Tottenham kicked off their 2024/25 Premier League campaign with a disappointing draw against Leicester City. This was followed up with a smashing 4-0 win over Everton, securing Ange Postecoglou’s side their first win of the new campaign.
Skipper Son Heung-min led from the front against the Toffees and will now hope to continue his streak against Newcastle. The Magpies will be one of the sides in contention for a European spot, and the game was unlikely to be easy, if anything.
The challenge was not lost on Postecoglou who made several changes to his side from last weekend. While the 4-3-3 formation was retained, Brennan Johnson was relegated to the bench with Dejan Kulusevski taking his spot on the right flank.
Pape Matar Sarr returned to the playing XI, adding more steel to the Spurs midfield. Micky van de Ven, who picked up a knock against Everton had to settle for a spot on the bench, with Rady Dragusin taking his spot in the playing XI. Thankfully, Ange Postecoglou confirmed that the Dutch centre-back is closing in on a return, something we should see once the international break comes to a close.
The Magpies took the lead in the first half thanks to Harvey Barnes. Tottenham seized the initiative and then equalised through a Scott Danns own goal before Alexander Isak won the game for the Magpies in the second half./ Despite their dominance, the North Londoners came away from St James Park with nothing to show for their efforts.
Let’s take a look at how the players fared on the night:
Tottenham Hotspur Player Ratings vs Newcastle United
GK | Guglielmo Vicario (6.5/10): He held firm more often than not and was a reliable last line of defence. There was little the Italian could do to stop Harvey Barnes’s measured finish. He stayed alert to deny Murphy with an excellent save in the second half.
RB | Pedro Porro (6/10): He forced Nick Pope into a smart save in the second half but otherwise blew hot and cold. Should have done better in the leadup to Newcastle’s second goal.
CB | Cristian Romero (6/10): Romero held firm as Newcastle applied early pressure. He put the ball in the back of the net in the 12th minute only to see it ruled out. The Argentine largely held his own and kept Isak under check.
CB | Radu Dragusin (6/10): Stepping in for Micky van de Ven is no easy feat but the Romanian did more good than bad on the night.
LB | Destiny Udogie (5.5/10): Very involved as always but didn’t create much.
CDM | Yves Bissouma (6/10): He grew into the game and earned himself an early booking in the second half for a tactical foul.
CM | James Maddison (6/10): Madders improved in the second half and played a key role in the leadup to Tottenham’s equalizer. He picked up a yellow card for clipping Bruno Guimaraes in the second half as Newcastle broke on the counter. Maddison could have done much better and will be expected to make more of a difference going forward. He made way for Lucas Bergvall after Newcastle retook the lead.
CM | Pape Matar Sarr (7/10): He earned himself an early booking for a lunge on Lloyd Kelly and went close twice to scoring in the first half, only to be thwarted by Nick Pope on both occasions. He was taken off for Brennan Johnson at half-time as Postecoglou adopted a more attacking stance.
RW | Dejan Kulusevski (6/10): Largely ineffective in the first half, the Swede linked up well with Brennan Johnson to set up Odobert early in the second half, only for the Frenchman to fire wide. He had some moments of inspiration but the final touch was lacking. His driving runs often culminated with a poor final pass or cross.
ST | Son Heung-min CAPTAIN (6/10): The skipper was the focal point of the Tottenham attack and made the shot that led to his side’s equaliser on the night. He should have and could have done more as Tottenham chased the winner early in the second half.
LW | Wilson Odobert (5/10): The youngster failed to score with a straightforward chance in the second half. He cut a largely frustrated figure and made way for Timo Werner in the 70th minute.
Substitutes:
Brennan Johnson => Pape Matar Sarr (6/10): He huffed and puffed and made some good runs. Johnson linked up well with Kulusevski but several of his positive runs and crosses found no takers in the Newcastle box.
Rodrigo Bentancur => Yves Bissouma (5/10): The Uruguayan came on for Bissouma as Tottenham chased a second equaliser but lacked the desired impact. He did little of note apart from picking up a yellow card for a tackle on Anthony Gordon. He also gave away possession cheaply.
Timo Werner => Wilson Odobert (5/10): The German showed more heart and energy than Odobert but failed to make the difference in the final third.
Lucas Bergvall => James Maddison (5/10): He failed to make the difference and the x-factor off the bench was largely lacking.
What about Ange Postecoglou?
The Australian saw his side grow into the game and even dominate for large spells. However, the lack of cutting edge on the night saw them come away with little to show for their efforts. Ange’s move to bring on Brennan Johnson was inspired but the rest of the substitutes did little to inspire his confidence.
