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The Carabao Cup was on display in the main reception, dictating that Tottenham’s players trooped past it as they entered the Milburn Stand en route from their team bus to the away dressing room. If the sight of that trophy inspired Thomas Frank’s players, Newcastle’s desire to retain it was infinitely stronger.
Eddie Howe’s team could have been forgiven for prioritising the Champions League and the Premier League but, instead, they played with the zeal of a side still buoyed by last March’s Wembley triumph.
Their passage to this season’s quarter-finals was secured thanks to goals from the impressive Fabian Schär and Nick Woltemade – and another stunning midfield performance on Sandro Tonali’s part.
Before kick-off Howe had enthused about the variety and versatility of Tottenham’s buildups but, perhaps anxious to prove his own chameleon credentials, Newcastle’s manager tweaked his 4-3-3 system to create extra overloads down the flanks.
It meant that one full back – Emil Krafth or Dan Burn – joined almost every attack as the home side made repeated, if temporary, shape shifts into a back three.
With Tonali once again showing his midfield class, Spurs struggled to second-guess the hosts but Newcastle could not take their early chances. When Harvey Barnes missed a very decent opening, Frank’s team woke up a little and Brennan Johnson should have done better than slice a shot into the Gallowgate at the end of a fluent counterattack.
Howe’s players knew they had been reprieved and responded by rewarding the home fans – many of whom had struggled to get into the ground after Wednesday’s Microsoft internet outage left them unable to download their match tickets – with a goal.
It came from the head of Schär who connected with Tonali’s corner as Tottenham’s decision to mark that set piece zonally engendered a sense of chaos to rival anything seen earlier in the St James’ Park box office.
As Schär’s header powered beyond Antonin Kinsky’s reach, Howe applauded enthusiastically. The ball-playing former Switzerland central defender began the season in stellar form and was desperately unlucky to lose his place to Malick Thiaw after suffering a concussion.
Now, with Sven Botman rested as Newcastle’s made eight changes, Schär found himself stationed to the right of Thiaw and generally did a good job of subduing Richarlison as, with half-time beckoning, Spurs raised their game.
Suddenly Lucas Bergvall looked imperious but Frank’s problem was that his forwards still struggled to properly test the former Arsenal goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale, deputising for Nick Pope.
Not that this lack of killer instinct was exclusively a Spurs problem. Had Barnes not messed up a second highly inviting chance Newcastle would have been two up at the interval. Instead the left winger miscued his volley following fine work from Tonali and Thiaw.
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In mitigation, that Barnes effort did strike the crossbar but the look on his face suggested he thought he should have done better at the conclusion of a move that served to showcase Tonali’s excellence. No player is more important to Newcastle than the Italy midfielder right now.
Not that Woltemade is too far behind. The Germany forward headed his side’s second goal after meeting Joe Willock’s beautifully dinked cross and capitalising on an unfortunate misunderstanding between Kinsky and Kevin Danso at the outset of the second period.
As Woltemade celebrated his sixth goal in all competitions, Willock had fully redeemed himself for an earlier headed miss following a lovely Barnes cross.
Ramsdale remained less than fully stretched but retained sufficient concentration to make a superb save to keep Pape Sarr’s swerving low shot out as Tottenham strove to navigate a route back into the tie.
With Ramsdale subsequently denying Richarlison following a menacing Pedro Porro cross home fans felt sufficiently confidence to start singing about another trip to a major final. Last year’s Carabao Cup anthem “Tell me Ma, I won’t be home for tea … We’re going to Wemberlee” received an airing as Howe liberated Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton, Kieran Trippier and Will Osula from the bench.
Joelinton could count himself somewhat fortunate to be merely booked following a reckless tackle on the Tottenham substitute Mohammed Kudus. The same applied to Kudus who responded by throwing his fists at the prone Brazilian before Joelinton fought back. Had it been the Premier League and VAR operational, the outcome could arguably have involved two red cards.
