Tottenham Hotspur lost 6-1 against Newcastle United, which was a significant blow to their top-four hopes. Spurs could have moved level on points with Newcastle with a win, but instead, they conceded five goals in the first 21 minutes of the game at St James’ Park. Many Tottenham fans who had made the long trip to Tyneside were seen leaving before half-time. Hugo Lloris, the captain of Tottenham Hotspur, labelled their collapse as “embarrassing.”
Lloris was substituted at half-time and told Sky Sports, “We were late in all aspects of the game, and we completely missed the first part of the game. The second half is a different story, but it’s really painful. It’s not even about tactics; we just could not fight, and we were late. It is difficult right now to assess the performances, but there was a lack of pride.”
Tottenham’s Top-Four Hopes in Jeopardy
Tottenham remains in fifth place with 53 points from 32 games, but they are six points behind Newcastle, who have a game in hand, and also six points behind Manchester United, who have two games in hand. With teams like Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion also having games in hand, the question is not so much about the Champions League now for Spurs but whether they will even hang on to a European spot.
The interim boss of Tottenham, Stellini, was equally critical of his assessment of Spurs’ performance, adding, “There’s no words to explain a performance like this. The first 25 minutes were the worst I have ever seen.” He hoped that the system they changed to would give them energy, but it was the wrong decision. “We have to analyze this season; it is very tough for everyone, but we have to find the energy, with all the possibilities we have. We don’t have a lot of time to do this. We have to be responsible, everyone. We have to take a breath tonight, and tomorrow we have to start.”
When asked if he was worried about his own position at Tottenham following the loss, Stellini said, “This is a question I have no answer for because it is not a question for me.” Tottenham’s top-four hopes are in jeopardy, and the team will need to perform exceptionally well in their upcoming matches to secure a European spot.
Leave a Reply