5 talking points as Tottenham end miserable winless run by thrashing Newcastle
Tottenham ended their five-match winless run in emphatic fashion as they thrashed Newcastle 4-1 to move back to within three points of the Champions League places.
It was the Magpies who started the brighter of the two sides and almost took the lead, but a last-ditch intervention from Ben Davies prevented Alexander Isak from tapping home Anthony Gordon's cross.
That seemed to wake up Tottenham and they opened the scoring in the 26th minute through Destiny Udogie, who slotted home Son Heung-min's cross. A quick second then followed for Spurs, with Richarlison doubling their advantage as he tucked home another Son delivery.
Newcastle began the second period in a similar fashion to the first, but they were punished once again as Richarlison scored his second on the hour mark. Tottenham put the game beyond reach for Eddie Howe's side when Son netted from the penalty spot, although Joelinton did score a late consolation for the travelling Magpies. Here are five talking points from the game...
Udogie opens Spurs account
The Italian has been impressive since breaking into the starting XI under Postecoglou and he opened his Tottenham account against Newcastle. A slick Spurs move ended with Son flashing the ball across the face of the six-yard box for Udogie to tap in from close-range.
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Udogie, who started in each of Tottenham's opening nine Premier League games, hasn't been at his best in recent weeks after his red card against Chelsea, but he was excellent in the victory over the Magpies. The 21-year-old drifted into those midfield positions to create space for others and flooded the box when he had the opportunity to do so, grabbing a goal to show for his super performance.
Destiny Udogie celebrates after scoring his first Tottenham goal (Getty Images)Super Son
Many Tottenham fans were a little concerned about Son's fitness after the forward appeared to be in some discomfort after coming off against West Ham on Thursday. However, despite that, Son was deemed fit enough to start and he didn't show any signs of injury at all.
The 31-year-old has started the vast majority of Tottenham's matches this season as the central striker, but he moved out to the left-hand side against Newcastle. And Kieran Trippier would have been wishing he'd have stayed down the middle after Son terrorised him, especially during the first-half.
Son grabbed an assist for Spurs' opener, before laying one on a plate as Tottenham doubled their advantage just before half-time. The ex-Bayer Leverkusen man skipped beyond Trippier with ease and pulled the ball back to Richarlison, who swept home from six yards out. He added a goal to his name to cap off an excellent performance, slotting home an 85th minute penalty after earning the spot-kick himself.
Tottenham's Son Heung-min in action against Newcastle (Getty Images)Standing ovation for Richarlison
After a disappointing first season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Richarlison has been much improved since Postecoglou's arrival, though he had netted just one goal in his opening 12 Premier League matches this season.
The Brazilian, who underwent surgery last month for a groin issue, was back in the starting XI to face Newcastle and he found his scoring touch after moving into a more central position. Richarlison scored his first as he tucked home Son's cross, before adding a second after the break. Pedro Porro's cross found the ex-Everton forward inside the box and he did the rest, calmly slotting the ball beyond Martin Dubravka.
In the process, Richarlison trebled his tally for the campaign in the top flight and he received a standing ovation from the Tottenham fans after being taken off midway through the second period.
Richarlison celebrates after scoring for Tottenham against Newcastle (Getty Images)Newcastle's away woes continue
If the Premier League table was based on home form alone, Newcastle would be third after winning seven of their eight matches at St James' Park. They are an almost unstoppable force on Tyneside - the complete opposite to how they are away from home, however.
The Magpies have now lost three in a row on their travels in the Premier League and are without an away top-flight victory since beating Sheffield United 8-0 back in September. In fact, only Luton and Sheffield United have picked up fewer points away from home than Newcastle (five) this season.
Next up for the Magpies is a critical Champions League tie against AC Milan on Wednesday, where Howe's side must win if they want to stand any chance of progressing to the last 16.
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Tottenham end winless run
After starting the season with 26 points from a possible 30, some Tottenham supporters were dreaming of a potential title push. But following their 4-1 defeat against Chelsea which saw James Maddison and Micky van de Ven pick up injuries, Tottenham then went five without a win.
In that run, Postecoglou's side collected one point - a 3-3 draw at Manchester City - and lost four matches. Performances hadn't been that bad, but Spurs just couldn't seem to get over the line and get a much-needed victory, having led in each of those winless games.
However, Tottenham backed up another impressive display with a positive outcome, as they swept Newcastle aside in north London. The victory keeps Spurs in fifth but moves them to within three points of the Champions League places after Manchester City's 2-1 win over Luton.
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