Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle player ratings: Anthony Gordon performs his party trick | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur‘s woes continued as they were beaten 1-2 at home by Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon.

Ange Postecoglou’s side ended 2024 without a win in their final three league games of the year. And that run has now stretched to four, leaving them in the bottom half of the table.

It’s the opposite for Newcastle. The Magpies have won won five straight matches and are only outside the top four on goal difference. They had to come from behind for this victory, with Dominic Solanke giving Tottenham a very early lead.

Less than two minutes later, Anthony Gordon had equalised with Alexander Isak making it 2-1 before half-time.

Tottenham player ratings

Brandon Austin: 61%

Brandon Austin was the man trusted in between the sticks for Tottenham, having had to wait so long for his debut. And it was a decent one. He was named Man of the Match by Ally McCoist on TNT Sport, which may have been a bit too much. But he was still good, particularly with the commanding of his box from set pieces, catching four crosses. He also made two saves.

Pedro Porro: 71%

Although he ended up on the losing side, Pedro Porro was fantastic. His deliveries throughout the game were tough to stop and it was his cross that set up Solanke for the opening goal. He could have had another assist late on without another wonderful cross. Defensively, Porro was solid too, winning possession three times in the defensive third and winning five tackles, more than any other player.

Radu Dragusin: 46%

He got a touch on Murphy’s cross into the box but unfortunately couldn’t get enough on it to stop Isak from scoring. He was the least involved of Tottenham’s defenders in the first have with just clearance and 17 touches. Was taken off at half-time.

Archie Gray: 48%

Another game filling gaps, Archie Gray won’t receive too much criticism for his performances in situations like these. The 18-year-old made three clearances and one interception retaining possession and blocked one shot.

Djed Spence: 62%

Djed Spence started the game at left-back but then moved into central defence for the second half. And he generally performed well despite the switch. The defender won three tackles and made three clearances, also winning five aerial duels — more than any other Tottenham player. Spence also won possession three times in the defensive third.

Pape Sarr: 50%

Looked lively in the midfield for Tottenham particularly with his pressing, winning possession three times. But he could have been better on the ball, with his retention rate of 78.95% not the greatest.

Lucas Bergvall: 59%

The youngster looked really good at the base of Tottenham’s midfield, winning four of his five contested duels and winning possession five times. He also made two interceptions, more than any other Tottenham player during his time on the pitch. His substitution was booed by Tottenham fans, which demonstrates just how good he was.

Brennan Johnson: 61%

Brennan Johnson had a good chance to equalise in the second half, but he couldn’t squeeze his shot from a tight angle inside the post. The Welshman was on the periphery at times, but he still had three touches in the opposition box and created one chance. He also completed two high turnovers, winning the ball high up the pitch for his team.

Dejan Kulusevski: 67%

Playing through the middle once again, Dejan Kulusevski had 10 touches in the opposition box, more than any other player. The Swedish midfielder also had seven penalty area entries and four chances created. Defensively, Kulusevski did his bit with two tackles won.

Timo Werner: 55%

This felt like another standard Timo Werner performance. The German was a willing runner but lacked the killer touch needed to be a potent Premier League attacker. He had three penalty area entries and four ball recoveries before coming off in the 62nd minute.

Dominic Solanke: 79%

Dominic Solanke was up for this game, putting Tottenham ahead after just four minutes. It was a good header going low against Botman, making the most of a great cross. He had a couple more chances too, including another effort from a cross late on. Solanke had four shots in total, hitting the target twice.

Newcastle player ratings

Martin Dubravka: 70%

Martin Dubravka’s clean sheet run came to an end within minutes of this match starting. But he still came out on top with a solid goalkeeping performance. The Newcastle shot-stopper prevented 0.54 goals with three saves, including a very good one at the end with Tottenham chasing an equaliser.

Tino Livramento: 67%

Tino Livramento took a little knock early on but didn’t let that impact his game. The Englishman was up against it with Tottenham focusing their attacks down his flank. And he made two interceptions retaining possession and won one tackle. Livramento also made a whopping eight clearances and won possession four times in the defensive third, both highs for the match.

Sven Botman: 71%

Sven Botman made a surprise return to the starting XI immediately after coming back from injury. And he looked to have suffered another injury late on. That will be a blow after what was a very strong return. The centre–back made five clearances and won two tackles, including one last-man tackle. He was also strong in the air winning three aerial duels, helping his partner. Now, Botman did lose the battle in the box for Solanke’s goal, but you can put that down to a lack of match fitness.

Dan Burn: 61%

Dan Burn joined Livramento on eight clearances against Tottenham, with no player managing more. He also, understandably, won more aerial duels than any other player with six. But he wasn’t overly reliable on the ball, boasting a retention rate of 81.82%. His lack of pace was also a problem at times.

Lewis Hall: 64%

Lewis Hall was the less busy of Tottenham’s full-backs, making just one interception retaining possession. But he did also block four crosses. And at the other end of the pitch, Hall completed three crosses himself with one touch in the opposition box.

Bruno Guimaraes: 76%

Bruno Guimaraes got the assist for Gordon’s equaliser, reacting quickest to a lucky rebound. And that was a sign of things to come. The combative Brazilian midfielder won three tackles and made one interception retaining possession, alongside two possessions won in the attacking third. Guimaraes had eight final third entries too, with eight duels won. He was a menace, in a good way.

Sandro Tonali: 61%

Defensively, Sandro Tonali didn’t have to do too much, with no interceptions or tackles won. He could also have been a bit better on the ball, with a retention rate of 79.55%. But the Italian did complete 10 forward passes, alongside three possessions won in the middle third and six ball recoveries.

Joelinton: 72%

Now, Joelinton was lucky not to be penalised for handball in the build up to Newcastle’s equaliser. He didn’t mean it, and by the letter of the law a goal was the correct decision. But it was one of those that didn’t go down well. That wasn’t his only influence on the game though, with Joelinton winning one tackle and winning possession twice in the middle third. He also made one interception inside his own box, crucial to stopping a Tottenham attack.

Jacob Murphy: 58%

Jacob Murphy put in a lovely cross for Isak’s goal, though he doesn’t get an assist for it. And that’s a shame, because it was so good. Murphy himself was reliable as usual too, winning two tackles and creating two chances. He’s not a flashy winger, but Eddie Howe knows exactly what he’s getting.

Alexander Isak: 64%

Alexander Isak got his big toenail on the ball to score Newcastle’s second. He’s now just the third Newcastle player to score in seven consecutive Premier League games, after Alan Shearer and Joe Willock. But he wasn’t as involved in the game as he wouldn’t have liked to be otherwise. The Swede also let a few attacks peter out with poor touches. Not that he’ll care, with Newcastle taking all three points thanks to his goal.

Anthony Gordon: 71%

The scourge of the Big Six did it again. Anthony Gordon equalised against Tottenham with a well-taken finish, low across the goalkeeper. And he was a man playing with confidence. The Englishman had two shots on target in total, with six touches in the opposition box and eight penalty area entries. He left the game with a bloodied nose, a war wound to remind him of the victory.

How do Squawka player ratings work?

Squawka’s new player rating system is wholly stats-based. Player scores are based on the numbers they put up across a range of on-ball events, from goals scored to tackles won.

We tailored each score to the players’ respective positions using extensive research and expertise. For example, forwards are rated on metrics like shots on target, touches in the opposition box, and big chances created. Meanwhile, centre-backs are rewarded for winning aerial duels, making blocks, successful long-range passes, etc.

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