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Spurs have been a much better side on the road than at home this season and that continued with a battling performance against Newcastle, who had won their last six matches on home soil.
Romero led by example for the visitors, scoring both goals on his return to the side after suspension, to ensure his side did not fall to a fourth straight defeat.
Bruno Guimaraes put the Magpies in front with 20 minutes remaining but that lead was cancelled out when Romero got in front of his man to bullet a header past Aaron Ramsdale.
The hosts moved ahead for a second time and in controversial circumstances. They were awarded a penalty after a VAR review as it was deemed that Rodrigo Bentancur had wrestled Dan Burn to the ground.
Rio Ferdinand was among those to criticise that call, posting on X: "Disgraceful decision to reward [sic] #NUFC penalty.
"Whoever controlling the VAR should be ashamed + the ref then reviews and should be also. Well done Newcastle."
That was a message Romero agreed with, as he retweeted that post on his X account.
Thomas Frank was left similarly frustrated by the decision, even if Romero's stoppage-time bicycle kick ensured the north Londoners did not go home empty-handed.
"The second one is very disappointing to concede because for me it's never a penalty," Frank said.
"Even speaking to someone from Newcastle, who didn't think it's a penalty. And we need the consistency. Because that penalty, that would be given two times a game.
"I think the referee call on the pitch nailed it. VAR can only be if it's clear and obvious."
Club captain came to the visitors’ rescue
Hero: Cristian Romero
Steve Welsh/PA Wire
Matt Verri
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After a week of three defeats, this was a precious point for Tottenham.
Twice they fell behind at Newcastle and twice they responded to earn a 2-2 draw, the first time they haven't been beaten at St James' Park since 2021.
Cristian Romero was the hero, scoring both of the goals. First he cancelled out Bruno Guimaraes' finish and the second was a 94th-minute overhead kick, coming after Anthony Gordon had restored Newcastle's lead with a controversial penalty.
Rodrigo Bentancur was deemed to have fouled Dan Burn, a decision harshly awarded after an on-field review.
The concerns are still there in attack for Spurs. They had only two shots on target and both were by their centre-back.
However, after a miserable run, this would have been a huge relief for Thomas Frank.
Captain Romero to the rescue
This was the full Romero experience, good and bad.
In the first half, the club captain looked all over the place. On his return from suspension, he was booked for a rash challenge when charging up the pitch, having already been robbed deep in his own half when trying to dribble out.
Defensively he was shaky but, when his team needed him, the Argentine was there to make the difference at the other.
After a Spurs corner was cleared, he stayed up in attack and was on hand to dive ahead of his man at the near post and head past Aaron Ramsdale brilliantly.
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When Gordon then made it 2-1, Romero increasingly took it upon himself to lead the line, playing ahead of even Richarlison.
For good reason too, it turns out. the centre-back went to ground from a corner appealing for a penalty, but with the ball looping up he got to his feet and produced an overhead kick that bobbled in.
In a tough run and with so many in the team struggling, Spurs need their leaders to step up. Romero did just that.
Penalty: Rodrigo Bentancur was adjudged to have fouled Dan Burn
AFP via Getty Images
Shocking first-half run continues
For the fourth Premier League match in a row, the visitors failed to register a single shot on target in the first half.
This, at least by their standards, was slightly better, with at least some semblance of the kind of attacking threat that did not exist against Arsenal and Chelsea.
Brennan Johnson dragged a dangerous ball across the face of goal, while Lucas Bergvall's clever flick looped just over the bar.
The fact those efforts alone represent Spurs' best first-half in weeks should be a major concern, though.
Thomas Frank’s side didn't concede in that opening period but once again the system, and this time it was back to a 4-2-3-1, did not get them out of the blocks quickly enough.
Vicario backed by travelling support
Guglielmo Vicario has been the story for Spurs in recent days.
There has been plenty of debate after he was booed by the home fans against Fulham following a terrible mistake. Ironically, Vicario was one of the only ones in the north Londoners’ camp to play the incident down and say he could take it.
Vicario conceded two here but he was at fault for neither of the goals. He was called upon to make a sharp stop in the second half when Harvey Barnes skipped away from Romero.
