Key events
47 min: Porro shows real stubbornness to drive inside and play a fine ball across the six-yard box but he can’t find a Spurs shirt to nail the finish.
46 min: A tidy link-up between Son and Kulusevski – playing through middle while Johnson and Odobert occupy the wings – results in a blocked shot from the Swede.
The players are making their way back out. Ange decides to shake things up: Brennan Johnson is entering the game, replacing Pape Sarr.
More book discussion – I’m really enjoying it – this time from Stephen Walker.
“Fingers crossed for the new Murakami – 1Q84 was his last really good one for me but I’ll be reading his next one as soon as possible hoping for a return to form.
“The only book I’ve read this year that I have really liked is Martyr by Kaveh Akbar – very good – you will not be disappointed.”
And a hello to Joe Pearson, who wrote this before Harvey Barnes slotted in:
“While we wait for the goals to pour in (I may have placed a wager on the over), my book recommendation is ‘Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence’ by R.F. Kuang, a fascinating alternate history of 1830’s England. Brilliant.”
Back to the correspondence. Here’s Kári Tulinius:
“I share Maxime Doneaux’s nostalgia for dribbling, and fear that the modern game doesn’t allow players that freedom. Jack Grealish comes to mind as a natural entertainer who’s had the fun excised. Only a handful of superstars are still allowed to make the audience laugh with their skill, e.g. Mbappé, Dembelé and Yamal, but they’re rare.
“Oh, and if Karen Asad is waiting for the new Murakami, she could do worse than the delightful – there’s even a football connection – There Is No Such Thing as an Easy Job, by Kikuko Tsumara, who’s half-way between Murakami and another Japanese great, Yūko Tsushima.”
HALF-TIME: Newcastle 1-0 Tottenham
It’s been hyper-active, with Spurs looking the better side for most of it, lacing in shot after shot … but Newcastle are in front after a delicate finish from the impressive Harvey Barnes. This game’s got legs.
45+4 min: Isak hold the ball up brilliantly before switching it to Livramento on the right, who dinks in a return cross … Vicario leaps high to collect.
45+2 min: A free-kick for Spurs is whipped into the box from the right by Porro, but there doesn’t seem to be a target man for any of their set-pieces at the moment. Dominic Solanke is missed.
45+1 min: It’s attack versus defence as Spurs camp inside Newcastle’s half. A ball goes into the box for Maddison to get a head on … but he doesn’t have the height to direct it at goal.
45 min: We’ll have five minutes of extra time.
44 min: Newcastle’s high-press nearly leads to some bother for Spurs, but the visitors recover after a couple of slip-ups.
42 min: Maddison plays it on the carpet to Kulusevski inside the box, but the rehearsed set-piece is quickly interrupted by Newcastle’s defence.
41 min: Udogie tries to drive into the box but is founded by Longstaff, who gets a yellow for his efforts. Maddison will look to whip a ball into the middle from the left …
40 min: The Newcastle support find their voice, Spurs pass it around in midfield, hoping to silence them.
GOAL! Newcastle 1-0 Tottenham (Barnes 37)
The free-kick is cleared away but Newcastle work it down the left, with a terrific cut-back cross from Llloyd Kelly finding Harvey Barnes, arriving into the box, who guides the ball in with a fine side-footed finish. It’s very much against the run of play.
36 min: Udogie takes down Livramento out on Newcastle’s right, providing the hosts with a free-kick. Gordon will be the man to swing in the cross …
34 min: Oooh, not a great challenge from Sarr in midfield. He finds Lloyd Kelly’s shin with a 50-50 challenge. It’s a straightforward yellow for the Spurs midfielder.
32 min: Vicario pats Anthony Gordon’s inswinging delivery away – the keeper’s not looking entirely convincing from set-pieces. Spurs then have a corner themselves, worked brilliantly to Porro for a strike from the edge of the box … but he can’t beat the bodies crowded in front of goal.
31 min: Spurs lose the ball in midfield and Isak twists and turns on the left, eventually winning Newcastle a corner.
29 min: Maddison drives the ball in but it’s cleared away. Porro has a strike from range … but it travels over.
28 min: Kelly gets a yellow for pulling Son down after the Tottenham forward pulls off a nutmeg on the left. Free-kick for Spurs, with Maddison looking to curl it into the mix …
27 min: Spurs are peppering the Newcastle goal now, with Sarr trying to curl the ball into the top right corner. Pope pushes it out for a corner …
26 min: Kulusevski wants to have a go from the edge of the box, shifting the ball on to his vicious left foot … but Krafth gets in the way. Spurs are starting to threaten, with Son causing trouble on the left.
25 min: Son lays off the ball for Sarr to hit from about 20 yards, but the low, stinging shot is easily bunted away by Nick Pope.
23 min: Joelinton tries to jink his way down the right wing but is dispossessed. Spurs break forward, switching the play, Odobert runs at Lloyd Kelly and gets a shot away … but it’s way off target.
21 min: Darren Bond puts on the orange top to become an assistant referee … and play resumes.
18 min: There’s a stoppage. Apparently the assistant ref running the line has got a physical problem; he’s going to become the fourth official.
16 min: Kelly gets a head on Gordon’s fine delivery … but it travels over the bar.
15 min: Romero slides in to cut out a ball down the Newcastle right wing. Corner for the hosts … Krafth shoots after a tame punch from Vicario, the ball going out for another corner …
14 min: Son dances down the left for Spurs and whips in a lovely, low, curling ball … but he can’t find anyone on the end of it.
13 min: This is end-to-end stuff, with the flag going up to end Newcastle’s venture forward. Barnes is looking particularly lively on the left.
