By Alan Tyers
When Tottenham Hotspur play as well as this, it is hard to keep up. It is football played in a whizz and a blur, the ball and players moving at such speed, that you always feel you are a split-second behind the action.
You are never quite sure who just played that pass, or performed that piece of skill. Your brain is still trying to compute that passage of play as your eye is busy trying to absorb the next one. Their 4-1 victory over Newcastle United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday (Monday AEDT) was “Angeball” at its best. A thrill a minute, white-knuckle, adrenaline ride, but what you could easily see is the man inspiring it all was the magnificent, irrepressible Son Heung-min.
The South Korea international was close to unplayable going forward, a constant whirr of speed and skill, but he was also dogged, stubborn and determined in defence, too. It was everything you want to see from a player wearing the captain’s armband, and a little bit more.
It was often Son who helped break up Newcastle attacks on the edge of the Spurs box, immediately putting his side on the front foot and on the attack. They used to call Tottenham the Harry Kane team, but this version surely belongs to Son.
They love him in this part of north London for a reason, and he was the spark that ignited the team’s excellent performance. He even scored Tottenham’s fourth from the penalty spot, just like Kane used to do.
Sport is sometimes cruel, and so it was watching Son torture poor Kieran Trippier, the Newcastle right back, creating both Spurs goals before half-time, twisting the England international in knots on both occasions.
Ange Postecoglou embraces Pedro Porro after Spurs’ third goal.Credit: Getty
Trippier was left exposed. He had very little help from his midfield, but this was as uncomfortable as the 33-year-old has looked in a Newcastle shirt. He looked like an old pro running on empty. His booking in the second half means he will miss next weekend’s home game against Fulham. Hopefully, the rest will do him some good.
It was not just Son who shone. Tottenham’s attacks came from all angles at breakneck speed all evening. They overran and then overwhelmed Newcastle.
There were impressive performances all over the pitch, not least from two-goal Richarlison, the effervescent Yves Bissouma and the electric Dejan Kulusevski.
There was also a moment to remember for Destiny Udogie, who scored his first goal for the club since his arrival from Udinese in the summer, the 21-year-old showing impressive awareness to drift into the area behind Bruno Guimaraes, anticipating Son’s cross to leave himself with a tap-in.
Two-goal hero Richarlison takes aim at the Newcastle goal.Credit: Getty
The fact Spurs persist with their kamikaze high defensive line adds a sprinkle of vulnerability that merely adds to the sense of drama and excitement when you watch them. Newcastle should have taken the lead in fact, when Anthony Gordon galloped clear and crossed for Alexander Isak. A goal seemed certain but Ben Davies somehow slid back, got a toe on the ball and changed the trajectory of it enough for Isak to shin it wide.
On such moments do games swing. Had Newcastle scored first, Miguel Almiron also shot weakly when through on goal, their tired legs and jaded minds would have been revived.
Instead it turned into a hugely difficult evening for all concerned. For the fifth game in a row, Eddie Howe picked the same 10 outfield players. For the second game in a row, they crumpled to a heavy away defeat. It is worrying, especially with their pivotal Champions League game against AC Milan on Wednesday night.
Newcastle appeared to be doing everything in slow motion. It was like watching a video on a mobile phone with a 3G signal.
Spurs celebrate after Son Heung-min (bottom left) scores from the spot.Credit: Getty
They were slow to get into space, slow to spot danger, slow to close down, slow to make a run, slow to make a pass, slow to get back into shape or away from a marker. Everything looked like hard work and was. Too many touches there, an extra pass here.
Their away form has been a problem all season, with just one win on the road to bottom club Sheffield United back in September, but it is going to derail their chances of a top four finish if things continue like this.
Fatigue is less of an issue at home when the players can feed off the energy of the crowd, but it is far tougher away. These are the sort of excuses Howe has tried to avoid but if he will not say it, some of us can. Unless he can rotate and refresh, Newcastle cannot play the same way every game. They are a team that needs to do everything at speed, like Spurs did here, to be effective.
“We could have had more goals but our attacking play was as good as it has been for a while,” Postecoglou said. “We had fresher legs than them and that is what we needed to win this game … I don’t want to make excuses for Eddie but I know what he is going through. When you have two or three important players missing in the Premier League you are going to feel it. We have experienced that too, but we are trying to build something here and there are going to be some tough times as well.
“Sonny was excellent, causing problems. Other guys see that authority and they take the lead from that. You rely on your leaders to take initiative.”
Ashley Lawrence is challenged by Caitlin Foord.Credit: Getty
Meanwhile, Sam Kerr’s Chelsea suffered a humbling defeat in a top-of-the-table Women’s Super League clash with Arsenal as her fellow Matildas Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross celebrated a record-breaking day for the Gunners.
In front of a crowd of 59,042 at Emirates Stadium, a new high for a WSL match, Arsenal gave their fellow Londoners a rare hiding, powering to a 4-1 win featuring a double for England World Cup star Alessia Russo.
Kerr has rarely had such a quiet game for the chastened champions, who were off the pace from the start and dominated by an Arsenal side that has joined them on 22 points atop the table, behind only on goal difference.
In turn, they’re both three points clear of Manchester City, who have two other Matildas, Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy, in their ranks.
London, Telegraph; with AAP
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