Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou described himself as being angrier than at any other point of his career following what he believed was an “unfair” 10th Premier League defeat of the season.

Postecoglou was furious that Anthony Gordon’s sixth-minute equaliser was allowed to stand for Newcastle, following a handball by Joelinton that went unpunished.

Along with his entire backroom staff, Postecoglou remonstrated wildly against the decision to allow Gordon’s goal to stand and he had barely calmed down when he entered the post-match press conference a couple of hours later.

Postecoglou refused to go into detail over the incident and motioned to leave the press conference when the subject was returned to, but he clearly felt Gordon’s goal should have been disallowed.

“I’m just really, really angry, the angriest I think I have ever been in my career that they were denied the right rewards for a fantastic performance,” said Postecoglou. “I know what everyone wants me to say, but all I’ll say is that on any other day, on a fair and even playing ground, we would have won that game. Simple as that.

“Don’t keep asking me about the decision. If you guys have no opinion about it, that’s fine. I know what my opinion is and, as I said, if that was a different day and it was an even and fair playing ground we would have won that game.”

Postecoglou was fulsome in his praise of his injury-hit team. Third-choice goalkeeper Brandon Austin made his first appearance for the club and Radu Dragusin could only manage 45 minutes after suffering with an illness in the build-up to the game.

It meant that Spurs played the second half with no recognised centre-backs in front of Austin and Postecoglou added: “It’s unfair on them more than anything else that they didn’t get the rewards today.”

Asked to clarify if he was angry about the officiating, Postecoglou replied: “I know you just want me to say something, but I’m not going to. I think it’s clear. Now whether people agree with me or not whether it wasn’t handball or it was accidental, I’m just not interested in any of that discussion. What I’m saying is, on any given day with a fair and even playing field and logical thought processes we would have won that game, that’s it. You can make what you want of that.”

Tottenham are on the verge of signing 21-year-old goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky from Slavia Prague, but Austin performed well in his first senior appearance since playing on loan for Orlando City in 2021.

Despite Postecoglou’s anger and the frustration of the vast majority of home supporters, at least one Tottenham fan will have left this game a happy man.

Thomas Tuchel grew up a Spurs supporter and watched two Englishmen get on the scoresheet in just six minutes of his first official scouting mission as England national team manager.

Dominic Solanke headed Spurs into a fourth-minute lead from Brennan Johnson’s cross before Gordon levelled two minutes later. Lucas Bergvall’s attempted pass hit the arm of Joelinton and sent the ball straight to Bruno Guimarães, who played in Gordon to score.

VAR ruled that Joelinton’s arm had been by his side and that the handball was accidental. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said: “I can’t lie and say I haven’t seen it because I have. And it definitely hit Joelinton’s arm, I can give you that. But I believe his arm was down and the referee and VAR have followed the protocol in place.”

Alexander Isak’s ninth goal in seven League games – all of which he has scored in – proved to be enough to clinch three points for Newcastle, who have now won five successive top-flight games.

Isak’s goal was set up by another Englishman, Jacob Murphy, whose recent form may yet force him into Tuchel’s thoughts along with full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento.

“I’m sure they [Hall and Livramento] were aware Thomas was here and he will be aware of their qualities,” said Howe. “They were very good today. Jacob is very important and probably more than people realise. Alex [Isak] owes him the majority of his goals but defensively, too, he’s very versatile.”

Postecoglou has managed to retain the faith of most of Tottenham’s home supporters, but there was a sign that patience may be wearing thin when his decision to take off Bergvall just past the hour mark was loudly booed.

Having lost half of their league games this season, leaving them in the bottom half of the table, Tottenham face Liverpool in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday night and that competition could yet prove crucial to his future.

“I have never lacked confidence,” said Postecoglou. “I get that the results aren’t there and I get that whether people want to accept the situation we are in. You saw the performance of Archie [Gray], you saw Lucas today. He was unbelievable as an 18-year-old to play in that position. I just see so much to be positive about, but we need to win games of football and usually when you play well, you do most things right you get the rewards. Unfortunately [today] we were denied.”

03:08 PM GMT

Eddie Howe speaks to TNT Sports

03:02 PM GMT

Postecoglou on the Joelinton ‘handball’

02:48 PM GMT

Alexander Isak talks to TNT Sports

02:36 PM GMT

Full time: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

A fifth league win in succession for Newcastle puts them level on points with Chelsea. Tottenham played well in the second half, Gray and Spence coping well even if Newcastle took their foot off the gas a but as Bergvall got a grip on midfield at the start of the second period and then Maddison came on to pull the strings.