11 min: Disallowed goal! Spurs take a corner short, with Porro eventually whipping the ball in from the right. Romero heads in … but the flag is up for offside, Newcastle’s defence getting their line right.
10 min: Odobert tales a lovely first touch on the right from a dinked ball forward, but Kulusevski, who was in an offside position, gets in the way to stop the Tottenham attack.
9 min: Nearly an opener for Newcastle. Gordon finds Barnes on the left, who takes on Porro. The left-winger cuts in with his right foot, curling just wide as he looked to find the top corner.
7 min: The offside flag goes up for James Maddison out on Spurs’ right wing.
5 min: The corner goes in and out, but Newcastle continue to threaten … and Isak strikes the bar! He nicked the ball off Son Heung-Min by the corner flag and then dinked the ball in from the right wing, nearly catching out Vicario with an audacious chip.
4 min: Barnes sprints through on the left, looking to get on the end of a through ball … but Dragusin gets in the sliding interception. Corner for Newcastle.
2 min: Spurs’ midfield knock it around, getting a feel for proceedings.
1 min: Bruno is in some early bother after Kulusevski takes him down by the halfway line. He gets up to take the free-kick which Dan Burn flicks in to the box, but Alexander Isak can’t take the ball down and get a shot away.
Peep!
Off we go. Newcastle kick off in their usual black-and-white stripes. Spurs are in blue.
The teams are out there, ready to get going. Sort your snacks and drink.
An astute observation from Justin Perry.
“I’m guessing that’s it’s not an entirely healthy look for a team (like Newcastle) to have so few numbers under 12 on the backs of their players in the pitch. Or maybe that’s very old fashioned.
“I suspect there’s a limited number of superstars who are happy to pitch up and get a random squad number in the twenties or thirties…”
An introspective email in from Maxime Doneux. “With players in recent years spending almost as much time in the gym as on the training pitch, it feels like some of the more aesthetic players are being replaced by industrious super-athletes. We’ve got fewer Jay-Jay Okochas and Eden Hazards, pulling out tricks such as the flip flap, roulette, or even simply the nutmeg.
“Which player starting today do you think still embodies the more artistic style of the game?”
I’ll throw this out to the rest of the readers. He’s obviously a machine, too – and not playing today – but there’s plenty of aesthetic pleasure to take from the way Kevin De Bruyne strikes the ball. From today’s 22 players, James Maddison has some artistic flourishes to his work.
Ange Postecoglou says Micky van de Ven wasn’t 100% despite training in the week and he was keen to give Dragusin a go. Pape Sarr is in to provide some “running power in midfield”.
A warm hello and thank you to Gary Naylor. “While you’re waiting for the new Murakami, I can recommend Burning and Drive My Car, two film adaptations of his short stories. I’ve seen both four times and they gave more on each viewing.”
Back to the football for a second: here’s Eddie Howe, with a tiny violin playing in the background.
I’m not going to sit here and say it’s been a brilliant window. We haven’t had the window we wanted, there’s no denying that. I think when PIF [Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Newcastle’s majority owners] took over, the landscape was different. A lot has changed in terms of PSR and our need to comply with the rules to prevent a points deduction.
That impacts the ability to progress the club as quickly as maybe they wanted to. I don’t think the dream dies necessarily, it just takes longer. We have got to build our revenue streams, bring more money into the club. This is the biggest thing we need to focus on in the next 10 years. Whether I’m [going to be] lucky enough to see any of that, who knows. The dream is not over, it is just going to take a lot, lot, longer.
“I can recommend you to, like me, wait for latest Murakami’s English translation to hit the stores in November,” writes Karen Asad. “There you asked for it. Draw would be the most likely result; yet it could go either way.”
Thanks, Karen. I’m currently making my way through Booker Prize winners. Here’s one for you: I just finished the haunting, stunning Prophet Song by Paul Lynch.
LIVE SPORTS EVERYWHERE! Some other stuff going on if you don’t want to hang out with me.
So there’s one change for Newcastle from the side that drew against Bournemouth last week: Harvey Barnes comes in for Jacob Murphy. Spurs have two changes from their win over Everton: Micky van de Ven is out, Radu Dragusin is in. Brennan Johnson drops to the bench, with Pape Sarr into the XI.
The teams
Here’s how we’re looking …
Newcastle: Pope, Livramento, Krafth, Burn, Kelly, Longstaff, Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton, Barnes, Isak, Gordon
Subs: Alex Murphy, Almirón, Jacob Murphy, Hall, Osula, Targett, Tonali, Trippier, Dubravka
Tottenham: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie, Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison, Kulusevski, Heung-Min, Odobert
Subs: Devine, Davies, Bentancur, Spence, Johnson, Werner, Bergvall,
Gray, Forster
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to coverage of Spurs’ trip to the north east. Both sides reside on four points after two matches but it’s the visitors who have had more fun this season, having put four (!) past Everton last weekend. Newcastle are still waiting to fire, perhaps still moping by the bedroom window over their failed pursuit of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi. Crack open a tub of ice cream, put on When Harry Met Sally and just get over it, folks.
The good news for the hosts? They’ve had a great time against Spurs at home over the last couple of seasons. In April it was a 4-0 win for Newcastle at St James’ Park, the year before it was a 6-1 rout, Alexander Isak bagging a brace on both occasions. He’s still waiting to open his account this term; today feels like the day for it.
I’ll be here to keep you company all the way through. Feel free to share your thoughts/queries/wisdom/darkest secrets/unpublished poetry/book recommendations by dropping me an email.