Most pleasing to Vicario, and perhaps Frank, will be the support from the away fans. They chanted Vicario's name in the first half after a comfortable save from a Lewis Miley effort.
After the match, as the Tottenham players gathered together, it was Vicario who was again serenaded by the travelling support up in the clouds. It was a classy moment from the fans.
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Tottenham twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Newcastle at St James’ Park.
After a goalless first 45 minutes, Bruno Guimaraes opened the scoring before Cristian Romero levelled with a superb header.
A controversial penalty was converted by Anthony Gordon to seemingly hand Newcastle all three points, but Romero stepped up again, this time with an overhead kick in the 94th minute, to send Spurs home with a point.
Good to see the away fans chanting his name after weekend troubles. Largely confident from crosses and made two sharp second-half saves. No chance with the goals.
Poor in the early exchanges, lucky that one terrible backheel wasn’t punished. Improved though and positioned well for deep crosses to the back post.
Complete rollercoaster. Booked for rash challenge and sloppy on the ball more than once in first half. But his brilliant header got Spurs level and then equalised again with overhead kick to single-handedly earn a point. Madness.
Rock solid in the air. Best in terms of defending his box and made a brilliant goalline clearance to deny Nick Woltemade. Newcastle have a serious aerial threat and he stood up to it.
Felt like Newcastle always fancied their chances down his wing. Struggled throughout and offered no real support for Johnson in attack.
Started decently but progressively become more and more of a weakness in midfield. Booked for a foul seconds after he gave it away with a terrible pass and then gave away - albeit harshly - a penalty.
Poor decision-making on the ball early in the match. Ran around a lot without really doing much and part of the problem of Spurs being unable to progress through the lines.
Only one who stood up to Newcastle’s physical power in the first half. Pressed superbly and brilliant flicked effort looped just over the bar. So direct with his running - needs to keep starting.
Tried too much. Lost the ball in his own half when doing kick-ups and is too keen to beat a defender two or three times. Cross assisted Romero’s first but decison-making must improve.
Rare source of quality in the Tottenham attack. Held the ball up to get Spurs up the pitch and ran the channels well. Real handful against tough opposition.
Really bright in the first half on the break, using his pace to good effect. Couple of dangerous crosses into the middle and got back in his own box to superbly clear Tino Livronmento effort.
Rare minutes for the Frenchman. Hardly had a chance to get involved on the left.
Made himself a nuisance as other, appealing for fouls at every opportunity, but no quality.
Cristian Romero was the Tottenham hero as he returned from suspension with two goals to salvage a 2-2 draw for his side against Newcastle. Bruno Guimaraes’ opening goal and Anthony Gordon’s penalty should have been enough to claim all three points for Eddie Howe’s side, a result which would have seen them leapfrog their opponents into the top half of the Premier League table. Thomas Frank had been at odds with his own fanbase in the week after Spurs fans had booed Guglielmo Vicario, their goalkeeper, and another poor performance - despite the late drama - will not go down well with the travelling support.
The north Londoners were second best at St James’ Park throughout, and they should have been behind at the interval when Lewis Miley and Nick Woltemade both went close for the Magpies. Harvey Barnes and Lewis Hall were livewires down the left, with Barnes stinging Vicario’s palms in the second period. Lucas Bergvall went close with an improvised backflick that whizzed over the crossbar, but that was as close as Spurs would come until late on. Guimaraes, rested from the starting XI by Howe, was introduced to great effect at half-time, and he made an instant impact, placing a beauty into the corner from Nick Woltemade’s lay-off after Gordon, another second-period replacement, had skinned Pedro Porro. Spurs were level when the returning Cristian Romero stooped lowest, stealing in at the near post to direct a header beyond Aaron Ramsdale.
The visitors were not level for long, as VAR adjudged Rodrigo Bentancur to have manhandled Dan Burn in the box, and Anthony Gordon stroked home the resulting spot-kick. However, with five minutes of injury time played, it was Romero who produced the heroics once more, as he acrobatically shinned an effort into the corner from a melee in the home box. Cue scenes of elation in the heavens on Tyneside, but it is a result that still leaves Spurs without a win in five. Both sides remain marooned in the bottom half of the table, with Frank’s side 11th, and the Magpies 13th.