It proved a good match in the end and Newcastle toughed it out to ensure their first-half dominance was properly rewarded.

02:32 PM GMT

90+13 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Spurs attempt at a counter orchestrated by Maddison is ruined by an offside call.

02:31 PM GMT

90+12 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Jason Tindall is in the fourth official’s ear. In other news, night follows day.

02:31 PM GMT

90+11 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Spurs move the ball forward quickly down the left but Solanke misjudges the flight of the cross.

02:30 PM GMT

90+10min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

There will be a bit more time to account for Botman’s injury in stoppage time. Newcastle take their time on throws as they creep up the right until Joelinto shoves Reguilon over while trying to kettle the ball in the corner.

02:29 PM GMT

90+8 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Another sensational Porro right-foot cross is met by Solanke peeling off Burn at the near post and he flashes a header straight at Dubravka. It was one of those ones where the connection was too good. More of a glancer would have beaten the keeper at the far post, a scuff at the near post.

02:27 PM GMT

90+6 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Save from Austin at his near post from Barnes drive from the left of the box confirms Ally McCoist in his decision to award the debutant the man of the match award, the first time he says he has ever given it to a player on the losing side.

02:26 PM GMT

90+4 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Johnson is sent down the right by Kulusevski and he bends in a right-foot cross that Livramento could have let go out for a throw-in but he pumps volleyed clearance back out to the right. Back in comes the cross and this time Solanke reaches it at the apex of his leap and deposits it on the top of the crossbar. Looks like Dubravka tipped it there but that went undetected by the referee and linesman.

02:23 PM GMT

90+1 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Kelly → Botman.

Bruno fouls Reguilon on halfway and start probing from the free-kick until Spence chips it forward and Kelly, with his first touch, heads it upfield.

02:21 PM GMT

90 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

It will be 10 minutes of stoppage time. Spence holds off Willock and gets his body in front to stop Bruno’s pass reaching the makeshift centre-forward who then fouls him

Botman is down with tightness in his left calf. Lloyd Kelly gets stripped.

02:19 PM GMT

88 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Darren Fletcher says he has heard it will be 10 minutes of added time. Expect Eddie Howe and his agent provocateur Jason Tindall to go spare.

02:17 PM GMT

86 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Isak is booked for dawdling when his number goes up. Ally McCoist reckons he was shocked at being hauled off rather than deliberately malingering. Gray tries to quicken him up but he pushes him away:

Willock → Isak
Longstaff → Murphy.

02:14 PM GMT

84 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Great work from Son to get in behind Livramento and cross. Kulusevski lays the ball off to Johnson who fires a right-foot shot across the six-yard box. Reguilon retrieves it and lamps another hard shot back through the six-yard box from the left. Both needed a ricochet but Newcastle survive by not sticking out a leg.

02:12 PM GMT

82 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Rip van Toon go to sleep at the corner that Spurs play short to Maddison and he bends a shot from the right inches the wrong side of the far post.

02:11 PM GMT

80 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Livranmento heads Totenham’s viciously whipped free-kick from the left behind for a corner. Botman was booked for conceding the free-kick with a ‘professional’ foul.

02:10 PM GMT

77 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Joelinton is hurt in a tackle by Bissouma but seems OK for now. With blood again streaming from his nose, Gordon’s race is run:

Barnes → Gordon.

02:07 PM GMT

75 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Tottenham building pressure around the box with Maddison pulling the strings but Newcastle are defending well to thwart Porro’s left-foot shot, Kulusevski’s run and deft touch and Son’s tenacity to keep the ball in along the whitewash before crossing.

02:04 PM GMT

73 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Gordon goes down like a bag of hammers when Porro brushes his arm across his back to foil a counter-attack. Free-kick, yes, but it shouldn’t have knocked him off his feet.

02:01 PM GMT

71 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Porro now back doing his defensive work well to stop Bruno’s chip reaching Gordon at full pelt down the left.

02:01 PM GMT

69 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Excellent work by Johnson down the right draws Joelinton and Hall over to home before he slides the pass inside to Kulusevski who tries to trap it with his left to set up a right-foot shot but the first touch is uncharacteristically heavy.

01:58 PM GMT

67 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

After a check on his ribs and a few painful-looking stretches, Austin is given the OK to continue.

01:57 PM GMT

65 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Gordon takes a pass up the left, cushions it silkily and sets Livramento off on a raid down the right. Tottenham have been much better this half but now have a free-kick to defend after a Solanke foul. It’s just inside the Tottenham half and they launch it into the box. Botman and Burn both barge into Austin who pats it down and catches it, winded by the collisions.

