Cristian Romero scored twice to earn Tottenham Hotspur a 2-2 draw at Newcastle United tonight and stop a damaging run of defeats from getting worse.
Tottenham entered the match under pressure after a poor run of results and played as a side far more concerned with avoiding another loss than with chasing a convincing performance.
Newcastle applied heavy pressure in the opening stages, pinning Spurs into their own half with a high press that left the visitors struggling to build attacks.
Thomas Frank backed goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to recover from recent mistakes. He responded with a confident display, stopping efforts from Barnes and Joelinton to keep Spurs in the game.
Tottenham avoided risk by playing more directly, using quick outlets to Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Bergvall rather than playing through Newcastle’s midfield.
The approach ensured they stayed in the contest even when Newcastle dictated tempo and territory for long spells.
Newcastle eventually broke through when Bruno Guimaraes struck from the edge of the area after a flowing move down the left, giving the hosts a deserved lead.
Romero levelled shortly afterwards when he headed in from a Kudus cross after Newcastle failed to clear a corner properly.
The equaliser did little to change the pattern of play as Newcastle continued to push forward.
Anthony Gordon provided it with a late penalty following a VAR review that penalised Rodrigo Bentancur for pulling down Dan Burn inside the area.
Tottenham protested the decision, and the sense of injustice increased when the goal seemed to end any hope of a comeback.
However, Frank’s side pushed bodies forward in stoppage time with a level of urgency that contrasted with much of their earlier play.
Romero took advantage when Aaron Ramsdale failed to clear a corner decisively, meeting the loose ball with an overhead kick that silenced St James’ Park.
The late finish rescued a point for Spurs and provided a rare moment of quality on a night dominated by pressure, mistakes and conservative football.
Tottenham remain below expectations, but avoided another defeat that would have intensified scrutiny on Frank.
Newcastle will view the draw as a missed chance, while Tottenham’s determination not to lose shaped a contest defined more by resilience than attacking fluency.
