Tottenham cannot overcome first-half follies in 1-2 loss vs Newcastle

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LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 23: Callum Wilson of Newcastle United scores their team’s first goal past Hugo Lloris of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 23, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /

A football game is 90 minutes, but often a game is decided in just a few seconds, as was the case Sunday, as Newcastle bullied a hapless Tottenham to a 0-2 lead they would not relinquish.

As fans have seen many times this season, Tottenham Hotspur jumped out of the blocks quickly, and Heung-min Son had a shot on target within the first minute. That one shot turned into four in the first twenty minutes, including two on target. However, none had beaten Nick Pope, and, in the meantime, Newcastle found their footing.

Having gained confidence in the game, Newcastle created two chances from poor Tottenham play to take a two-goal lead.

Lloris’s mistake leads to an easy Wilson goal

Tottenham fell apart in the first half from one good ball. Spurs were playing a high line, and there was no pressure from the forwards, giving Fabian Schar ample time to play a long ball down the middle of the pitch. An alert Hugo Lloris did the right thing and came out like a sweeper keeper to beat Callum Wilson to the ball. However, from there, things went south for our captain.

Instead of heading the ball or just booting it out first, Lloris tried to collect the ball on the run at the edge of his box. It is not that the touch was necessarily poor from Lloris; it was just a when in doubt, kick it out moment. Instead, as Lloris picked his head up to do something with the ball, Wilson came clattering into him, flopping the keeper back onto the pitch.

With Lloris down, Wilson calmly hit a left-footer over a scampering defense and into the goal for the 0-1 lead.

VAR reviewed the play, deemed it a coming together, and allowed the goal to stand. Had Lloris cleared the ball, Spurs would likely have lived to fight another day. Instead, they fell into a hole they could not climb out of for the rest of the first half.