Newcastle vs. Tottenham Match Ratings

Newcastle were welcomed back to the Premier League by the league’s runner up a year ago in Tottenham, falling in defeat, 2-0. The scoreline was what many expected, but it came mostly as a result of a red card from Jonjo Shelvey. There were some bright spots, specifically the overall defensive effort, and some rough spots, specifically the overall attacking effort. This is how each player ranks for their performance against Spurs.

Rob Elliot- 7
Excellent job in the first half to deny Spurs and control the box. Unfortunate to have allowed the Davies goal despite getting a hand to it.

Javier Manquillo- 5
Solid work defensively, but he did lose Alli for the opening goal. He left you wanting a little more on the offensive end though. He gave Matt Ritchie nothing to work with, mostly just hoofing the ball upfield.

Florian Lejeune- 6
Good start for the new boy. He battled with Harry Kane most of the first half and kept the English striker fairly quiet. The injury cut short his chance to make more of an impact.

Ciaran Clark- 6
Excellent job switch his mindset from center back to left back so quickly following the Dummett injury. Woeful offensively though. He was unable to test Spurs consistently crossing the ball.

Paul Dummett- N/A
Dummett only played five minutes before being subbed off with a pulled muscle. For what it is worth, he looked solid until that point.

Jonjo Shelvey- 3
Not the best day at the office before the red card. Terrible decision that completely changed the flow of the match. Shelvey did a lot more harm than good.

Isaac Hayden- 7
Very even performance from the ex-Arsenal man in his Premier League return. He won several balls in the midfield and held up fairly well to the tough challenge of Dele Alli after Shelvey went off.

Matt Ritchie- 5
Pretty weak showing from Ritchie if you ask me. He did not look certain where to go with ball offensively. His ability to attack was limited as well following the sending off.

Christian Atsu- 8
Atsu was far and away the most dangerous player on the pitch for Newcastle. He went to work on Kyle Walker-Peters and made some great runs down the left side. The winger challenged the Tottenham defense without much support.

Ayoze Perez- 7
He pressed Spurs consistently early in the match. His finishing definitely needs work, but he was creative and drew defenders to open up space.

Dwight Gayle- 5
Not the best showing from Gayle. He worked hard up top to pressure Tottenham defenders whenever Newcastle lost possession, but his work with the ball left a lot to be desired.

Jamaal Lascelles- 7
Strong showing from Lascelles after coming on for Paul Dummett. He controlled the middle of the defense and minimized the damage playing a man down.

Chancel Mbemba- 6
Mixed bag from Mbemba will likely see him back on the bench unless the injuries to Lejeune or Dummett are serious. He looks powerful as always, if not always in the right position.

Mikel Merino- N/A
Didn’t quite have enough time to make an impact. He displayed good energy and seemed eager to leave his mark on the match.