Tottenham were embarrassed for a second season in a row at St James’ Park as Newcastle ran out 4-0 winners in the Premier League. Goals from Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Fabian Schar were enough to keep Eddie Howe’s side four games unbeaten.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
MAGPIES FRONT THREE RUNS RIOT
The matchup versus Tottenham was the first instance this season the Newcastle front line was comprised of the trio of Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak and Harvey Barnes. After the arrival of Barnes from Leicester City last summer, there is no doubt Eddie Howe would have hoped he wouldn’t have to wait till mid-April to see the trio play together. But for Howe and the Geordie faithful alike, the front three did not disappoint. Isak or Gordon were both directly involved in each one of the four goals, and while Barnes did not contribute directly, his relentless pressing and frequent runs into the box were no doubt instrumental in the Newcastle attack.
If all three players can stay fit, and that is certainly a big if considering Newcastle United’s injury crisis this season, there is no doubt that Gordon, Isak and Barnes will be the first names on the team sheets for the remaining six games of the season.
GORDON MAKING HIS CASE FOR EURO 2024
Anthony Gordon has been nothing short of exceptional for Newcastle United this season. In a campaign that has seen Eddie Howe’s side lose over 1,300 cumulative days to injury, Gordon has proven to be the player Eddie Howe can rely on, having only missed two league games due to suspension. Gordon’s reliability extends further than availability though, with the English international registering 11 goals and nine assists for Eddie Howe’s side in the Premier League so far this season.
Gordon was amongst the goals and assists once again against Tottenham, adding two assists and one goal to his tally on the day. Gordon won his first caps for Gareth Southgate’s England in the March international break thanks to his impressive season with the Magpies, and if he continues to shine with performances such as his versus Tottenham, he has to be a sure-fire selection for Gareth Southgate’s side ahead of Euro 2024 this summer.
ELLIOT ANDERSON PROMISE
Elliot Anderson has missed over half the season for Eddie Howe’s side with a back injury, and has been a notable absentee from Newcastle’s midfield. After breaking into the first team last season, Eddie Howe would have hoped the 21-year-old would play a key role this campaign, and played a number of minutes for the side up until his injury in late October. Anderson offers great versatility in the Newcastle midfield, as he showed in the affair versus the North London side, proving to be the engine in midfield alongside Longstaff while also showing glimpses of impressive technical ability on the ball and capability to help advance the Newcastle attack.
Anderson has no doubt been a big miss for Newcastle this season, and Eddie Howe will be hoping to have a fully fit Anderson ready and available for the remainder of the campaign if Newcastle are to push for European football for a second season running.
MADDISON NOT YET BACK TO HIS BEST
Since returning from an ankle injury which kept him side-lined for two months, summer signing James Maddison is yet to return to the impressive form which saw him play a key role in Tottenham’s ten game unbeaten run to start the season in the Premier League. Maddison hit the ground running, registering three goals and five assists in the North London outfit’s opening ten games, but has struggled to rediscover his form and impact games in the same way since returning to the Spurs starting eleven.
The matchup in the North-East proved a similar story for Maddison, and while the England international did grow into the game and proved to be more effective in the second half than the first, it is clear Maddison is not yet back to his best and is still struggling to impact games the way he did before injury. Maddison will be hoping to play a role in England’s Euro 2024 campaign this summer, but must rediscover his form if he is to play his way into an extremely talented England side.
ST JAMES’ TASK
After the 6-1 obliteration at St. James’ Park this time last year, Tottenham would have been hoping for a more favourable result this time round. While the North London outfit were not defeated by the same margin or the same manner in which they were in the North-East last campaign, it was certainly a day to forget for Ange Postecoglou and his side. Ultimately a match devoid of chances for the North London side in which they were largely dominated from start to finish, Tottenham failed to consolidate their fourth-place position in the league, slipping to fifth place behind Unai Emery’s Aston Villa following the defeat to Newcastle.
While Tottenham are still very much in contention to finish in the fourth and final Champions League spot come the end of this campaign, the performance against Newcastle is certainly not a promising indication of what is to come for the side that is still yet to play Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City in their final six games.
