PREMIER LEAGUE
TUESDAY 2ND DECEMBER, 2025
8.15pm
NEWCASTLE UNITED 2(0) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2(0)

Newcastle scorers:-
Guimaraes, 71
Gordon (pen), 86

Spurs scorer(s):-
Romero, 78, 90(+5)

Attendance:- 52,007

Referee:- Tom Bramall
Assistants:- Simon Bennett, Nick Greenhalgh
Fourth official:- Anthony Backhouse
VAR:- Paul Tierney
Assistant VAR:- Ian Hussin

Teams:-
Newcastle (4-3-3):- 32. Ramsdale; 21. Livramento, 12. Thiaw, 33. Burn (Capt.), 3. Hall; 67. Miley (sub 5. Schar, 90+3), 8. Tonali (sub 39. Guimaraes, 46), 7. Joelinton; 23. J. Murphy (sub 20. Elanga, 66), 27. Woltemade, 11. Barnes (sub 10. Gordon, 66)
(Guimaraes took captain's armband)

Subs not used:- 26. Ruddy; 37. A. Murphy; 41. Ramsey, 28. Willock; 62. Neave

No bookings

Spurs (4-3-3):- 1. Vicario; 23. Pedro Porro, 17. Romero (Capt.), 4. Danso, 13. Udogie; 29. Sarr (sub 14. Gray, 87), 30. Bentancur, 15. Bergvall (sub 7. Xavi Simons, 77); 20. Kudus (sub 28. Odobert, 87), 39. Kolo-Muani (sub 9. Richarlison, 77), 22. Johnson (sub 11. Tel, 77)

Subs not used:- 31. Kinsky; 24. Spence, 37. Van de Ven; 6. Palhinha

Booked:- Romero (foul on Joelinton), Bentancur (foul on Hall), Richarlison (dissent)

Captain Marvel earns justice for Spurs

Thanks to Eugene Gasper for capturing this image

Spurs captain Cristian Romero earned a precious point and justice for Spurs with an added time overhead kick after a shocking penalty award and conversion had looked like giving Newcastle the spoils.

"Cuti" Romero scored his first league goals of the season, and his first since the European Super Cup Final against PSG in August. This was also Romero's first brace of his career. Both were stunning in their execution and were Spurs' only shots on target. In one game "Captain Marvel" (the original comic book character was male!) scored more league goals than any individual Wolves player has managed so far this season!

The hardy band of travelling Spurs fans was rewarded for their endeavour, and their whole-hearted support throughout the game.

This game followed closely after the weekend fixtures and both coaches rotated their teams. Thomas Frank rested Micky van de Ven, and Gray, Palhinha and Richarlison were also on the bench. Danso, Sarr, Bentancur and Johnson started.

Nick Pope is injured so former Arsenal man Aaron Ramsdale made his second start of the Premier League season. Tonali came in for Guimaraes and Jacob Murphy for Elanga.

Spurs played in their third strip, as they had in Paris last week, and kicked off towards The Gallowgate End. We were soon on the back foot as Vicario's long clearance was sent back in our direction. There was a chance for Lewis Hall, but he pulled his shot wide. Woltemade headed over a Jacob Murphy cross.

Johnson was playing on the left and put in a dangerous cross, intended for Kudus, but intercepted by Hall. There might have been an offside.

I counted three mistakes by Pedro Porro in the early minutes as attempted passes or clearances failed. Luckily, Newcastle were failing to make use of their possession, and Vicario was not required to stretch himself.

Spurs won a couple of corners and after the second, Kudus overhit his cross. Kudus was just one of the team too often facing and playing back towards his own goal. He lost out and Harvey Barnes crossed for Murphy, who tried and failed with an ambitious scissor kick.

Lucas Bergvall, who tried to get us on the attack with flowing runs at times, also lost out on our right touchline. Barnes was on the attack again, passing inside to 19-year-old Lewis Miley, whose shot ran comfortably to Vicario's arms.

