘The referee’s call of goal was confirmed by VAR, who checked for a potential handball by Joelinton in the build-up and deemed that his arm was by his side, in a natural position and the contact was accidental.”

But Postecoglou was incensed on the touchline and was frustrated that his side did not win the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. While he refused to talk about the handball decision, Postecoglou claimed his side were beaten for reasons other than football.

“Hugely proud of the lads,” he said. “Our football was outstanding against a very good opponent who are in a good place.

“It's a game we deserved to win and we should have won. On a fair and even playing ground we would have won the game.”

When asked about Gordon’s goal, Postecoglou responded: “ Don't ask me about the [handball] decision, I have my opinions on it but we were outstanding today. I'm disappointed that it wasn't football that denied us getting our rewards today.

"You can talk about whatever you want. You want my opinion - if all things were equal and balanced we would have won.

"We had plenty of chances. Our football was outstanding considering everything we're going through.

"If it was an even playing field we'd have won."

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe was also asked about the decision on TNT Sports after the match.

"We had to dig deep today,” he said. “It was a tough win but a massive one.

"There's no denying the ball hit Joe's hand or arm but I'm not sure of the rules."

There were also calls for defender Dan Burn to be sent off for a second bookable offence but the defender remained on the pitch and put in an impressive defensive display.

"Not for me,” Howe responded when asked if Burn should have seen red. “I don't think he warranted two yellow cards. His yellow card probably was but after that were slight fouls."

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Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United team news: Eddie Howe has made a decision on Sven Botman after a lengthy injury absence.

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Howe has made two changes from his Newcastle United side that beat Manchester United 2-0 on Monday with the suspended Fabian Schar dropping out along with Kieran Trippier. Tino Livramento returns to the starting line-up at right-back while it’s a first first-team appearance for Sven Botman since March 2024.

Botman has missed almost 10 months with an ACL injury but has been back training for over a month and has played in a few practice matches to complete his recovery process. Last month he played 60 minutes for the Under-21s side without any problems.

Now he’s tasked with Premier League football straight in from the start with Lloyd Kelly remaining on the bench. Nick Pope, Emil Krafth, Jamaal Lascelles and Callum Wilson remain sidelined due to injury.

Speaking ahead of the match, Howe said on Botman’s potential return: “I've always said with Sven, he'd [be back] in and around the Christmas games.

“He's worked incredibly hard to get himself in a good condition. He's had three games, a lot of internal training as well so some match stimulus so he's certainly in and around my thoughts.

“I'll have to make a decision as to who I think best fits that position but great to have Sven in and around and available again.”

When asked if he would have reservations about putting Botman straight back into the side after such a long period without playing, Howe responded: “No, because you go through a process with the type of injury Sven's had, he's done and incredible amount of work.

“It's not like he's not had the training time with us, we've taken longer than maybe we normally would have done through respect for the injury that he had to try and make sure he had the best chance of staying fit and when he comes back, hitting the ground running which is absolutely vital.

“I've got a decision to make in terms of team selection but if Sven is in the squad it's because he's fit and available.”

NUFC line-up v Spurs: Dubravka; Livramento, Botman, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Murphy, Gordon, Isak

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Sven Botman is back with the Newcastle United squad at Tottenham Hotspur and Eddie Howe believes he will be like ‘a new signing’ for the side.

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The 24-year-old is back in the Newcastle matchday squad for the first time since March 2024 after recovering from a serious ACL injury that required surgery. The Dutch defender has been back in full training for over a month with only a recent illness hampering his return to action.

But now he has been spotted at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of Saturday’s early kick-off against Spurs (12:30pm kick-off). Botman played 60 minutes for Newcastle Under-21s last month as well as a further two training ground practice matches.

The 24-year-old was declared ‘available’ by Newcastle head coach Howe. And The Magpies boss went on to admit Botman’s return during the January transfer window would feel like ‘a new signing’.

“It is a cliche but it's a good one,” Howe said. “It was the same with Sandro [Tonali] when he came back from his ban, although he'd been training with us and had been with us for a season, he was like a new signing.

“It gave the lads a big lift to have Sandy back available for selection and Sven will be exactly the same. He's been a massive player for us and a player the lads all like and like to play with, they have got total trust in him.

“So when he comes back into the group, it gives everyone a great feeling so [a new signing] is a good way of looking at it.”

Howe also claimed Botman was in his thoughts for an immediate return to the starting line-up at Spurs given the lack of centre-back options available to him. Fabian Schar is suspended for the match while Jamaal Lascelles and Emil Krafth remain out injured.

Botman is in from the start at Spurs in what will be his first competitive outing in almost 10 months.

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Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made a move in the transfer market just hours before they face Newcastle United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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Ange Postecoglou’s side come into today’s game in patchy form having won just one of their last seven Premier League matches amid a growing injury crisis at the club. Spurs are set to be without a host of key players for their clash against the Magpies, including both their first-choice and deputy goalkeepers.

Guglielmo Vicario, Spurs’ usual number one, has been sidelined for a number of weeks with an ankle injury and is set to miss at least another month of action because of the issue. Fraser Forster, therefore, has deputised in his place but his game has come under scrutiny following a number of shaky moments with the ball at his feet.

Since Vicario’s injury at the end of November, Spurs have kept just one clean sheet and have conceded 12 goals in their last four outings in all competitions. To combat this, the north London outfit have reportedly made a move for Sparta Prague goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.

According to The Times, Spurs are ‘on the verge’ of completing a deal for the 21-year-old. In 29 appearances in all competitions for his club this season, Kinsky has kept 14 clean sheets and conceded just 18 goals.

Meanwhile, a sickness bug has infected the Spurs camp this week with Forster set to miss the clash against his former side this lunchtime. Brandon Austin is set to make his first-ever appearance in English football in his absence.