Tottenham successfully managed to end their poor run of form by cruising to a simple victory over Newcastle on Sunday afternoon. Destiny Udogie opened the scoring before a Richarlison brace and a late penalty from Son Heung-min sealed all three points for the hosts. Joelinton found the net in stoppage time but it was nothing more than a consolation for Newcastle as Tottenham registered their first league win since the end of October.
Express Sport takes a look at the biggest talking points from today’s game in north London…
Davies the unsung hero
Ben Davies was able to underline his worth to Ange Postecoglou with a brilliant defensive performance, which saw him enjoy his finest display in quite some time. He drew huge cheers by putting his body on the line to make a crucial block in the early stages of the match, setting the tone for the rest of his performance.
Alexander Isak looked destined to score after being picked out by Anthony Gordon but Davies somehow managed to nick the ball away with a perfectly-timed intervention. The Welshman was also excellent in possession, helping to start attacks with a number of fine passes into space, and did much of the dirty work that went unnoticed over the course of the match.
Son runs Tripper ragged
The intriguing battle between Son and Kieran Trippier had a clear winner, with the Spurs man passing his latest test in emphatic fashion. He skipped past the England ace to set up his side’s first goal before Tripper was caught in two minds as Son jinked around him to give Richarlison a simple finish.
Postecoglou will have been delighted that Son was fit to start against Newcastle after he appeared to pick up a knock in the midweek defeat to West Ham. He is one of the Premier League’s best players and is more than capable of winning games for Spurs when firing on all cylinders, as he managed to show today with yet another influential performance.
Postecoglou gamble pays off
Postecoglou deserved much of the credit for Son’s brilliant showing thanks to his inspired decision to play the 31-year-old in a wide role. Son has been deployed as a central striker for the majority of this season but flourished on the left flank, with Brennan Johnson on the other side and Richarlison playing through the middle.
It was a combination that Newcastle were simply unable to keep quiet, with the Magpies being sliced open at regular intervals throughout the match. Postecoglou will simply be hoping for all three players to stay fit over the coming weeks, which will allow Son to keep playing out wide rather than being forced to revert to a striking role.
Richarlison’s best game yet?
Richarlison enjoyed arguably his best performance in a Tottenham shirt to date, with his two goals coming as a welcome reward for his attacking efforts. He showed plenty of confidence in the final third with the ball at his feet, while his impressive movement caused no shortage of problems for Newcastle’s defenders.
His finishes were also taken well, planting a first-time effort into the far corner for his first goal before rounding Martin Dubravka to cap off an excellent brace. It will come as a huge boost for the forward, who has often struggled during his time at Spurs but will now be hoping to kick on by finding some much-needed consistency.
Major problem finally solved
Tottenham had failed to win any of their last five matches before today’s game despite taking the lead in all of them. A sense of concern will have ripped through the stands following Udogie’s early opener but there was no collapse on this occasion, with Spurs wasting no time in extending their advantage before the break.
Postecoglou will be delighted that his players finally appear to have banished the problem as they look to climb back up the Premier League table over the coming weeks. It will be crucial for Spurs to capitalise on their newly-found winning momentum, though, with some tough games against the likes of Everton, Brighton and Manchester United on the horizon.
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