Tottenham powers to a 4-1 win over tired Newcastle. Richarlison scores twice
Tottenham's Son Heung-min, left, celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England, Sunday, Dec.10, 2023. Credit: AP/Ian Walton
LONDON — Tottenham powered to its first Premier League win in six weeks by thrashing a tired-looking Newcastle team 4-1 on Sunday, with Richarlison scoring a goal in each half.
Destiny Udogie — with his first Premier League goal — and Son Heung-min — from a late penalty — also scored for Spurs, which ended a five-game winless run that saw them plummet from the top of the standings to outside the top four.
“We could have had more goals but our attacking play was as good as it has been for a while,” Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said. “You can see Newcastle are running on fumes — we’ve gone through that and hopefully we are coming out the other side.”
Saudi-owned Newcastle is paying the price for a lengthy injury list that has led to manager Eddie Howe fielding the same starting lineup for five straight games in all competitions. The team lacked energy and sprightliness, especially in midfield, and could have lost by a bigger margin at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of a must-win game against AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Newcastle has now lost six Premier League games this season, one more than the whole of the 2022-23 campaign. It has just one away win — an 8-0 victory at Sheffield United — and stayed in seventh place, now four points adrift of fifth-place Spurs.
Tottenham took the lead in each of its games in that recent winless streak and did so again in the 26th minute, when Udogie tapped in a cross from Son.
Instead of caving in, Spurs built on that lead when Richarlison swept in a cross from Son, who had again rounded Kieran Trippier with ease, in the 38th.
Tottenham's Richarlison celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England, Sunday, Dec.10, 2023. Credit: AP/Ian Walton
That was his first goal in 20 Premier League starts for Tottenham and he grabbed a second goal in the 60th by bringing down a diagonal pass from Pedro Porro and placing a finish between the legs of goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
Brennan Johnson struck a shot against the post before Dubravka brought down Son, who got up to convert his penalty — Tottenham's first this season — into the bottom corner.
“We said we had to be more ruthless," Son said. “We were ruthless today.”
Joelinton scored a consolation goal in stoppage time for Newcastle.
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