Full Time: Tottenham 1-0 Newcastle United
Tottenham made it three consecutive seasons of Champions League football after a nervy 1-0 win over Newcastle at Wembley. Spurs had Harry Kane to thank as the Englishman scored his 28th goal of the season and confirmed a top-four place for us.
There was a bit of tension in the air given that we needed a positive result to keep our top-four spot alive but it was Newcastle who started well with Jonjo Shelvey hitting the post from a free-kick.
We didn’t really do much until the second half when Kane finished brilliantly into the top corner. While we did not add to the lead, we did keep Newcastle out. While Kane will earn plaudits for his all-important goal, there were a number of other players who shined.
Tottenham Player Ratings
Hugo Lloris – 8/10
Lloris was brilliant for us as he made a great save from Jamaal Lascelles and then even tackled Matt Ritchie to ensure we did not give a goal away.
Kieran Trippier – 6.5/10
Trippier did his best down the right but had to be taken off after picking up an injury.
Davinson Sanchez – 8/10
The Colombian also had a great game as he was blocking shots and making important tackles for us. The former Ajax man also shot over the bar when he had a chance to score.
Jan Vertonghen – 7.5/10
The Belgian looked a little uncomfortable due to the injury he picked up against West Brom. Vertonghen did have a couple of shots on goal but could not score.
Ben Davies – 6.5/10
Davies did have a great block from Dwight Gayle’s shot but didn’t help much in the attack.
Moussa Sissoko – 7/10
The Frenchman was decent as he tried to build attacks, even having a header on target. Sissoko also played Dele Alli through on goal but the Englishman could not score.
Victor Wanyama – 7.5/10
Wanyama was great against the away side as he broke up a lot of attacks and was an enforcer in the heart of the park.
Christian Eriksen – 6/10
This was one of Eriksen’s poorer showings as he could not get going. However, he ran a lot and did his bit for the side.
Dele Alli – 6/10
Alli too, just like Eriksen, could not get into the gear. He did have a low shot which was saved by the Newcastle keeper but could not do much in the game.
Son Heung-min – 5/10
Another player who had a poor night, the South Korean struggled to keep possession but did supply the only assist of the game.
Harry Kane – 7/10
The Englishman had a couple of good chances to score before he got the only goal of the game in the 50th minute. This was not a great performance from Kane but was just about enough as we made it to the Champions League again.
Substitutes
Erik Lamela – 6/10
Lamela did a few tricks and flicks to keep the team going.
Toby Alderweireld – N/A
The Belgian came on as a right-back late in the game and did alright.
Danny Rose – N/A
The Englishman came on for a few minutes but didn’t do much.
