Two goals from Gareth Bale allowed Tottenham Hotspur to secure a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United at White Hart Lane this afternoon.
It looked as though the spoils were going to be shared when Yoan Gouffran cancelled out Bale's early opener.
However, the Welsh international struck in the closing stages to hand his side all three points.
Sports Mole looks back over the action to determine if Newcastle can argue that they deserved a point for their efforts.
Match statistics:
Tottenham:
Shots 16
On target 9
Possession 51%
Corners 11
Fouls 5
Newcastle:
Shots 9
On target 7
Possession 49%
Corners 5
Fouls 11
Was the result fair?
Newcastle may feel a little hard done by because they battled hard. However, during the second half Spurs always looked the more likely to score and they eventually got their reward in the closing stages. Even after they had fallen behind for a second time, the Magpies struggled to create chances. It wasn't always pretty for Spurs, but they deserved to win.
Tottenham's performance
As mentioned above, the home side weren't always at their best. However, when you've got a player like Bale in your ranks, you've always got a chance. He was ultimately the difference. One thing that may be a cause for concern is the lack of strikers at the Lane. With Jermain Defoe injured and Emmanuel Adebayor only just back from international duty, they looked toothless at times.
Newcastle's performance
Putting the defeat aside, Alan Pardew can be happy with the way that his side battled and competed. For the majority of the season they have been poor in that department, but today they were much better. The new signings have certainly made improvements and they frustrated Spurs at times. While they weren't at the races in terms of being an attacking force, they showed enough to suggest that they will soon move away from the relegation zone.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Gareth Bale: There can't be many Premier League players in better form than Bale at the moment. While he wasn't always involved today, when he was, there was no stopping him. His free kick to open the scoring was very good, but the composure that he displayed when rolling in the winner was even more impressive.
Biggest gaffe
When Bale lined up to take his free kick, it was always clear that he was going to lift the ball with power. So why James Perch opted to stand still and not jump is a little confusing. The ball sailed just over his head, almost giving him a hair cut on its way into the net. Had he jumped, he would have blocked the ball.
Referee performance
Phil Dowd is not everyone's cup of tea but he had a very solid game out there today. He didn't get his yellow card out until the last minute and always played the advantage whenever it was possible. If truth be told, he was helped by the positive spirit in which the game was played in.
What next?
Tottenham: The Europa League gets back underway on Thursday, with Tottenham playing host to French side Lyon at White Hart Lane.
Newcastle: The Magpies are also in action in the same competition as they welcome Metalist Kharkiv to Tyneside.
Liam Apicella
