Newcastle United strengthened their pursuit of Champions League football after embarrassing top-four Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur at St. James’ Park this afternoon.
Eddie Howe’s men started as they meant to go on by running out 6-1 winners. They subsequently became only the sixth team in competition history to score three goals within the opening nine minutes of a game.
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In fact, the Magpies registered their fifth goal in the 21st minute, which meant this was the second-earliest a Premier League side had raced into a 5-0 lead since Man City mauled Watford in September 2019 (18th minute).
Even more crazy is the fact before today Newcastle have never scored five goals in the first half of a Premier League match. Equally damaging, today was the first time Spurs have conceded five Premier League goals prior to half-time. Jacob Murphy’s opener, after 63 seconds of football had been played, was the earliest that Spurs conceded since October 2015 against Bournemouth (49 seconds).
Murphy’s second came three minutes after Joelinton doubled Newcastle’s lead (sixth minute) which proved to be the earliest that Tottenham have been 2-0 down in the Premier League since April 2014 against West Brom (fourth minute). Furthermore, Murphy became the 23rd player in Premier League history to score twice within the opening nine minutes of a match, and only the second Newcastle player to do so, after Duncan Ferguson against Southampton in January 2000.
Alexander Isak's first half by numbers vs. Spurs:
24 touches
6 touches in opp. box
3 shots
3 duels won
2 take-ons completed
2 shots on target
2 goalsSharpshooter. ? pic.twitter.com/Dn9xX2Uc5H
— Play Squawka Selector for Free (@Squawka_Live) April 23, 2023
It was then Alexander Isak’s turn. His quick-fire brace — the first goal seeing him finishing off a scrumptious Joe Willock pass — moved him into double figures for the season. This meant, for the first time ever, Newcastle have three different players with 10 or more goals in a Premier League season (Isak joining Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron).
On top of that, among players with five or more goals in the Premier League this season, only Erling Haaland (70 mins/goal) has scored more regularly than Isak (97 mins/goal). A shellshocked Cristian Stellini wouldn’t know but this was the first time Tottenham conceded five goals in a Premier League match since May 2016 (also vs Newcastle). “I can’t think of a collapse of this nature,” a disbelieved Alan Smith uttered on Sky Sports commentary.
The hapless Hugo Lloris didn’t come out for the second half. Fraser Forster, who began his career at Newcastle, replaced the Spurs’ skipper between the sticks. “My injury does not sound good,” he told Sky Sports. “I don’t know if it’s a muscle but around the hip when I kicked. It doesn’t sound good.”
On the result, he said: “It’s very embarrassing. We should apologise to the fans who travelled and watched. We didn’t show a great face today.”
Harry Kane completed 100% of his passes in the first half against Newcastle…
31% of them were from kick-off. ?#NEWTOT pic.twitter.com/H3dKIa5Ai8
— Play Squawka Selector for Free (@Squawka_Live) April 23, 2023
Former Magpies midfielder Kieron Dyer went a step further. “Everything Conte said in that press conference has come true.”
He wasn’t alone in reacting to events on Tyneside.
Newcastle are brilliant, they have been all season⚽️
Tottenham are a disgrace!
How have they gone to a back four for the first time this season, with Porro a full back that can’t defend & Perisic who is a winger ?
Get a proper manager in right now, not Conte’s mate
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) April 23, 2023
“I can’t believe they’re fifth in the Premier League,” said Clinton Morrison in the Sky Sports News studio. “It’s embarrassing.”
“I feel sorry for the attacking players.”
Tottenham have won just 13 of the first 43 duels in a game that is predominantly being played in their third of the pitch. It tells you a lot about the indifference with which they seem to be playing today.
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) April 23, 2023
Newcastle are three goals away from inflicting Tottenham’s joint-biggest-ever defeat:
Tottenham's biggest top-flight defeat in history:
Liverpool 7-0 Spurs, Sept 1978
Biggest defeat ever:
FC Koln 8-0 Spurs, July 1995 https://t.co/DSx48Xa10l
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) April 23, 2023
Several Tottenham fans even shared clips from the press conference that got Conte sacked to put the display into context:
?? Antonio Conte:
? "They are used to it here. They do NOT want to play under pressure. They do NOT want to play under stress. Tottenham's story is this. 20 years there is the owner & they never won something. Why!?"
? SPOT ON!#THFC | #COYS | #NEWTOTpic.twitter.com/sr6rd60j3x
— Last Word On Spurs (@LastWordOnSpurs) April 23, 2023
They are used to it here. They do NOT want to play under pressure. They do NOT want to play under stress. Tottenham's story is this. 20 years there is the owner & they never won something. Why!?" pic.twitter.com/49tVYt6bOy
— TalkTHFC (@TalkTHFC__) April 23, 2023
“Is this the most embarrassing 20 minutes in Prem history?” asked one Reddit user.
You know how badly you have to be getting beaten to leave after 25 minutes ? pic.twitter.com/6Or0vC2hrz
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) April 23, 2023
A sole Harry Kane goal, four minutes into the second half (and his 24th of this season), was the crummiest of comforts. On a personal note: Kane has scored in 21 different Premier League games this season for Spurs; only Andy Cole in 1993/94 (26), Alan Shearer in 1994/95 (24) and Mohamed Salah in 2017/18 (24) have ever scored in more in a single campaign.
Newcastle would soon restore their incredible five-goal lead through Callum Wilson who came off the bench. Not since a 5-0 win over West Ham in January 2011 had Newcastle won a Premier League game by this margin, while Spurs have lost a top-flight game by a margin of five or more goals for the first time since December 2013 vs Liverpool (0-5).
This shouldn’t be chalked up to being an isolated incident as Spurs have now both scored and conceded 50+ goals in the Premier League this season – they are only the fourth side to do within their first 32 games in a season, after QPR in 1994/95 (32nd game), Spurs themselves in 2007/08 (30th game) and Leeds United in 2020/21 (32nd game).
It’s been 20 years since Newcastle last dined at Europe’s high table; following this win, leaving them in third and six points clear of fifth-place Spurs with a game in hand plus a far superior goal difference, that long wait seems to be coming to an end.