Tottenham Hotspur got back to winning ways in the Premier League on Sunday with a 2-1 win away to Newcastle United.
The visitors took the lead with half an hour played when Nacer Chadli found the bottom corner with a 25-yard drive, but Newcastle equalised just 19 seconds after the restart thanks to Jack Colback's composed strike.
However, Spurs regained the advantage on 52 minutes through a Christian Eriksen free kick before Harry Kane made sure of the victory in stoppage time when he finished off a counter-attack.
Here, Sports Mole analyses the individual performances of those involved on an uninspiring afternoon at St James' Park.
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NEWCASTLE
Goal
Tim Krul: Was solid enough, but he could have done a lot better for Tottenham's second goal. That said, he made a couple of key saves that kept Newcastle in the match. (6/10)
Defence
Daryl Janmaat: Got forward too often when he was needed at the back. Struggled to contain the visitors in wide areas. (5/10)
Mike Williamson: Another laboured display from the centre-back, who is looking more and more like someone who is treading water in the top flight. (5/10)
Fabricio Coloccini: Should have provided the Magpies with some solidity at the back after returning from a ban. Instead, the Argentine failed to add anything to their defence. (5/10)
Vurnon Anita: Gave the home side a dynamic physical presence, though he still found it difficult to make an impact. (6/10)
Midfield
Mehdi Abeid: Was almost non-existent in midfield during a poor first half. Was rightly taken off at the break as John Carver tried to shake things up. (4/10)
Ryan Taylor: Was given the job of protecting Newcastle's back four, but was often caught out and failed to keep up with Spurs. (5/10)
Jack Colback: Worked hard for the cause and took his goal well. However, Colback was often found lacking when it came to taking control of the match. (6/10)
Yoan Gouffran: Did nothing of note before being taken off at half time. If one player symbolises the malaise at St James' Park, it's Gouffran. (4/10)
Remy Cabella: Came alive in fits and starts, as is the Frenchman's way. Needs to be more consistent if he wants to have a genuine effect on the side. (6/10)
Attack
Ayoze Perez: Showed glimpses of what he is capable of, but a lack of service saw him huff and puff to little avail up front. (6/10)
Substitutes
Sammy Ameobi: Added a bit of intent into Newcastle's forward play at half time, only to fade as the game wore on. (6/10)
Gabriel Obertan: Similar to Ameobi, Obertan brought a bit of urgency off the bench during the second period before drifting into anonymity. (6/10)
Adam Armstrong: Was introduced with 15 minutes left to play, but he struggled to drag Newcastle back into the game. (5/10)
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TOTTENHAM
Goal
Michel Vorm: Looked reliable between the sticks, making a couple of good saves to keep Newcastle out in the process. (7/10)
Defence
Eric Dier: His stamina was impressive throughout, running tirelessly to stifle the hosts in and around the Spurs box. Was also hard in the tackle when the game got physical. (7/10)
Federico Fazio: Worked well with his defensive colleagues. His height and power came in handy when Newcastle pumped balls into the area. (6/10)
Jan Vertonghen: A typical Vertonghen display in many ways: unassuming, organised and generally a bit vanilla. (6/10)
Danny Rose: Was important for Spurs going forward with his crosses from the left. Also fought doggedly at the back. (7/10)
Midfield
Nabil Bentaleb: Not the most inspiring 90 minutes from the youngster, who missed a golden chance in the second half to extend his side's lead. (5/10)
Erik Lamela: An erratic performance from the Argentine. Was at the heart of everything Spurs were trying to do one minute before hitting dreadful passes out of play the next. (6/10)
Paulinho: Tottenham's best player on the day, the Brazilian was full of energy in midfield and mucked in at both ends of the pitch. (8/10)
Christian Eriksen: Had a quiet afternoon, though his goal set Tottenham on their way to three important points. (6/10)
Nacer Chadli: His resurgence continued with an impressive showing. Not only did he score a great goal, he also made life difficult for the opposition with his pace, power and movement. (7/10)
Attack
Harry Kane: Despite Tottenham not always utilising his strengths, Kane was lively enough to keep the hosts on their toes. Showed good composure to wrap up the points late on. (7/10)
Substitutes
Mousa Dembele: Did not shy away from getting on the ball after coming off the bench with just over 10 minutes left. Was also useful at the back when Newcastle were still in with a chance of snatching a point. (7/10)
Ben Davies: Did not do a great deal during the final 10 minutes or so. A low-key cameo. (5/10)
Ryan Mason: Could have had a bigger impact on the match had he started, but the young midfielder had to settle for a handful of uneventful minutes towards the end of the afternoon. (5/10)
Jack Prescott
