In a shocking turn of events at St James’ Park, Tottenham Hotspur were left humiliated after Newcastle United ran riot in the opening 20 minutes of their Premier League clash. The Toon Army were firing on all cylinders as they found themselves an astonishing five goals up, leaving the visitors shell-shocked.
Tottenham manager Antonio Conte surprised everyone by reverting to a four-man defense, a system he rarely employs. However, it proved to be a catastrophic decision as his team were exposed and overwhelmed by the rampant Magpies.
Newcastle put in a display of world-class football, but Spurs shot themselves in the foot with dismal defending and goalkeeping. The usually reliable Hugo Lloris, who has a World Cup winner’s medal to his name, was particularly guilty of poor performance.
Newcastle’s Jacob Murphy opened the scoring just two minutes into the game, and Joelinton doubled the lead four minutes later. Murphy then scored his second and Newcastle’s third, with a long-range shot that bizarrely went straight past Lloris.
Alexandre Isak then added two more goals of his own, with Joe Willock providing the assist for the first, and Isak finishing with coolness and precision. The Swede then added his second in routine fashion, further compounding Tottenham’s misery.
The most disappointing performance of the night, however, came from Lloris, who was totally exposed and failed to produce a single save. Fans took to social media to express their disappointment and anger, as Tottenham suffered one of their most ignominious defeats in recent memory.
For manager Eddie Howe, it was a dream start to his tenure at St James’ Park, with his team displaying the sort of attacking verve and style that he is known for. For Tottenham, it was a sobering lesson in the importance of defensive solidity, and one that they will not forget in a hurry.