The defenders both featured for Wayne Burnett’s Under-21 team in a behind-closed-doors friendly against National League South side Dagenham and Redbridge at Hotspur Way.
Both players started the game in Enfield, with Takai playing the first half and Dragusin - who also played 45 minutes for the U21s against Leyton Orient last month - featuring for 65 minutes as they each built up valuable match fitness.
Takai has yet to make a single first-team appearance for Spurs having dealt with plantar fasciitis in his foot and a thigh injury since completing a £5million transfer from J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale in the summer.
Dragusin, meanwhile, has not played at senior level since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the Europa League tie against Elfsborg in January and subsequently undergone surgery.
While neither player will feature for Tottenham’s first team away against Newcastle in the Premier League on Tuesday night, they should be available soon to bolster Thomas Frank’s defensive ranks amid a hectic fixture schedule that also sees his side face former club Brentford, Slavia Prague, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Crystal Palace before the end of 2025.
Spurs’ backline has been subject to plenty of criticism of late amid a difficult run of form that has heaped pressure on head coach Frank, with 13 goals conceded in just their last four games across all competitions. Captain Cristian Romero will return from suspension against Newcastle.
With Dragusin and Takai taking their latest significant steps on the comeback trail, alongside U21s defender Maeson King, Tottenham’s injury list ahead of the clash at St James’ Park still includes Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Yves Bissouma and James Maddison.
Speaking on Dragusin and Takai last week, Frank said: “Radu, very happy. He has probably been in that for a couple of weeks now.
“Full training, full in, everything. With the team, played his first 45 minutes in nine months, something like that, last Wednesday, I think it was. Very happy with that. Trained fully today.
“Now he's definitely getting very close to being able to be selected. Now it's just a matter of performance and probably just a few more game minutes to be fully available. Kota and Ben [Davies] both trained with the team today, so that's also positive.”
Spurs have lost their defensive stability after an impressive start to the season
Coach and captain: Thomas Frank and Cristian Romero
Action Images via Reuters
Matt Verri
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The trees are going up around the country and Christmas music is hard to escape, but Thomas Frank can be forgiven for not feeling too much festive cheer.
As the pressure mounts and with headlines honing in on a strained relationship with the Tottenham supporters, a second trip to Newcastle in a little over a month is unlikely to have been high up on Frank's Christmas list.
Spurs were beaten at St James' Park in the Carabao Cup at the end of October and now return in the Premier League, looking to improve on a run of three wins in 13 matches.
There has been plenty of talk about Spurs' astonishingly poor home record this season and Frank is fully aware it stands in stark contrast to that of Newcastle's.
"Speaking about having a good home record - that's a difficult place to go to," Frank said of St James' Park at his press conference on Monday.
"Everyone knows that. I think they have won their last six home games, so perfect timing. Good but not unbeatable."
Spurs have been far from good and eminently beatable in recent weeks. A trip to a stadium they have not won at since 2021 is a daunting one. The last three seasons have brought 6-1 and 4-0 defeats to make October's 2-0 Carabao Cup exit look fairly positive.
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If Spurs are to defy form and history to get a result, the team simply must rediscover the defensive solidity that characterised the early weeks of the season.
The first seven games of the season in all competitions resulted in five clean sheets for Spurs. In 13 matches since, they have kept three.
Last week alone they conceded 11 goals and while they will be boosted at St James' Park by the return of Cristian Romero from suspension, he was in the side when Spurs conceded four to Arsenal and five to Paris Saint-Germain.
"You can say the four goals we conceded against Man Utd and Fulham is some of the goals I would like to avoid a bit more," Frank offered as an explanation of his side's defensive struggles.
"Also those two games, if you can see at the actual amount of shots we conceded, I think we conceded five shots and seven shots. It's very low.
"If you can see at the xG, you can see those games are very low, so the other stats behind it was good."
Spurs have lost their defensive solidity
Bradley Collyer/PA Wire
Bringing up xG and shot stats does not feel like Frank's best bet of a convincing argument, considering the conversations it would lead to over Spurs' attacking output.
The eye test was also enough to suggest that the Fulham match was not a good defensive performance, regardless of the underlying data.
