Newcastle United beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 away from home, and the result told a story that went well beyond three points. Matthias Jaissle picked up his first win as head coach three weeks after replacing Eddie Howe, but according to The Athletic, the bigger takeaway was tactical: Newcastle looked like a team with a plan, while Spurs, nearly five months into Roberto De Zerbi’s tenure, did not.
A rebuild against a rebuild
Newcastle are still absorbing the departures of Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali over the past year, on top of Howe’s exit. Spurs, meanwhile, are managing their own version of upheaval – injuries, new signings to embed and a churned squad – under a manager whose pattern-based passing approach is supposed to be the fixed point amid the chaos. On this evidence, it is not yet.
Newcastle’s rotations had a shape Spurs couldn’t live with
Inside a minute, Nico Gonzalez – signed from Manchester City the previous week – hit a diagonal ball to advancing right-back Amar Dedic, with winger Anthony Elanga tucking narrow to create the overload. That exact pattern, rehearsed and repeated, produced the opener on 62 minutes: Nico found Dedic, who headed a knockdown to Elanga. Elanga escaped Sandro Tonali, swivelled and finished off the post. He now has two goals in two games this season, having managed none in the Premier League for Newcastle last term.
Spurs had the ball, not the answers
Pedro Porro, club captain and nominal right-back, was shifted to right wing and managed one completed cross and one notable sight of goal. On the other side, Mathys Tel offered little combination play with an overlapping Andy Robertson. The Athletic’s framing was blunt: De Zerbi remains tactically strict and committed to pattern-based passing, whereas Jaissle is building his system around the players he actually has – a distinction that showed. Spurs’ three wins last season all came by a single goal and featured few of the incisive moves that made De Zerbi’s name at Brighton.
Newcastle’s defending matched the plan
Newcastle set up in a 4-4-2 that mapped directly onto Spurs’ 4-box-2 attacking shape, and Lewis Hall read Antonin Kinsky’s release passes to Porro as they increased after half-time. Lewis Miley’s aggressive marking of Rodrigo Bentancur helped stifle Tottenham’s build-up throughout. Hall finished with 14 defensive contributions and a goal-line clearance to deny Dominic Solanke, helping Newcastle to their first clean sheet since March.
The numbers behind the eye test
Spurs have not won a Premier League match from 1-0 down since November 2024, losing 28 and drawing eight in that scenario since. They conceded from an in-swinging corner for the second straight game, and this was their 21st Premier League home defeat since August 2024 – joint-most in the division alongside relegated Wolves.
Verdict
Newcastle were not spectacular. They were organised, committed to their instructions and effective – which, on this occasion, was more than enough. Spurs have top-level players and a manager with a clear footballing philosophy, but injuries, squad churn and, per The Athletic’s own assessment, a lack of resolve are leaving that philosophy unrealised. Two consecutive 17th-place finishes were supposed to be an aberration. Performances like this one make that harder to argue.
