RICH-IE RICH
Tottenham 4 Newcastle 1: Exhilarating Spurs run riot against Toon in huge top four clash to keep pace with high-flyers
Tottenham were winless in their last five games - scroll down for match stats and highlights
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PERHAPS Ange Postecoglou does know what he is doing after all.
That had been his message on Friday, when doubts over his hell-for-leather approach were growing louder after five games in a row where his side had taken the lead and failed to win.
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Accusations of naivety were levelled at the treble-winning former Celtic boss for sticking with his attacking policy.
But he saw it differently, that the issue was a wastefulness in front of goal rather than anything to do with his set-up defensively.
“I know unequivocally what we need to do,” he said.
And after witnessing his side rip Newcastle to shreds, you have to say he was probably right.
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It was four, but it could have been eight.
Yes, Newcastle looked worn out after so many injuries and too many games, but then Spurs are down to the bare bones too.
The hosts were inspired, mainly by their exceptional skipper Son Heung-min, looking at his lightning-quick best back out on the left wing.
He teed up both the first two goals for defender Destin Udogie and then Richarlison.
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It was the first time the Brazilian had scored with his feet for his club and then, like North London buses, he popped with another after the break.
The vast majority of Tottenham fans were already so in love with Postecoglou that their faith had not been rocked by the recent winless run.
But now he has managed to get their £60million scoring with his feet, well…
Son then got the goal his captain’s performance so richly deserved late on from the penalty spot.
As for Newcastle, it has been a chastening week for Eddie Howe’s knackered side after losing 3-0 at Everton and going one worse here.
Howe’s men looked like they hit the wall in midweek at Goodison Park, but their knack of pulling off a result at Spurs will have buoyed them going into this clash.
Just last season they won 2-1, with Miguel Almiron starring, just six months on from being tonked 5-1 at Tottenham, underlining the remarkable progress under Eddie Howe.
And do not forget the last time they took on Spurs, they walloped them 6-1 for what was the nadir of the North Londoners’ rudderless, end-of-season collapse last term.
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Midfielder Pape Sarr will have particularly bad memories from that horrorshow as he was subbed off after just 23 minutes with the Toon already 5-0 up.
The Senegal star returned after injury here for the hosts, who showed an obvious intent to raise the intensity after the lacklustre second-half showing against West Ham on Thursday.
A slick move involving Son flicking the ball round the corner to Dejan Kulusevski - sporting a mask to protect a broken nose sustained against the Irons - who teed up Richarlison.
The Brazilian blazed over from a tight angle, but it was a warning shot to Newcastle that their hosts were hellbent on ending their poor run.
Howe’s side still carried plenty of threat though, underlined by Bruno Guimaraes fizzing a shot just wide before Miguel Almiron cleared a Cristian Romero header off the line.
As has been the case with pretty much every Postecoglou game, the first half was played at a break-neck pace.
The Aussie had thrown a curveball by moving top-scorer Son from his recent centre-forward role to left wing, and playing Richarlison through the middle.
No one saw it coming given Son’s nine Premier League goals this term.
But it worked a treat as the Spurs skipper gave his former team-mate Kieran Trippier a nightmare of an afternoon.
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Fresh off the back of two errors leading to goals in Thursday’s 3-0 defeat at Everton, the England defender was bamboozled by Son’s trickery near the byline on 26 minutes.
The South Korean then unleashed a perfect cross which Udogie - allegedly playing left-back but essentially attacking midfield - gobbled up from close range for his first Spurs goal.
It was the start Postecoglou’s men needed.
But then again, taking the lead has not been the problem of late. Far from it.
And when Brennan Johnson’s sloppy pass when straight to Alexander Isak shortly afterwards, the home fans must have been thinking, ‘here we go again’.
Yet this time there was a reprieve as Almiron could not beat Guglielmo Vicario, after the ball had been worked to him via Isak and Anthony Gordon.
Shortly after it was 2-0, and again it was down to Son tormenting Trippier.
The Toon right-back tried to head away a long ball but he did not get enough on it, allowing Son to chase it down and keep it in play.
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Tottenham’s captain then dribbled at Trippier, again by the byline, and beat him so easily it would have alarmed Gareth Southgate if he was watching.
Son then cut it back for Richarlison, who swept into the corner for, amazingly, his first Spurs goal with his feet.
It was his sixth in total from 48 games, showing what a slog it has been for the £60million signing from Everton.
But after struggling mentally and physically earlier this team, seeking a psychologist for the former issue and having groin surgery for the latter, he looked fresh and fearless here.
On the hour, Richarlison had his second, taking down a sublime cross from Pedro Porro before tucking it past Martin Dubravka with his left foot.
Brennan Johnson cracked a post, Kulusevski blasted one from distance and Porro lifted a shot onto the roof of the net.
It is not Postecoglou’s way to ease off and with five minutes to go, Son both won and converted a penalty to rubber-stamp the victory.
Still there were more chances - including one for Joelinton, who took it to grab a consolation in injury-time.
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It did not stop the Ange love-in kicking off in earnest at full-time.
Just when it looked like the honeymoon period was over, Spurs have fallen for their attack-minded manager all over again.
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