Player ratings as first-half blitz downs woeful Spurs

Newcastle speared through Tottenham with a five-goal first-half blitz on Sunday afternoon, eventually easing to a 6-1 Premier League victory to open up a six-point cushion above the fifth-placed north Londoners.

Jacob Murphy’s face, a gawking combination of shock and sheer delight, captured the volatile mix of emotions coursing through the black and white stripes on Tyneside. Incredibly, there was plenty more for Murphy’s facial contortions to capture.

Murphy kickstarted the rout within two minutes, gobbling up the rebound from Joelinton’s shot which Hugo Lloris helpfully parried straight into the winger’s path. Five minutes had not elapsed before Joelinton rounded Tottenham’s hapless keeper.

Tottenham’s interim manager Cristian Stellini finally gave in to the demands of the fanbase by ditching the three centre-back system which had been tattooed onto the tactics board by Antonio Conte. Yet, the eclectic collection of defenders which Stellini deployed in this rejigged system was desperately unsuited to the relative peril of just four defenders.

Joelinton loped into the yawning chasm behind Pedro Porro – a player that religiously started at wingback for Sporting CP – and Cristian Romero, with the centre-back caught admiring Fabian Schar’s lofted pass.

Murphy left the crowd and himself open-mouthed with a rasping drive from 30 yards to give Newcastle a scarcely believable 3-0 lead after only nine minutes.

Just as St James’ Park regained its collective breath, Newcastle stepped back on the accelerator while Spurs stalled. Tottenham’s back-four had disintegrated into a back-two by the time Joe Willock thrust a through ball into Alexander Isak’s stride in the 19th minute.

The fleet-footed Swede stuffed the ball past Lloris again 55 seconds later. Tottenham were – theoretically, at least – in a set defence before Newcastle’s right flank slalomed between the disheartened and almost disinterested blue shirts.

Barely half of the first half had elapsed when Stellini called time on the dalliance with a back-four, tossing Davinson Sanchez – fresh from being mercilessly booed by his own fans – into another hostile atmosphere. The damage, however, had long been done.

Spurs managed to steady themselves after the alteration – though Newcastle naturally slackened off with such a hefty lead to lean upon. Harry Kane rifled in a not-so-consolatory consolation within five…