Five-star victory at home to Magpies - match report and reaction

Another five-star performance saw us move into the Premier League’s top four as we defeated Newcastle United thanks to a superb second-half display at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Rare goals from Ben Davies, Matt Doherty and a first Spurs goal for Emerson Royal were added to by strikes from Heung-Min Son and Steven Bergwijn – all bar Davies’ coming after the interval – as we showed great character having fallen behind to the Magpies.

Although we were well on top for most of the first half, it was the visitors who took the lead when Fabian Schar hit a free-kick right on the edge of the area past Hugo Lloris with 39 minutes on the clock. But we responded swiftly, levelling it up just before the break when Davies glanced home Son’s cross. It was Davies’ first Premier League goal for four-and-a-half years.

While the first half was short on chances, we flew out of the traps after the interval with three goals in the opening 19 minutes. Doherty headed us in front on 48 minutes before we carved Newcastle open from front to back, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski combining for Son to side-foot home from eight yards out six minutes later. And it was soon 4-1 as Doherty’s great work provided the assist for Royal to score at the near post.

Son then missed a glorious chance to make it five but we did hit that mark seven minutes from time, Steven Bergwijn producing another immediate impact off the bench, latching onto fellow sub Lucas Moura’s pass and beating Dubravka just two minutes after coming on!

Another super Sunday!

We’ve had to wait for a return to Premier League action following our victory over West Ham two weeks ago, but we returned in some style with another super Sunday showing to dismantle Newcastle. It wasn’t the most exciting of first halves as the visitors sat deep and allowed us to have plenty of the ball, limiting our clear opportunities, but it was a completely different story in the second period as Eddie Howe’s side just couldn’t live with our attacking prowess.

We dominated possession in the opening quarter-of-an-hour with almost 80 per cent of the ball and the game was played out predominantly in Newcastle’s half but without any clear chances, Kane having the first shot in anger but dragging wide on 14 minutes. At the other end, we were indebted to a superb block from Cristian Romero for keeping the game goalless as he raced across to block Joe Willock’s effort after the Newcastle man’s neat skill saw him beat Davies and Eric Dier. Son then drilled straight at Dubravka and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg headed Kulusevski’s cross from the right over the bar on 35 minutes, but it was the visitors who opened the scoring moments later as Son tripped Willock just outside the area and Schar smashed home the free-kick.

Fortunately we hit back straight away. Two minutes before the break, Romero’s header from Son’s corner was blocked, Dier picked up the loose ball near the byline and fed Son again, who whipped in another right-footed cross and this time Davies glanced his header past Dubravka. And three minutes into the second period, we took the lead, Kane sending over a teasing cross from the right which Son missed in the middle, but Doherty didn’t at the back post as he stooped to head home.

It was a superb opening spell to the second half and Newcastle just couldn’t cope with our free-flowing football, illustrated by our third which started with Hugo Lloris, passed through our defence to Kane, he found Kulusevski out wide and the Swedish international’s early cross was controlled and then finished in style by Son.

Ten minutes later, Royal got in on the act thanks to some fine work down the left from Doherty, whose low ball into the six-yard box was poked home by the Brazilian defender. It was almost five a minute later after another wonderful move, Kane’s sensational ball over the top finding Son who was in acres of space, he took a touch to get the ball out in front of him and was in on goal but rolled his effort just wide of the far post.

A brief response from the visitors saw Willock head over on 69 minutes, but that was a rare foray forward for Newcastle. Instead, all the action was at the other end and our fifth duly arrived in the 83rd minute thanks to Bergwijn’s impact. The Dutch forward almost added a stunning goal shortly after, hitting a dipping, angled half-volley from just inside the area which just cleared the crossbar.

The goals are flowing

With this goals haul, it now means we have scored two or more in each of our last six Premier League matches (v Newcastle, West Ham, Brighton, Manchester United, Everton, Leeds) – and a total of 21 goals in those six games.

Davies scored his first Spurs goal since netting against Stoke City in the Carabao Cup in December, 2020, and this was his first league goal since he scored for us at Huddersfield Town in September, 2017. He’s now scored four Premier League goals for us, half of them against Newcastle having also netted in our 2-0 win at St James’ Park in August, 2017.

Royal, meanwhile, opened his Spurs account in what was his 31st game in our colours.

Antonio Conte made one change from our last game against West Ham, with Royal coming in for Sergio Reguilon, who missed out with a knee problem. Academy midfielder Jamie Bowden, 20, made a Premier League matchday squad for the first time – he spent the first half of the season on loan at Oldham.

Reaction on Spurs TV

'It was a brilliant performance'

Speaking to N17 Live pitchside after the win, Antonio Conte said: "I asked my players to start again in the way we finished before the international break, and they made me happy. I have seen great focus, great concentration. I enjoyed watching the game, enjoyed watching my team play in this way, despite the difficulty that we found against Newcastle, especially in the first half, where their tactical plan was to stay deep and close every space, and we were 1-0 down. Despite this, I have seen a good reaction, great solidity and mentality. This is very important. It means my players have the confidence and the feeling now is positive, very good, because you can see the way we’re playing, the goals we’re scoring, the chances we’re creating."

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Davies 43, Doherty 48, Son 54, Royal 64, Bergwijn 83; Newcastle – Schar 39.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Kane, Bentancur; Newcastle – Saint-Maximin, Joelinton, Burn.

Referee: Martin Atkinson.

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Weather: Sunny intervals, gentle breeze, nine degrees.

Attendance: 57,553.