Tottenham’s difficulties under Antonio Conte got worse when Newcastle, another Champions League contender, defeated them at home.
At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in front of a full house, the north London team lost 2-1. Callum Wilson took advantage of a mistake by Hugo Lloris in the 31st minute to give Newcastle the lead, and a VAR review put an end to Spurs’ allegations that their goalie had been fouled. Seven minutes later, Miguel Almiron extended the advantage for the Magpies, and they managed to hang onto the three points despite a late effort from the hosts’ Harry Kane.
Tottenham, who lost 2-0 last week at Manchester United on the road as well, is still in third place in the standings but has fallen farther behind Manchester City and Arsenal. As their good start to the season continues, Newcastle climbed into the final Champions League slot below their opponents.
Once again, Kane’s performance was far superior to that of his teammates. He was once again in the right place at the right time to halve the deficit in the 54th minute, and his passing was as good as always. His chances of surpassing Erling Haaland (17 goals) of Manchester City for the Golden Boot have become extremely slim due to the goal, which pushed his total in the Premier League this season to double digits.
Since losing three straight games against Chelsea, Southampton, and Wolves in February, Spurs haven’t dropped back-to-back Premier League games.
It’s critical that Antonio Conte’s team be able to get past the straight losses. On Wednesday, they play Sporting, and a win will guarantee their advancement to the Champions League knockout rounds.
