Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United. Premier League.
White Hart LaneAttendance35,768.
Monday 14 December 2015 11:09, UK
Substitute Ayoze Perez's stoppage-time winner saw Newcastle come from behind to stun Tottenham at White Hart Lane and secure a 2-1 victory that lifts them out of the Premier League relegation places.
After fellow substitute Aleksandar Mitrovic, introduced for Papiss Cisse on 72 minutes, poked in an equaliser two minutes after coming on, Perez then beat Hugo Lloris with a low shot at his near post.
The hosts were heading for a victory that would have lifted them above Manchester United and into the Premier League's top four on goal difference after Eric Dier headed them into a first-half lead.
But instead they suffered a shock first league defeat since a visit to Manchester United on the opening day of the season and Newcastle sealed successive league victories for the first time in over a year.
Steve McClaren's side, unchanged from their win over Liverpool last weekend, implemented a plan to frustrate Spurs and it worked a dream, limiting the hosts to just a couple of clear chances for Eric Lamela, aside from the goal, in the opening half.
Harry Kane tested 'keeper Rob Elliot's hands in the first minute, but the Magpies would have scored themselves had it not been for Cisse's face, which got in the way of Siem de Jong's stinging effort.
Dier and Christian Eriksen missed the target with long-range efforts and Cisse could have done better with an unmarked header inside the box.
But Lamela should have converted at least one of two great chances within two minutes of each other, twice being put through on goal, but allowing Elliot to get a reach to both efforts.
Spurs have worked hard to be a threat from set-pieces this season and a near-post corner routine paid dividends again when Dier powered home the opener through Elliot's hands on 38 minutes.
But they struggled to threaten Elliot's goal from then on, after Newcastle upped their energy and belief in the second half.
Georginio Wijnaldum and Moussa Sissoko were dangerous with pace and power in wide areas and a Wijnaldum through-ball set up Cisse, who fired wide of the far post on the hour-mark.
And while Eriksen and and substitute Heung-Min Son had timid efforts on and off target, more dangerous crosses warned Spurs of what was to come.
Mitrovic equalised with his fourth goal of the season when Fabricio Coloccini headed a cross back across goal that Vurnon Anita directed at Lloris, the Frenchman parrying the ball between Toby Alderweireld's legs into the Serbian's path.
And Mitrovic flicked another cross into the path of Perez to sweep in a deserved winner for the away side in front of a rare visit from owner Mike Ashley.
Player ratings:
Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Lloris (5), Walker (6), Alderweireld (5), Vertonghen (6), Rose (7), Dier (7), Carroll (6); Lamela (6), Alli (6), Eriksen (5); Kane (5)
Subs used: Son (6), Chadli (6)
Newcastle: (4-4-2) Elliot (9); Coloccini (7), Dummett (6), Mbemba (6), Janmaat (6); Colback (6), Wijnaldum (7), Sissoko (8), Anita (7); Cisse (7), De Jong (6)
Subs used: Gouffran (6), Perez (7), Mitrovic (6)
Man of the Match: Rob Elliot
