Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle: Player ratings as Magpies go fourth with win at Spurs
Newcastle moved up to fourth and closed the gap on third-placed Tottenham to two points by beating their error-strewn hosts 2-1 in north London on Sunday.
A Hugo Lloris blunder gifted Callum Wilson the opener from distance before Miguel Almiron raced away from the challenges of Ryan Sessegnon and Clement Lenglet to fire in his side's second.
Harry Kane stooped low to head in at the back post to drag Spurs back into the game but the Magpies frustrated their hosts well to run down the clock in the second half and claim a deserved victory.
A fast-paced start saw Son Heung-min go close twice with efforts from the edge of the box before Emerson Royal and Joelinton tangled and collapsed in the Tottenham area, with no decision given.
Spurs pushed on and Kieran Trippier had to be on alert against his former club to hook Son's effort off the line after it deflected off Nick Pope towards goal.
Newcastle saw plenty of the ball before almost being gifted an opener in calamitous fashion as Eric Dier's erroneous pass back to Lloris trickled past the post. Kane then brought a save from Pope after a twisting run before more calamitous antics in Tottenham's defence helped Newcastle take the lead.
Lloris attempted to collect a long pass which had caught out Dier with Wilson running in behind, but the ball hit the goalkeeper's midriff and fell straight to Wilson, who lifted the ball into an empty net from distance. Lloris and Spurs claimed a foul as he collided with the Newcastle striker, but no intervention came from the officials.
There was no doubting Newcastle's second as another home implosion created a path to goal. The Magpies telegraphed Lloris' distribution and pounced, Sean Longstaff finding Miguel Almiron who fired his shot under Lloris to make it 2-0.
Tottenham's composure in possession was patchy but as the rain poured in north London a familiar figure was on hand to bundle them back into the game.
A corner was flicked on by Lenglet to Kane at the back post. The England captain stooped to head in his tenth league goal of the season and half the deficit.
The goal didn't create the forward momentum needed for Spurs to drag themselves level, with Ivan Perisic and Kane having their most notable chances but failing to trouble Pope in the Newcastle goal.
Defeat sees Tottenham lose their 100% home record in the league this season and hands them their second loss on the trot after being beaten at Manchester United in midweek. Newcastle, meanwhile, remain unbeaten since late August.
Tottenham vs Newcastle player ratings - Premier League
1. Tottenham (3-5-2)
GK: Hugo Lloris - 0/10 - Claimed a foul for Wilson's strike but got the situation horribly wrong. Dived over Almiron's effort after a poor kick out. Gifted Newcastle a platform they did not pass up.
CB: Davinson Sanchez - 4/10 - Pressured into some loose passes. His right-hand channel with Emerson provided little joy for Spurs.
CB: Eric Dier - 3/10 - Lost concentration and played some sloppy passes from the back.
CB: Clement Lenglet - 4/10 - Skinned by Almiron far too easily for Newcastle's second. Got an assist with a flick to Kane.
RWB: Emerson Royal - 4/10 - Started the game looking dangerous in attack but that was as good as it got.
CM: Rodrigo Bentancur - 6/10 - Tireless pressing from the front and produced some really nice dribbles. Didn't always pick the right pass.
CM: Yves Bissouma - 4/10 - Not showing the composure and awareness that made him such an easy watch at Brighton.
CM: Oliver Skipp - 6/10 - A couple of bursts forward looked promising in the first half but his distribution was a little loose.
LWB: Ryan Sessegnon - 4/10 - Couldn't handle Almiron before the Paraguayan raced off and scored. Played into space frequently but delivery wasn't there.
ST: Harry Kane - 7/10 - Picked out some textbook passes and saw a shot saved by Pope. Got free at the back post to head in.
ST: Son Heung-min - 5/10 - Went close with a few early efforts from the edge of the box. Could have given Spurs the lead from close range but his effort was hacked away by Trippier. Faded as the game wore on.
SUB: Ivan Perisic (61' for Sessegnon) - 5/10 - Provided a little more bite on the left but not enough.
SUB: Lucas Moura (67' for Skipp) - 5/10 - A few moments of nice interplay but little more.
SUB: Ben Davies (81' for Lenglet) - 5/10
SUB: Matt Doherty (81' for Emerson) - 5/10
Manager: Antonio Conte - 4/10 - Was without Cristian Romero and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from midweek and wasn't helped by Lloris' implosion. Spurs couldn't compose themselves in attacking areas and Conte had little to turn to on the bench.
2. Newcastle (4-3-3)
GK: Nick Pope - 7/10 - Half-stopped a Son effort and was more convincing when booting away Kane's shot. No outrageous saves but was big and strong when he needed to be.
RB: Kieran Trippier - 8/10 - Swept up well to stop Son's shot creeping over the line. Dealt well with Sessegnon.
CB: Fabian Schar - 7/10 - Played some nice long balls which put Spurs on the back foot.
CB: Sven Botman - 7/10 - Made a nuisance of himself in the opposition box and put in some solid blocks.
LB: Dan Burn - 6/10 - Formed part of the stout Newcastle backline that restricted Tottenham's opportunities from open play.
CM: Sean Longstaff - 7/10 - Read the game brilliantly to rob Sessegnon and feed Almiron for Newcastle's second.
CM: Bruno Guimaraes - 7/10 - An all-action display from the Brazilian, who frequently picked up possession for his side with some battling defensive work.
CM: Joe Willock - 6/10 - Strike from the edge of the box worried Lloris at 2-0. Worked hard before making way late on.
RW: Miguel Almiron - 8/10 - Whizzed past Lenglet from Longstaff's pass to fire in his side's second. Tricky dribbling made him a threat in the final third.
ST: Callum Wilson - 8/10 - Put Lloris under pressure and was rewarded by the Frenchman's gaffe to net the opener from distance.
LW: Joelinton - 7/10 - Powerful presence and held the ball up well on occasion, also winning it back with some tackles.
SUB: Jacob Murphy (75' for Willock) - 5/10
SUB: Chris Wood (88' for Wilson) - N/A
SUB: Jonjo Shelvey (89' for Guimaraes) - N/A
Manager: Eddie Howe - 9/10 - His players read Tottenham's passing channels with ease and prevented their hosts from troubling Pope too often. Spurs imploded but Howe got pretty much everything right.