A 4-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur provided a significant boost to Newcastle’s aspirations for a European placement, with Alexander Isak playing an instrumental role by bringing his season goal count to 21. His impressive performance comprised two exquisite goals on either side of an Anthony Gordon goal, culminating in a powerful final header by Fabian Schar at St James’ Park.
This decisive victory marks Newcastle’s third success in four recent Premier League games, effectively disrupting Spurs’ undefeated streak of the previous three games. It may not have been as dramatic as the prior season’s six-goal decimation, but the triumph was nonetheless resounding.
Eddie Howe, Newcastle’s head coach, implemented a successful strategy of luring in the opposition before launching counterattacks. On this occasion, the strategy worked impeccably. Defender Micky van de Ven of Tottenham experienced a particularly challenging day that he would likely prefer to forget.
Both teams wore black armbands in remembrance of former Newcastle manager and Spurs player, Joe Kinnear, who sadly passed away the previous weekend. As the match got underway, Spurs initially felt the pressure, with Elliot Anderson having a header blocked in the opening minutes. Nonetheless, they found their footing and surged forward seven minutes in.
Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka experienced a couple of narrow escapes as Werner launched a shot straight at a teammate, and then sent a sidefoot wide from an enticing cutback by James Maddison. The hosts, however, claimed the inaugural goal.
This came half an hour in when Gordon intercepted a pass intended for Destiny Udogie and swiftly passed to Isak, who confidently beat Van de Ven and secured a firm shot past goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. Newcastle’s celebration continued only two minutes later, when a misguided attempt by full-back Pedro Porro to return a header led to Gordon waltzing around Van de Ven and outmaneuvering Vicario.
Van de Ven stepped in to stop Isak from successfully manoeuvring Anderson’s through-ball 35 minutes into play, and similarly blocked the subsequent attempt on the goal just two minutes later. Vicario skilfully retrieved the ball from the Swedish player’s foot as he tried to rein in Harvey Barnes’s impressive cross, leaving the London team disorganised in their defence.
A long-range attempt from James Maddison forced Dubravka into a save in the 42nd minute, concluding an intense spell of pressure. Despite this, Isak nudged a corner ball from Gordon off-target, still, Howe’s squad were not content to rest on their achievements.
Werner provided Dubravka with a significant challenge just six minutes after play resumed, however, Newcastle shortly extended their lead. In a swift turn of events, Isak eluded Van de Ven to latch onto Bruno Guimaraes’s perfectly placed long-ball, driving a shot beyond Vicario’s grasp.
Vicario deflected an attempt from Anderson at the near post, and at the opposite end, Maddison’s shot sailed well above the crossbar. The Magpies remained generally unthreatened in guarding their lead, even whilst having fewer possession opportunities. They concluded the match on a high, with Schar expertly guiding Gordon’s corner into the net in the 87th minute, rounding off their impressive 4-0 victory.