01:54 PM GMT

63 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Gordon is off the field changing his blood-spattered shirt and shorts, still with a wad of cotton wool up his left nostril, like Captain Blackadder and his pencils but without the underpant hat.

01:52 PM GMT

61 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Triple Spurs substitution while Gordon is being patched up with wads of cotton up his schnozz.

Son → Werner
Bissouma → Sarr
Maddison → Bergvall.

Spurs fans boo the removal of Bergvall.

01:50 PM GMT

59 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Gordon has his nose rearranged by Kulusevski’s shoulder, inadvertently, as the winger tried to cut inside from the left side of the penalty area. Claret everywhere.

01:48 PM GMT

57 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Reguilo crosses from the right and left in the space of a minute find Newcastle heads and the visitors break. Tonali dribbles up the inside left and whacks a right-foot shot aiming for the top right but Gray gets his body in the way to block with his chest and Gordon blazes his half-volley over.

01:46 PM GMT

55 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Johnson thumps a shot into the post from a tight angle by the byline on the right after Dubravka pushed Sarr’s rasping daisycutter of a right-foot shot from 18 yards to his left at full-stretch.

01:43 PM GMT

53 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Terrific tackle from Spence on Hall in the box as the Newcastle left-back went on an underlapping run inside Gordon. Austin does well at the corner again. Venus fly-trap hands so far... at least from set-pieces.

01:42 PM GMT

52 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Newcastle probe and move forward in waves of attacks that Tottenham just about repel. Livramento, Isak and Murphy are working well in triangular passing moves.

01:40 PM GMT

50 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

VAR checked for a Newcastle hand on Porro’s cross but sees nothing to merit a penalty.

01:39 PM GMT

49 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Porro creates chaos with a brilliant cross bent around Gordon. Livramento and Botman try to deal with it and it bounces up after a touch. Solanke jumps and lances out his right foot almost at shoulder height and crashes into Dubravka. The referee blows for a foul on the keeper a moment after Sarr hooks a half-volley over with Dubravka pole-axed on the pitch.

01:36 PM GMT

46 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Kulusevski piles up the left but cannot beat Burn with his cross.

01:35 PM GMT

Now Spurs have no orthodox centre-backs in the XI

Reguilon → Dragusin.

Spence moves to centre-half. This is preposterous. Who are the centre-backs in the U21s? The Invisible Man and the Man who Wasn’t There?

01:23 PM GMT

Half-time verdict

01:23 PM GMT

Half-time: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Bright start from Spurs but it’s been downhill all the way apart from the moments when Porro is found in space on the right. Austin has had a fine first-half on debut but Newcastle wrested back control by virtue of Joelinton’s block with his hand, deemed legal by the referee and VAR, and their stellar midfield.

01:21 PM GMT

45+4 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Werner’s corner hits the first Newcastle sentry and Spurs are on the back foot. A miscontrol from Gray outs his side in jeopardy 35 yards out but he is saved by a rare Isak error in control and they hang on until the ref blows his whistle for a respite.

01:19 PM GMT

45+3 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Porro, Spurs’ playmaker on the right, fires over his third terrific cross of the game that Livramento shepherds out for a corner, using his strength and stability to hold firm.

01:18 PM GMT

45+1 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

We’ll have four minutes of added time and they begin with Murphy’s left-foot cross from the right headed out by Dragusin and a buzz of excitement from the home fans is snuffed out by Livramento’s tackle on Werner. The Germany forward is not strong enough and seems to lack the bite to compensate for his small stature.

01:16 PM GMT

45 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Ally McCoist rightly points out that the game has turned so markedly because Bruno, Joelinton and Tonali have grabbed the match by the slack of its pants and assumed complete control of midfield.

01:14 PM GMT

43 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2

Gordon is picked out on the left of the area by a wonderful Bruno reverse pass. He takes a pass as he tries to dazzle Porro with his quick feet in a stuttering run then fizzes a right-foot shot that is deflected behind for a corner.

01:08 PM GMT

GOAL!

Tottenham 1 Newcastle 2 (Isak) Newcastle slickly sweep the ball from left to right via Gordon and Tonali to Murphy who whips in another of those six-yard-box crosses that create so much menace. Gray is too deep and plays Isak onside. Dragusin sticks out his leg to try to divert it behind but only gets a tickle of a touch and Isak pounces to sweep it in with his instep.

