Newcastle United continued the defence of their Carabao Cup crown with a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.
It was an exciting high-tempo clash between two tops sides. But Newcastle outworked, outplayed and out-thought Tottenham, overpowering Thomas Frank’s men with their intensity and tactical intelligence.
Eddie Howe’s men were fully deserving of their triumph and have now won five of their past six games across all competitions. The Magpies are quietly building a head of steam.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Newcastle’s press suffocates Tottenham
A crucial factor towards Newcastle’s dominance was their aggressive man-oriented high pressing. It persistently stifled Tottenham’s attempts to build out from the back.
Newcastle’s relentless harrying constantly forced Tottenham into errors and allowed them to regain the ball in quality areas. Spurs hardly had any time or space to execute their actions cleanly or make coherent decisions.
Nick Woltemade and Joe Willock were key to Newcastle’s success, pressing Antonin Kinsky to force the goalkeeper into rushed, long clearances. From there, Newcastle swarmed the second-ball zone, collapsing around the target area with urgency. The midfielders were happy to leave their man to get an additional body in the vicinity, which helped them win those pivotal duels and launch fresh attacks.
Dabble sign-up offer: Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets
Not signed up to Dabble yet? Here's how to claim the Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets welcome offer:
- Sign up to Dabble through this link
- Register your account with accurate personal details
- Place your first bet of £10 or more
- Receive your £10 in free bets when your qualifying bet has setted
- Use your Free Bet on any eligible sportsbook market within 7 days
#AD 18+ 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. GambleAware.org
Newcastle closed Tottenham down exceptionally as a collective unit, winning possession three times in the attacking third and 16 in the middle third. They were timing their jumps, angling their pressing and were even using the touchline as an extra defender.
Their aptitude here doubled as a potent method of chance creation, with their first goal serving as a perfect example. Willock’s assertive pressing forced Kevin Danso into a sloppy pass, which was intercepted by Malick Thiaw, who was all over Xavi Simons. Willock gained possession seconds later and delivered a brilliant cross for the in-form Woltemade, who headed home.
Magpies’ midfield dominance
Another integral aspect of Newcastle’s win was their midfield mechanics, with Willock and Jacob Ramsey’s penetrative runs a good place to start. Their nifty bursts in behind heaped pressure on the Tottenham rearguard.
At least one — or both — pushed closer to Woltemade to attack the gaps left by the German. This proved a valuable offensive avenue, and the openings were maximised by the wingers and full-backs occupying markers.
Woltemade’s crafty movement to check deep and link play also warrants special mention. His ability to draw trackers created the platform for the midfielders to make well-timed counter-movements. But he could also engage in slick combinations to bring the advancing No.8s into play. They could receive layoffs in ideal forward-facing postures, while enjoying a dynamic advantage over back-to-goal defenders.
Newcastle regularly used their three-on-two, or four-on-two, overload in midfield to access dangerous areas between the lines. This, combined with Woltemade’s drops and split positioning of the No.8s, was vital to Newcastle outfoxing Tottenham in the heart of the pitch.
Wide dynamics bear fruit
Last on the agenda is Newcastle’s wide dynamics, which worked wonders for them. Dan Burn’s smart indented positioning was a signifcant feature of Newcastle’s wide attacking plans. The defender often rotated inside while Harvey Barnes held the width to elevate their menace.
The duo mixed it up cleverly too. Sometimes Barnes would drift infield, allowing Burn to maraud forward on the overlap. But on other occasions, Burn moved high and narrow, almost atacing as an auxiliary striker to provide an extra central presence.
Emil Krafth operated in a similar fashion on the opposite wing within Howe’s system that typically kept one full-back deeper while the other advanced. At times, both full-backs pushed high simultaneously, though, with Sandro Tonali pulling into the backline to form a temporary back three. It was a strategy that brought balance and variety.
The infield positioning of the full-backs had the added bonus of paving the way for the wingers to receive one-on-one with minimal help due to Burn and Krafth occupying their men. And also due to the aforementioned midfield runners assaulting Tottenham’s last line. Spurs were routinely stretched vertically and horizontally by Newcastle’s astute framework.
Newcastle repeatedly tilted their structure to overload the right, was an intriguing theme as well. It dragged Tottenham across in numbers, and unbalanced their defensice shape. With the visitors frequently too slow to adjust, Tonali could venture laterally to be the free man before firing precise switches of play to the opposite side, where Barnes could expose Tottenham’s underloaded flank and bomb on into acres of space.
It was a classic demonstration of the overload-to-isolate principle in full flow and a wise ploy from Howe to outfox their opponents.