Newcastle United have moved level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea following a 2-1 win against Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Dominic Solanke's header gave Spurs an early lead, but Anthony Gordon equalised just a couple of minutes later with a fine finish. Alexander Isak put Newcastle in front from close range before half-time and the Magpies dug in after the break to claim a hard-fought win.

Here are five things we learned from the game.

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A tale of two halves as Newcastle dig in

Spurs may have taken an early lead, but Newcastle knew they would get chances against this makeshift Spurs backline - and so it proved. It said it all that Spurs were only in front for a couple of minutes and Newcastle eventually took the lead in the 38th minute.

Alexander Isak had previously felt Anthony Gordon's fury, after firing wide from a similar position when his team-mate was unmarked at the far post, but the Sweden international ghosted in expertly to make amends and put Newcastle 2-1 up after Radu Dragusin was unable to cut out Jacob Murphy's teasing cross. It was a crucial goal right before half-time that sucked the air out of the stadium.

Spurs' defenders suddenly looked jittery whenever Newcastle came at them in the closing stages of the opening 45 minutes. One Spurs fan was left slouched with her head resting on the railing. There were even a smattering of boos at the break.

It looked like it was not about to get any easier for the hosts in the second half after Radu Dragusin was replaced by Sergio Reguilon and Djed Spence moved inside to partner Archie Gray in the heart of defence. Neither were natural centre-backs.

However, Spurs, to their credit rallied, as Newcastle dropped off, and Brennan Johnson struck the post from a tight angle after Pape Matar Sarr had a shot parried by Martin Dubravka in the 55th minute. Spurs began to dominate possession and Ange Postecoglou, sensing an opportunity, threw on both James Maddison and Son Heung-min after the hour mark. Maddison came close to equalising when his whipped effort went just wide before Sergio Reguilon fired across the face of goal in the 82nd minute.

Howe belatedly turned to his bench. Having introduced Harvey Barnes with less than a quarter of an hour to go, the Newcastle boss threw on midfielders Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock ahead of a whopping 10 minutes of stoppage time being added on. There was still time for Dominic Solanke's header to be saved by Martin Dubravka, but Newcastle dug in to get over the line with the clock reading 102:48 in the end.

Daniel Levy sees Newcastle march on

It certainly did not feel like the worst time to go to North London. Not only had Spurs won just one of their previous seven league games - Ange Postecoglou's side had been decimated by injuries, suspensions and illness. Even defender Pedro Porro readily admitted: "The team is not in a good moment."

Just like the trip to Old Trafford earlier this week, this was a chance for Newcastle to lay down another marker against a member of the established order and start the New Year as they mean to go on. Eddie Howe called it a 'really tough test of how good we are' while Martin Dubravka signalled his side's intent before the game. "We are confident because we know where we are now," the goalkeeper said. "We have momentum and we are ready to compete against a good team - and we want to win."

It was a nail-biter for Newcastle in the end, but the black-and-whites managed to get over the line with Bruno Guimaraes even celebrating winning a throw-in in the 99th minute. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy could only watch on, helpless, as Newcastle moved a whopping 11 points clear of his side. Just like the win here a couple of seasons ago, the Magpies may yet look back on this victory as a similarly important three points on the road in the quest to get back into the Champions League.

VAR decision explained after Spurs' anger

Two minutes. That's how long Newcastle were behind. Pape Matar Sarr's through ball was a touch too heavy and Lucas Bergvall, sensing Joelinton rampaging towards him, attempted to dink the ball past the Brazilian deep inside Spurs' half. However, the ball struck Joelinton's hand and ricocheted into the path of Bruno Guimaraes, who slipped Anthony Gordon in. The in-form forward finished clinically past Brandon Austin to level it up.

Spurs defenders appealed for handball and Karen Carney felt the hosts were hard done by. "I know it's the letter of the law," the pundit told TNT Sports. "I know it seems unintentional but it still for me gave an advantage to Newcastle and I think that was a handball."

However, VAR did not intervene after the officials deemed that Joelinton's arm was by his side in a natural position and that the contact was accidental to leave Ange Postecoglou fuming. "I just think that's the way they want to do things," the visibly frustrated Spurs boss said post-match. "That's the way they want to do things. The last thing I want is an explanation."

The goal stood following another early strike from Newcastle. Remarkably, the Magpies have scored in the opening 10 minutes in each of their last five games. That ability to score early enabled Newcastle to get back in the game and to go on to take the lead as the visitors went into half-time in front in a Premier League away game after conceding the opening goal for the first time in nearly 12 years.

Thomas Tuchel watches Tino Livramento impress

Thomas Tuchel needed no reminding of their qualities. The former Chelsea boss tried to sign Anthony Gordon; handed Lewis Hall his first-team debut; and did not want to lose Tino Livramento to Southampton. Now, as England manager, the 51-year-old got to see the trio's progress first-hand in his first official scouting trip since taking charge of the Three Lions.

Although Hall and Gordon have rightly received a lot of plaudits of late, Livramento certainly did not do his international prospects any harm with this display. Livramento came back into the side after fully recovering from a bout of illness, and was requiring treatment just a few seconds into the game after being winded by Lucas Bergvall. However, Livramento was soon on his feet and the right-back played his part in Newcastle staying in front.

It was Livramento who hooked Pedro Porro's teasing cross away just before half-time as Timo Werner lurked; who crowded Dominic Solanke out with the help of Sven Botman as the Spurs striker chased the ball; who got there first to head James Maddison's free-kick away in the 80th minute; and who dealt with another dangerous ball into the box in stoppage time.

By that stage, Tuchel had seen enough. The England boss was on his way down to the South Coast to catch Brighton's game against Arsenal, but you suspect he already knows a core of homegrown players at Newcastle are going to play their part during his tenure.

Sven Botman returns

The word ever-present probably does not do him justice. Only suspension has prevented Fabian Schar from starting every game for Newcastle this season. That's how pivotal the centre-back has been.

However, Newcastle had a heavyweight option in reserve. It is testament to how hard Sven Botman has worked, and how highly he is valued, that Eddie Howe threw the Dutchman in from the off out of position at right-sided centre-back - 294 days after his last first-team appearance. Howe labelled Botman an 'outstanding' player, who was Newcastle's 'stalwart at the back', but the Dutchman was caught a little cold for Spurs' opener after Dominic Solanke got goalside of him to head Spurs in front.

After shaking off some understandable ring rust at this level, though, Botman began to settle into this one after so long out. Botman made a huge block with his thigh to deny Solanke and won the ball back high up the pitch in the build-up to a big Anthony Gordon chance midway through the first half before coming off in stoppage time with what looked like cramp.