Tottenham Hotspur ended their three-game losing run across all competitions last night with a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Newcastle United away at St James’ Park.
The Lilywhites have often found games at St James’ Park hard to come by, as seen by their run of four losses in a row, but Thomas Frank managed to put an end to that on Tuesday night.
His men have often struggled to come back from losing positions in the Premier League in 2025/26, but they did manage to do so twice on Tyneside to secure a needed point.
It leaves the Lilywhites in 11th place ahead of the remainder of the midweek fixtures, a position lower than many expected after the Dane’s arrival during the off-season.
However, it may have been a lot worse against Eddie Howe’s men, especially if it wasn’t for the vital contributions of one of the players during the contest.
How Cristian Romero saved Frank vs Newcastle
Since Frank’s arrival before the start of the ongoing campaign, he named centre-back Cristian Romero as part of his leadership group at Spurs – with the defender often wearing the captain’s armband.
In the league so far this season, the Argentine has now featured in 11 of the 14 outings, with his display against the Magpies last night undoubtedly his best to date.
He returned to the starting eleven after suspension, subsequently managing to find the back of the net twice and securing Frank’s men an unlikely point after Anthony Gordon’s penalty.
Romero’s second goal, which was a beautiful bicycle kick, was no doubt the pick of the bunch, with such a finish, one you would expect off an elite-level attacker.
His underlying stats further showcase his impressive display, with the defender managing to win 100% of the tackles he entered, whilst also winning 50% of his aerial battles.
Other tallies, such as five clearances made and five recoveries made, showcase his impact within the defensive third – with Romero evidently having a huge impact at both ends of the pitch.
Spurs star was saved by Romero against Newcastle
Despite Romero’s successes against Newcastle last night, not every player managed to impress, with many of Frank’s starting seven being unable to make a huge impact on proceedings.
Rodrigo Bentancur was once again selected after being benched against Fulham, but his return to the starting eleven was an unsuccessful one at St James’.
The Uruguayan international failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles, and was only able to register two passes into the final third – subsequently showcasing his struggles in possession.
He was also responsible for pulling down Dan Burn in the penalty area, which resulted in Gordon’s late penalty, with his rash nature once again on full show on Tyneside.
However, he wasn’t alone in failing to deliver against the Magpies, with winger Brennan Johnson failing to take advantage after his own recall to the squad after multiple substitute appearances.
The Welshman was handed the chance to start in a somewhat unfamiliar left-wing position last night, but it certainly was a performance to forget for the attacker.
He featured for 77 minutes against Howe’s side before being withdrawn, with his substitution warranted after his lack of impact throughout his time on the pitch.
Minutes played
77
Touches
29
Passes completed
12/21 (57%)
Dribbles completed
0
Possession lost
12x
Crosses completed
1
Duels won
20%
Passes into final third
1
The 24-year-old only managed to complete 57% of the passes he attempted, subsequently losing possession on 12 occasions and even registering just 29 touches – a tally fewer than goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who notched 44.
Johnson also failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles, whilst only completing one cross into the box – often being unable to create any chances for the Lilywhites.
He was massively dominated out of possession, as seen by his tally of five duels entered, but he only managed to come out on top in just 20% of the battles with the opposition backline.
As a result, he was handed a measly 6/10 match rating by Football London journalist Alasdair Gold, further reflecting his lack of quality in the draw last night.
After such a showing, Frank must surely be left with no choice but to drop the winger ahead of their return to action at the weekend, with a win desperately needed to end the barren spell.
The clash on Tyneside certainly could have been a lot worse had it not been for Romero’s brilliance at the top end of the pitch – with Johnson certainly being bailed out by his teammate.
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