Cristian Romero’s brilliant overhead kick in the 95th minute earned Tottenham Hotspur a dramatic draw against Newcastle United, easing some of the strain on manager Thomas Frank.
Spurs appeared to be heading for a sixth loss in eight matches until their captain once again delivered at a crucial moment at St James’ Park.
Romero — who had earlier levelled the score after Bruno Guimaraes’ second-half strike — connected superbly when Newcastle failed to clear a corner, sending the travelling fans high in the stands into celebration.
Newcastle looked on course for a third consecutive league victory after substitute Anthony Gordon converted a late penalty to put them 2-1 ahead.
Spurs were frustrated by the decision to award the spot-kick, but after VAR instructed referee Tom Bramall to review the incident on the pitchside monitor, he concluded that Rodrigo Bentancur had brought down Dan Burn, hauling the tall defender to the ground.
Even so, Spurs showed resilience to claim an important point, keeping Frank’s side above Newcastle in 11th place.
Frank’s team had been underperforming, even with their captain available, but his return from suspension at St James’ Park came at just the right moment.
After conceding twice in the first six minutes against Fulham the previous weekend without him, Spurs looked like they needed more aggression.
Romero was one of four players brought into the starting lineup, with Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson also recalled for the match against Newcastle.
Few would have predicted that Romero — who scored only once last season — would not only record the visitors’ two shots on target but also finish both of them.
Spurs’ determination, led by their skipper, will give Frank encouragement on a night when the away supporters ended the match by singing “We love you Tottenham, we do!”
The real test now is carrying this momentum back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where they meet Frank’s former club, Brentford, on Saturday.
What’s next for these teams?
Newcastle host Burnley at St James’ Park on Saturday, 6 December (15:00 GMT) before heading to Germany to face Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Wednesday, 20 December (20:00 GMT).
Spurs welcome Brentford to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, 6 December (15:00 GMT) before another home fixture against Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday, 9 December (20:00 GMT).
