After a match where the main topic of discussion was the bizarre VAR decision to recommend the award to Newcastle of an 82nd-minute penalty (converted after 86 mins), the records will point to a pretty decent away point for Spurs at a ground where they have mostly been humbled over the past few seasons.
It looked like Spurs were going to suffer a narrow defeat when substitute Anthony Gordon despatched the aforementioned penalty to make it 2-1 to the home side. But Cristian Romero, up for a late corner, somehow managed to pick himself up off the ground and shin an overhead kick that bobbled past six defenders and keeper Aaron Ramsdale into the net. It was his second goal of the evening, denying Newcastle an unjust, if not undeserved, victory.
Shot-shy Spurs
Spurs had been second best for the majority of the match, failing to register a shot on target in the first half for the fourth match in a row. Newcastle, who had hit the post in the first half from an angled Joelinton shot, were looking the more likely to break the deadlock. While not exactly peppering the Spurs goal, they had forced Vicario into a few smart saves, and Kevin Danso was perfectly placed to head Woltemade's goal-bound effort off the line. The scores stayed level until the 71st minute when captain Bruno Guimaraes, brought on for the second half, arrowed a shot inside Vicario's left-hand post from 18 yards.
Things were looking bleak for Spurs, facing their fourth straight defeat in 10 days, and with manager Thomas Frank expected to come under increased pressure. But cometh the hour, cometh the man... twice! Captain Cristian Romero, returning from suspension, decided to take matters into his own hands, remaining up front after a cleared set piece, and he was able to get in front of Dan Burn and guide a diving header past Ramsdale from Kudus' pinpoint cross. It was Spurs' first effort on target, with the only other being Romero's second equaliser which, in a rare post-match interview, he credited to watching Lionel Messi in training.
VAR reaches new low
It would be remiss of me to bypass the VAR incident entirely. I, like most Spurs fans I imagine, was watching the replays, wondering why VAR was taking so long to give the 'check complete' signal. Having seen things from a wider angle, any holding of Dan Burn while looking away from goal, which Rodrigo Bentancur was deemed guilty of, happened before the corner kick was even taken. By the time the ball was in play, Bentancur had let go of Burn's shirt and was in a headlock, unable to break free as Burn towered over him. If anything, a free kick should have been awarded to Spurs.
Did VAR check that the ball was in play when recommending the referee go to the screen?
There is no way a mistake that grave would be admitted, but I see no other reason for that recommendation. Of course, there was still the opportunity for the on-field referee to stick with his original decision, but those occasions are incredibly rare. Thankfully, what looked like the winning goal was cancelled out by Romero's heroics.
✍️Here is the bad news for Thomas Frank - Tottenham are back at home on Saturday. But, for now, he will celebrate a point on Tyneside as if it were three.
— Craig Hope (@CraigHope_DM) December 2, 2025
⬇️ Report from NUFC 2 Spurs 2...https://t.co/LNkCBUSXJf
Will old friends provide some relief, or twist the knife?
Despite earning a hard-fought draw at Newcastle, the performance will have done little to fuel fans' optimism ahead of a crucial home match against Brentford on Saturday. Spurs have failed to win any of their last five Premier League matches, and have registered only one victory in their last eight in all competitions, against a poor FC Copenhagen side. A dismal home record, compounded by the disastrous start against Fulham, points to a nervy 90 minutes in store. Should Brentford score first, there is a chance that the away fans will be singing Thomas Frank's name, while the home fans are calling for his head!
In a season where Nottingham Forest are already on their third manager, and last year's title-winning boss is even under pressure, Thomas Frank has very little credit in the bank with the Spurs supporters. Calling them out for booing Vicario after his mistake against Fulham, even though most fans probably agreed with him (myself included), was probably not the wisest move when your team is playing so poorly. And Pedro Porro's petulance in refusing to thank the fans after another disappointing home defeat highlighted the current disconnect between the players and the home crowd. Losing to his old side on Saturday, the team he knows most about, that is managed by his old set-piece coach, is likely to remove any credit that's still remaining.
