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Newcastle United FC v Tottenham Hotspur FC – Club Report
The hosts took the lead against the run of play in the 37th minute as Harvey Barnes struck inside the box to give the Magpies a half-time advantage.
After dominating for much of the game, Spurs were earned their just rewards in the second half as substitute Brennan Johnson saw his goalbound effort turned home by Dan Burn.
But Isak struck the decisive blow 12 minutes from time on the counter-attack with a simple finish to hand Eddie Howe’s side another victory on home soil this term.
Newcastle’s triumph maintains their unbeaten start to the season and go fourth in the early standings, while Spurs sit 10th, just inside the top half.
How the match unfolded
Having started quickly in recent meetings against Spurs, the hosts threatened to blow their opponents away early on as Isak’s audacious effort clipped the crossbar before Barnes flashed a strike narrowly wide of Guglielmo Vicario’s net moments later.
Spurs responded to the Magpies’ onslaught with a break of their own, with Cristian Romero nodding Pedro Porro’s teasing delivery beyond Nick Pope, only for the offside flag to be raised.
However, against the run of play, Barnes steered the ball home brilliantly after being picked out by Lloyd Kelly inside the Spurs penalty area before the break.
The visitors again started brightly after the interval, with their pressure eventually paying off in the 56th minute when Burn inadvertently turned in Johnson’s parried effort.
And while James Maddison and Johnson went close, Newcastle’s clinical striker Isak got his first of the season after Joelinton’s incisive pass found Jacob Murphy, who put the ball on a plate for the Swede to score.
Magpies still take flight despite transfer woes
Eddie Howe was open about Newcastle’s less-than-brilliant transfer window before kick-off, with their failed pursuit of Marc Guehi among the pieces of business they did not get over the line before Friday’s deadline.
In the end, it was one of last year’s arrivals who made his mark on proceedings in the North East, with Barnes striking first on just his eighth start since his move from Leicester City.
Newcastle once again showcased the defensive resilience that earned them Champions League football during the 2022/23 campaign, and it was needed to withstand the consistent waves of Spurs’ persistent attacking pressure.
Going forward, Anthony Gordon offered the hosts a way out, but Spurs defended astutely during their search for a winner to try and end their recent hoodoo against the Magpies. With a star striker who attracted interest over the transfer window in your ranks, you always have a chance.
Isak got off the mark for the season with arguably the easiest goal he will score this campaign thanks to Murphy’s unselfish square-ball, with the Swede confirming a triumph that will potentially come under the “smash and grab category”.
Wasteful Spurs fail to make pressure count
Having started slowly not for the first time at St James’ Park, an injury to assistant Ian Hussin halted the frantic opening, with Spurs making a much better start once play resumed.
After seeing Romero’s strike chalked off for offside, Ange Postecoglou’s side enjoyed a sustained spell of pressure, with Pape Sarr twice stinging the palms of Pope in quick succession.
Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski also saw attempts blocked, with Barnes’ strike compounding their struggles in the final third as the visitors entered the break having registered only two shots on target.
Their attacking pressure continued in the second half – Porro’s deflected cross struck the woodwork, with Maddison also testing Pope from distance before Johnson’s introduction added extra pace in the wide areas.
However, Spurs’ wastefulness in front of goal left Postecoglou scratching his head for much of the contest, with Isak’s winner further highlighting that improvements are still needed, especially in the forward areas.
Club reports
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