The two goals were avoidable from a Spurs perspective but Fulham could have been three or four up at half-time. Samuel Chukwueze hit the post and only two brilliant last-ditch Micky van de Ven challenges prevented a really ugly scoreline.
A midfield that changes in terms of personnel and even system nearly every match cannot help the defence, while Guglielmo Vicario's form has just dipped after a brilliant run of performances earlier in the season.
Unsurprisingly, the drop in defensive security has coincided with Spurs' away record slipping too. It is still much better than the dismal home run, but Spurs have won only two of their last eight on the road.
There is seemingly no sign of Spurs' woes on home soil coming to an end, and so the pressure is on Frank's side to get the steel back on their travels, where talk of booing and irritated supporters can be largely pushed to one side.
The need for the defence to sort itself out again is urgent. With the attack struggling as it is, Spurs otherwise have no clear path to positive results.
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Frank opted for a system without a left winger in that match and it didn't work, suggesting it will be yet another different formation and lineup at St James' Park.
Cristian Romero will return from suspension and Djed Spence could come in at left-back in place of Destiny Udogie.
Frank has opted for a more ambitious midfield in the last couple of matches but it has not brought results and he could be tempted to return to his preferred Joao Palhinha-Rodrigo Bentancur partnership.
Xavi Simons did not start any of the three matches last week and throwing him in away at Newcastle would be a big ask. Pape Matar Sarr could come in to add further energy and physicality to the midfield.
Up front, Randal Kolo Muani was one of the few to come out of the Fulham match with any credit and deserves to keep his place if fit.
If there is a change in system, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson are the most likely options on the left wing, with the Frenchman seemingly ahead in the pecking order.
Spurs were beaten 2-1 by Fulham on Saturday to make it a dismal three wins in the last 21 home Premier League matches.
Only Southampton, Manchester United and Burnley have been beaten on home soil in 2025, with the most recent of those coming in August.
Reports emerged following the Fulham match that the Spurs players held talks after the defeat to Chelsea last month over the lack of connection with the supporters.
Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence both walked straight down the tunnel after that match due to their frustration with the booing from fans, and Pedro Porro and Guglielmo Vicario are among those to have spoken out about it in recent weeks.
"To make it clear, I'm always a little bit surprised how things can get out from a meeting inside the club," Frank said when asked about the talks.
"That's always a little bit 'hmm, OK' but you guys [the press] are doing a good job because it is not coming out if you guys are not doing a good job, so well done for that. I actually mean that, it is not said ironically.
"We didn't have a meeting about the fans. We had a debrief after the game about the game as we do all the time, and it was pretty evident after that game that it was the first time there was a little bit of talk about the fans and the relationship.
The situation has since got worse, with Vicario targeted during the Fulham match after his huge mistake led to Harry Wilson firing into an empty net from 40 yards out.
The Spurs goalkeeper was booed the next two times he touched the ball and there were then ironic cheers when he cleared the ball into touch later in the half.
Frank claimed after the match that "true fans" would not do that as he criticised the Spurs supporters, comments which he further explained on Monday.
"When I said the 'not true Spurs fan', what I meant by that just to make it clear was the mocking of one of their own players," Frank said.
"He makes a mistake and there is a little bit of booing after that, as I remember it. The next ball he clears and there is like a cheering.
"You can't do that. The opponent can do that, you can't do that as a fan. That's where I would stand by what I said.
Thomas Frank is likely to keep tweaking his team as Tottenham travel to face Newcastle on Tuesday night.
Frank opted for a system without a left winger in that match and it didn't work, suggesting it will be yet another different formation and lineup at St James' Park.
Cristian Romero will return from suspension and Djed Spence could come in at left-back in place of Destiny Udogie.
Frank has opted for a more ambitious midfield in the last couple of matches but it has not brought results and he could be tempted to return to his preferred Joao Palhinha-Rodrigo Bentancur partnership.
Xavi Simons did not start any of the three matches last week and throwing him in away at Newcastle would be a big ask. Pape Matar Sarr could come in to add further energy and physicality to the midfield.
Up front, Randal Kolo Muani was one of the few to come out of the Fulham match with any credit and deserves to keep his place if fit.
If there is a change in system, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson are the most likely options on the left wing, with the Frenchman seemingly ahead in the pecking order.