Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Newcastle United

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Newcastle United players celebrate equalising against TottenhamImage source, Getty Images
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Newcastle are level on points with 16th-placed Swansea City

Substitute Ayoze Perez scored three minutes into stoppage time as Newcastle came from behind to beat Tottenham and move out of the relegation zone.

Magpies keeper Rob Elliot frustrated Spurs with two fine saves to deny Erik Lamela before Eric Dier struck.

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Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle: Europe no excuse for loss - Pochettino

Dier was unmarked when he glanced home Christian Eriksen's corner.

Newcastle levelled when substitute Aleksandar Mitrovic tapped home after a scramble inside the six-yard box before Perez struck deep into stoppage time.

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Newcastle's third win in five games lifts them three places to 15th, Norwich City dropping into the relegation zone.

Tottenham, who would have climbed above Manchester United into fourth spot with victory, are now without a league win in three games.

Can Newcastle stay up?

Steve McClaren and his Newcastle players were facing another bad day when the Magpies defence forgot to mark Dier, who glanced home his third goal of the campaign six minutes before the interval.

Elliot had already made two excellent saves to keep out Lamela and the Newcastle keeper later denied Harry Kane.

Yet the visitors showed spirit and desire - ingredients missing for long spells of the season - to produce a victory that had appeared very unlikely.

They were rewarded for their persistence 16 minutes from time.

Mitrovic, who had only been on the pitch two minutes, bundled an equaliser after Toby Alderweireld and Hugo Lloris failed to clear Chancel Mbemba's header.

Perez sealed a dramatic finish when he sneaked inside Jan Vertonghen before striking the ball past Lloris at the near post.

Tottenham's lack of cutting edge costly

Tottenham's first defeat since the opening day of the season, coming off the back of a home Europa League game, will not trigger any alarms at White Hart Lane.

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Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle: Win answered our critics - Steve McClaren

But boss Mauricio Pochettino will be concerned at his side's failure to kill off teams. Three times in their past five league games Spurs have taken the lead and not won.

The defending for both Newcastle's goals left a lot to be desired, but Spurs should have doubled their lead before Newcastle scored their first.

As well as Elliot performed for the visitors, Danny Rose and Kane were guilty of missing good chances.

Man of the match - Rob Elliot (Newcastle)

Image source, Reuters
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Newcastle scorers Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ayoze Perez both made an impact after coming off the bench but without keeper Rob Elliot, they would not have won. His two first-half saves to deny Erik Lamela were outstanding.

What the managers said

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino: "Our first half was fantastic - we dominated the game. The second is not easy to explain.

"We made mistakes and we feel very disappointed now because we did not deserve to lose.

"But that is football and you need to compete over 95 minutes. Today was difficult."

Newcastle manager Steve McClaren: "It's answered the critics we have had over last four weeks and it was a great performance in the second half and a great result.

"That is what we are, a bedrock of discipline and hard work. We have talented players, and they know how to win, we just have to do it consistently.

"We haven't turned the corner yet - we need more performances like that. We have been inconsistent."

The stats you need to know

  • Christian Eriksen now has six assists in the Premier League this season - only Gerard Deulofeu (7) and Mesut Ozil (13) have more

  • Tottenham have scored 10 goals from set-pieces (including penalties) in the league this season, more than any other side

  • Spurs missed the chance to record their longest unbeaten run (15 games) in the top flight since 1967

  • Aleksandar Mitrovic became the first Newcastle player to register an assist and a goal in a Premier League away game since Sylvain Marveaux against Arsenal in December 2012

  • Newcastle have won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time in over a year (November 2014)

  • Tottenham lost a home game having led for the first time since October 2014 - that game was also a 2-1 defeat by Newcastle

Who's next?

Pochettino takes Spurs back to his former club Southampton on Saturday before they entertain Norwich City on 26 December.

Newcastle face a big home game against bottom club Aston Villa on Saturday then host Everton on 26 December.

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