Spurs were committing quite a few fouls and Romero took the first booking for stopping Joelinton. Referee Tom Bramall frustrated the home crowd at times with his perceived lenience towards strong challenges.

Midway through the half Spurs had no shots whatsoever and an XG of zero!

There was danger in our box on the half-hour after a long throw. Tonali crossed and Thiaw got a touch with Burn trying to connect. The ball ran to Vicario. Joelinton got the better of Bentancur going into the Spurs area on the right. The Newcastle number seven's shot went across the goalmouth and rebounded off the far post.

At last, Spurs managed a decent attacking move. Kudus crossed from the right and Bergvall's clever flick passed just over the bar. Udogie stole the ball off Livramento, and Bergvall couldn't get his feet right when a pass came from his left.

As first half added time loomed, Vicario approached the referee with a complaint, perhaps regarding missiles being thrown at him from behind the goal. A shot by Murphy in added time was blocked.

Bruno Guimaraes replaced Tonali at half-time and took the captain's armband from Burn. Once again, the ball came back towards our goal after a clearance and Kudus lost the ball again, facing our goal. Barnes' cross came off Vicario's legs and Kevin Danso headed clear off the line after Woltemade's effort.

Spurs couldn't keep the ball but defended successfully. Murphy hit a deep cross and Pedro Porro blocked Hall's shot. A Murphy shot was deflected over our goal by Bergvall, and a third Newcastle corner was pushed over his bar by Vicario. Newcastle consistently hit dangerous inswinging corners.

Spurs managed to get forward again and deployed a couple of Danso long throws from the left but created no chances. We were at least getting more possession in the Newcastle half and also won a couple of corners.

Newcastle broke forward and Livramento's cross for Murphy was blocked. From the corner, Livramento hit a long shot, and Johnson blocked it in front of Vicario.

Eddie Howe made a couple more substitutions with Elanga and Gordon replacing wingmen Murphy and Barnes. It wasn't long before the deadlock was broken. Gordon raced away down the left. His cross was pushed back by Woltemade into the path of Guimaraes, who hit a powerful shot to the left of Vicario from just inside the box.

Miley had a left-footed shot on target after the ball had passed through our defence, but that was held by Vicario.

Muani had been trying hard without many opportunities and did well to steal the ball off Miley, before heading for goal inside the area, His effort won a corner. Newcastle defended that, but Romero stayed up. Our captain scored with a superb powerful diving header to meet Kudus's lowish cross, beating Ramsdale inside his left post. "Cuti" stretched his arms up towards the Spurs fans in the rafters. It was our first shot on target.

Thomas Frank had made a triple substitution before the corner. Tel, Richarlison and Xavi were now on the field.

The joy of our equaliser was short-lived. Newcastle had a corner, and like all before them there was argy-bargy on the area. Spurs defended the corner, and the referee was not interested in any offences, but was ultimately called to the monitor (I assume by VAR Paul Tierney) to review an alleged foul by Bentancur on Burn. Burn was giving as good as he got against Bentancur who seemed to be pushed himself. The decision (shocking in my view) was to award a penalty for a holding offence. Gordon converted with an unstoppable right-footed drive.

Wilson Odobert and Archie Gray were late subs for Spurs after which we entered 9 added minutes. Spurs had a couple of corners, and the ball was cleared from the feet of Richarlison. After a corner by Pedro Porro, Ramsdale half-cleared. Romero had been on the ground but recovered and hit an overhead kick (with his shin) which somehow passed through a sea of legs all the way into the net. I thought one of two Spurs players might have got a touch, but it was Romero's goal and how we all celebrated! "Cuti" even copied Guimaraes' celebration!

In my opinion, the goal was justice for Spurs, who had shown more fight and determination in that second half, and had suffered a harsh penalty decision.

Whilst we remain above Newcastle, we are eleventh in the table. Hopefully, our morale has been lifted sufficiently to get us a home win on Saturday against Thomas Frank's previous employers Brentford.

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