Harry Kane passed 200 club goals in his career as Tottenham Hotspur beat Newcastle United to boost their Europa League qualification hopes.
The victory – which takes Spurs up to seventh – was the first time Jose Mourinho had won a Premier League game at St James’ Park in his eighth attempt.
The visitors led in the first half when Son Heung-min drilled a low shot into the bottom corner moments after the drinks break disrupted Newcastle’s dominance.
Dwight Gayle almost levelled when his header hit the post and Matt Ritchie blasted an equaliser home 11 minutes after the restart.
But that parity only lasted four minutes as Kane headed home a deep cross from substitute Steven Bergwijn.
That was the England captain’s 200th club goal in 350 appearances, with 184 coming for Spurs and the other 16 for loan clubs Millwall, Leyton Orient and Leicester.
He got the 201st late on with another header after Martin Dubravka parried Erik Lamela’s shot.
It was an impressive performance from Newcastle, who managed 22 shots to Spurs’ eight, but their season is just petering out as uncertainty over their Saudi Arabian takeover continues.
Spurs stay in hunt for Europe
Spurs manager Mourinho said in the build-up to the game they would “fight” for a Europa League spot even though he compared it to Lewis Hamilton racing in “Formula Two or 3,000 or whatever you call it”.
His previous seven visits to Newcastle in the league with Chelsea and Manchester United had resulted in three draws and four defeats.
They were unchanged from the side who beat Arsenal on Sunday, with Serge Aurier starting just two days after his younger brother Christopher was shot dead. The Ivory Coast right-back will return to France on Thursday to see his mother.
Spurs were second best until the drinks break with Mourinho reshuffling to a 4-2-3-1 from 4-4-2 and it immediately paid dividends.
Lucas Moura stole possession off Fabian Schar before picking out Kane, who found Giovani lo Celso. He fed Son, who smashed his shot through DeAndre Yedlin’s legs and into the net.
Son has been directly involved in more goals under Mourinho than any other Spurs player (10 goals and eight assists).
Ritchie’s fine goal got Newcastle level but Kane – who was quiet until then – headed home to settle the game as Bergwijn got his first Premier League assist.
Kane then managed a second header – the first time he has ever achieved that in a Premier League game – after starting a move in the centre circle before finishing it off from close range.
They are now within one point of Wolves in sixth place, which could be the final Europa League slot if Arsenal win the FA Cup.
Newcastle fail to take chances
Steve Bruce’s Magpies are 12 points away from the top seven and the bottom three with two games to go.
But they cannot start planning for next season with Premier League lawyers assessing their proposed takeover for the last three months.
Bruce said before the game “we need a decision for everyone’s sake”.
He made three changes at the back from last weekend’s defeat by Watford, with a wing-back formation, and they had seven shots to Spurs’ one before the visitors took the lead.
They played well throughout and had more possession than Spurs and almost three times as many shots by full-time.
Allan Saint-Maximin was lively as always and forced Hugo Lloris into three saves.
Jonjo Shelvey, Ritchie and Miguel Almiron all caused Spurs problems throughout – and Gayle’s glancing header from Shelvey’s cross hit the post.
They got their goal when Valentino Lazaro went on a mazy run and Aurier booted the ball straight to Ritchie, who smashed a screamer past Lloris.
But they were made to pay by the clinical Kane as their six-game unbeaten home run in the league came to an end.
More to follow.
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
Source link
