PREMIER LEAGUE
TUESDAY 10TH FEBRUARY, 2026
(7.30 PM)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1(0) NEWCASTLE UNITED 2(1)
Spurs scorer:-
Gray, 64
Newcastle scorers:-
Thiaw, 45 (+5)
Ramsey, 68
Attendance:- 59, 773
Referee:- Anthony Taylor
Assistants:- Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn
Fourth official:- Gavin Ward
VAR:- Nick Hopton
Assistant VAR:- Stuart Attwell
Teams:-
Spurs (4-3-3):- 1. Vicario; 14. Gray, 3. Dragusin, 37. Van de Ven (Capt.), 24. Spence; 22. Gallagher (sub 39. Kolo Muani, 70), 8. Bissouma (sub 6. Palhinha, 46); 29. Sarr; 28. Odobert (sub 11. Tel, 35),19. Solanke, 7. Xavi
Subs not used:- 31. Kinsky; 38. Souza, 67. Byfield, 76. Rowswell; 52. Olusesi, 68. Williams-Barnett
Booked:- Sarr (simulation), Spence (foul on Elanga), Xavi (simulation)
Newcastle (4-3-3):- 1. Pope; 2. Trippier, 12. Thiaw, 4. Botman, 33. Burn; 28. Willock (sub 27. Woltemade, 88), 39. Guimaraes (Capt.) (sub 3. Hall, 90+1) 41. Ramsey (sub 8. Tonali, 75); 20. Elanga (sub 23. J. Murphy, 75), 10. Gordon (sub 18. Osula, 88), 11. Barnes
(Armband to Trippier?)
Subs not used:- 32. Ramsdale; 61. Shahar; 37. A. Murphy; 9. Wissa
Booked:- Burn (foul on Gallagher), Guimaraes (foul on Xavi)
Another day, another defeat, another injury, one point closer to relegation
Matchday 26 in the Premier League. Spurs fell to their eleventh league defeat of this miserable season. In 13 home games, we've managed two wins and lost 7 at home. We've yet to win any league games in 2026 after 8 attempts. We've lost four of those games. Odobert limped off after 35 minutes and will presumably join our unprecedented long list of absentees.
West Ham drew at home to Manchester United (and that was only due to a late United equaliser), drawing one point closer to Spurs. Leeds came back from 2-0 down at Chelsea and climbed above Spurs. We've dropped to 16th place, and we are definitely in a relegation battle. Have we got the fight for that? The last 12 games of the season will tell. I am not at all confident.
As expected, Djed Spence returned and played at left back. I expected to see him pelting down the left wing to join an attack on Newcastle's 35-year-old right back and former Spur Kieran Trippier. We saw very little such attacking, particularly in the first half which was dominated by Newcastle, who have ended a run of three consecutive defeats and five games without a win. Good old "Doctor Tottenham!"
Newcastle pinned us in our half for much of the first 45 minutes. They won numerous corners (8 or 9). We didn't even win a corner until the second half, and we scored our goal from that situation. The award of the corner received ironic loud cheers.
One of our best players in a backs against the wall situation - Joao Palhinha - was left on the bench but replaced the somewhat inept Bissouma at half-time. I think it was Bissouma who lost the ball when trying to carry it into the Newcastle half in the move which led to a disallowed Newcastle goal towards the end of the first half. The reprieve didn't last long, and Newcastle took an added time lead.
Newcastle have a few injuries of their own, but Eddie Howe chose to leave Woltemade on the bench, playing Anthony Gordon as a "false nine." Jacob Ramsey played centrally behind Gordon and supported the attack. Ramsey would be allowed his first Newcastle goal all too soon after Archie Gray's equaliser.
Our full backs and team were pinned back by Eddie Howe's attacking formation, and of course we didn't help ourselves with our insistence on time-consuming play-out passes. Occasional long balls came straight back at us.
Spurs kicked off and played towards the north stand on a wet night. Newcastle won two early corners and from the second of those Botman headed over.
In an early Spurs attack Odobert passed inside to Xavi whose attempted flick to Solanke was blocked. Spence hit a free kick from the left deep across the goal, aiming for Dragusin, but the ball ran out of play. Gallagher collected a good long ball sent down the right flank and crossed deep to Xavi, whose shot hit the side netting.
Referee Anthony Taylor played an advantage to Newcastle after a Spurs foul in the middle and former Arsenal man Joe Willock raced away hitting a shot just outside Vicario's right post.
After a corner on the right, Elanga delivered a cross and Harvey Barnes' shot ran into Vicario's grateful arms. By this time, Newcastle were looking the more likely winners. After all, Spurs hadn't managed a shot on target. A Ramsey shot was well blocked by Micky van de Ven, once again wearing the captain's armband in the enforced four-game absence of Cristian Romero.
Another Newcastle corner followed poor defensive work by Spence (was he fully fit?). This was delivered by Guimaraes and patted away by Vicario from under his crossbar.
Odobert received an excellent long ball from Sarr but ultimately failed to get past the Newcastle defence. Solanke went down in the box, but Mr. Taylor had no interest in that.
Van de Ven blocked a shot by Gordon. Following the corner a Ramsey shot was cleared at the expense of another corner. Spurs survived this pressure.
Odobert needed treatment and had to be replaced by Mathys Tel, who did his best to liven us up. Xavi had a shot from a central position blocked. Sarr was the first of two Spurs players booked for simulation in his own half!
It was Willock who was seemingly the beneficiary after Bissouma's move broke down, shooting low past Vicario. The "goal" was announced but cancelled out for offside after a length VAR review.
Five minutes of added time were announced during this review and Spurs reprieve was short. Dragusin fouled Barnes out towards the right touchline and following the free kick Newcastle worked the ball to the opposite side. Willock crossed and Thiaw's initial header was saved before he scored with his follow-up shot.
Solanke had a shot blocked at the other end after a Xavi pass.
Out came Palhinha for the second half, playing in midfield. Spurs were on the defence again, sometimes desperately so, but then went on the attack. Tel fired over after taking a pass from Xavi. Archie Gray started a move with great play down the right, starting in his own half. He passed to Tel, but again he was off target.
Gray again surged forward and at the end of this move Sarr had a long shot parried. Xavi had a shot blocked after a pass from Spence. Burn was booked for a cynical foul on the advancing Gallagher.
Thanks to Greg Smith for this image
That first corner arrived. It was hit deep from the left by Xavi and headed back into the 6-yard zone by Sarr. Archie Gray hooked the ball into the net and had his second goal of the season. We had to wait a while for VAR confirmation that the goal was legitimate.
Sadly, we soon got caught out due to a lack of concentration at the back. Gordon passed inside from the left and Ramsey hit his first Newcastle goal. By this time, Xavi had also been booked by Mr. Taylor for alleged simulation in midfield. That Newcastle goal followed an attack by Spurs which had broken down through Gallagher's erratic pass. He was soon replaced by Muani, who did well to get to the bye-line on the right of the area, before crossing for Tel, who headed wide.
Tel had another run and a shot which won a corner, but that came to nought, as did Spurs' remaining efforts, the last of which was an overhead kick by Solanke and a shot over the bar by Van de Ven.
Spurs now have 12 days off (we're out off the FA Cup again) before hosting Arsenal. We were told a couple of weeks ago that Pedro Porro might be back for this game. I fear no other players will return and a good beating by our enemy.
STOP PRESS:- Thomas Frank has been sacked as Tottenham Hotspur manager this morning (11/02/26) following the club's 11th defeat of the season.
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. All the Spurs Stats you could hope for here!
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