01:07 PM GMT

37 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

Lots of goodwill for Austin in the commentary box. He certainly looks far better with his feet than Forster.

01:06 PM GMT

35 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

Newcastle corner on the left that Bergvall meets with a header that goes up miles for Austin to wheel to the back post and catch.

01:05 PM GMT

33 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

Botman and Burn try to barge into Austin at a corner but Dragusin and Johnson protect him impressively like Ron and Reg.

01:04 PM GMT

31 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

Isak rolls a shot from seven yards with his left foot inches wide of the left post. Brilliant work from Bruno to gull Spence with a ball inside the full-back. Murphy races around the back and pings in the low cross that Isak greets with a telescoped left leg and stabs it wide. Gordon would have had a tap-in but either he shouted and was ignored, didn’t shout or has to accept that someone who has scored eight goals in December was never going to leave it.

01:01 PM GMT

29 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

Good tackle by Spence at the cost of a corner for Newcastle. Solid start from the hitherto unwanted full-back. Porro’s clearance from the corner hits Botman and goes behind.

12:59 PM GMT

27 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

Werner interprets ‘push and run’ as a solo instruction and tries to outrun Gordon, Livramento and Botman as he sprints through the middle, knocking the ball further ahead with each tap. He’s quick but can’t get away from all three.

12:57 PM GMT

25 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

Apologies, Burn was yellow carded for that earlier foul to thwart a counter and should probably have doubled that up to red for stopping another by seemingly spreading his arms. The referee deems that he didn’t wantonly handle it there and the boos return.

12:55 PM GMT

23 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

It’s been quite a scrappy game so far, as so many 12.30 kick-offs are. Following a free-kick 40 yards out on the Newcastle right. Murphy fires a cross/shot hybrid through the six-yard box and out beyond the left post. I think it was more of a cross but he couldn’t make it bend away from goal for Gordon.

12:52 PM GMT

21 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

Poor corner, easily defended by Newcastle who push Spurs all the way back to their keeper. Austin is called into action when the keeper’s pass into the centre-circle is nicked off Solanke by Tonali who rolls it up the inside left ultimately to Gordon who strolls into the same position from which he scored and shoots in similar fashion but Austin gets down to turn it behind. And he keeps out the corner assuredly too.

12:50 PM GMT

19 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

Spurs corner after Johnson and Solanke link up to send Kulusevski to the byline and his low cross is turned behind by Hall.

12:49 PM GMT

17 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

After Joelinton barges into Bergvall, with his arm seemingly in front of him to pole-axe the young midfielder, and is not booked, the crowd gives Andy Madley a rendition of ‘you’re not fit to referee’. We get an encore when Burn stops a Spurs attempt at a rapid break with a professional/tactical/cynical foul that also does not earn a card.

12:47 PM GMT

15 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

Good, confident catch by Austin after a Newcastle free-kick is arced into the box. He tries to restart quickly by bowling it up the left wing but Livramento is there to snuff out the counter.

12:46 PM GMT

13 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

Hair-raising moment when Dragusin tries to dribble his way out of trouble in his won box and just about gets away with it... by the skin of his teeth as Murphy and Isak pressed.

12:43 PM GMT

11 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

Newcastle have a big hole in their left-half channel and once again Tottenham flood down their right with Johnson to set up Solanke from 18 yards and his right-foot shot is skilfully blocked by Botman, lunging to get his knee in the way.

12:41 PM GMT

9 min: Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1

Postecoglou is unhappy both, it seems, about the goal and a crunching tackle/foul by Joelinton on Porro that goes unpunished.

12:37 PM GMT

GOAL!

Tottenham 1 Newcastle 1 (Gordon) Bergvall, at full stretch, tries to toe a suicide pass through Joelinton but it hits his fingers as he held his hands down and by his side. Gordon is played down the left of the area and he shoots across Austin, who had just confidently caught a corner, and in at the right post.

12:37 PM GMT

GOAL?!

VAR check for handball in the build-up to Gordon’s ‘equaliser’. The ball touched Joelinton’s hand which blocked Bergvall’s pass.

12:34 PM GMT

GOAL!

Tottenham 1 Newcastle 0 (Solanke) Bergvall runs down the right, pokes a pass with the outside of his boot to Johnson who turns and rolls it back to Porro. The right-back loops over the perfect cross and Solanke blindsides Botman to score from 10 yards with a crisp, diving header into the bottom right.

12:34 PM GMT

Tuchel at the Lane

12:32 PM GMT

1 min: Tottenham 0 Newcastle 0

The slow version of When the Spurs Go Marching In resounds around the Stadium as Spurs kick-off, Darren Fletcher tells us that in addition to the injuries and sickness bug, Archie Gray and Radu Dragusin have also been ill this week.

Early break for treatment to Livramento who took a blow to the ribs/solar plexus from Bergvall.

12:27 PM GMT

Out come the teams

Spurs in white and navy, Newcastle in burgundy and navy hoops.

12:23 PM GMT

Brandon Austin makes his debut

Alfie Whiteman, who is 26 and has been at Spurs for nine years like Austin, moves up on to the bench. He has at least played for the first team in a competitive match, the last eight minutes of a Europa League match against Ludogorets, coming on when Spurs were 4-0 up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under Jose Mourinho and maintaining a clean sheet. It was during the Covid lockdown, though, so he hasn’t played in front of his home crowd.

12:14 PM GMT

Ange Postecoglou talks to TNT Sports

12:00 PM GMT

Critics have said Spurs are short at centre-back and that’s a failure of recruitment

Here’s Postecoglou’s response:

“OK so Van de Ven, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies – how many centre-backs do we need to have? Seven? That’s not the real world,” he explained.

“Hindsight is an easy thing but I still feel the players we brought in, nobody will tell me Dom Solanke or Archie Gray or Lucas Bergvall or Wilson, obviously we’ve hardly seen him, are not good acquisitions for us.

“In the world of hindsight everything looks so much simpler and clearer, but I live in the real world. I think the business we did was good. Medium and long term it will be fantastic for this football club. I’ve got no doubt about that.”

11:44 AM GMT

Eddie Howe talks to TNT Sports

11:34 AM GMT

Your teams in black and white

Tottenham Hotspur  Austin; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Sarr, Bergvall; Johnson, Kulusevski, Werner; Solanke. 
Substitutes  Whiteman, Reguilon, Son, Bissouma, Maddison, Lankshear, Dorrington, Olusesi, Hardy. 

Newcastle  Dubravka, Livramento, Botman, Burn, Hall, Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy, Isak, Gordon. 
Substitutes Vlachodimos, Trippier, Barnes, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff, Miley. 

Referee  Andy Madley (Huddersfield).

11:31 AM GMT

First day at the office

11:25 AM GMT

A lot of changes for Spurs

Brandon Austin makes his debut in goal at the age of 25, Djed Spence comes in for the injured Udogie, Bergvall for Bissouma, Sarr for Bentancur and Werner for Son.

11:20 AM GMT

Botman returns

Dutch centre-back replaces suspended Schar and Livramento starts at right-back instead of Trippier who came off early at Old Trafford but is fit for the bench

11:18 AM GMT

Son on bench as Postecoglou shakes up attack

11:15 AM GMT

Spurs sign goalkeeper

04:30 PM GMT

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04:28 PM GMT

Preview: Spurs up against it

Good morning and welcome to live coverage of Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United, the first match of the 20th round of 2024-25 Premier League fixtures. The game begins with Newcastle in fifth, looking for their fifth successive victory after beating Leicester, Ipswich, Villa and Manchester United, while Spurs, who have lost four and drawn two of their last seven, have sunk to 11th, a decline hastened by a light squad hit by a defensive injury crisis.

Consequently Ange Posetecoglou, who desperately needs a win after criticism about pigheadedness and cluelessness for sticking to his high defensive line without the experienced players to make it work, will try to find a winning formula without his first-choice goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, his two preferred centre-backs, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, his No 1 left-back, Destiny Udogie, his most seasoned centre-half/left-back stop-gap, Ben Davies, all through injury, and his best defensive midfielder, Rodrigo Bentancur, who is suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card  in his second match back from a seven-game ban. In addition Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are also sidelined which means 18-year-old Archie Gray, a midfielder by choice, the 22-year-old rick-prone Radu Dragusin and Djed Spence, back from a suspension, will once again be deputised to hold the fort.

That has proved tricky enough against Forest, Wolves, Bournemouth, Chelsea and Liverpool and will be particularly troublesome against Newcastle United and Alexander Isak United who has scored eight of their 19 goals in a rampant December. Still, Tottenham won convincingly 4-1 under Postecoglou the last time the visitors hit the Lane 14 months ago and Fabian Schar’s absence after also accumulating his fifth booking unbalances a defence which has coped admirably in the absence of Sven Botman. The Dutchman may return to the squad today after nine months out but it may be a case of Lloyd Kelly starting for the first time since their defeat by tepid West Ham in November.