Nick Pope sends challenge to Ramsdale – Newcastle player ratings v Tottenham
Newcastle United came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in Seoul on Sunday.
In a match dominated by Son Heung-min making his final appearance for Spurs, it was the Lilywhites who took the lead in the fourth minute, with Brennan Johnson finishing a counter-attack after a Jacob Murphy mistake.
But Newcastle increased the pressure as the game went on, and shortly before half-time, Harvey Barnes fired home a powerful effort at the near post after a swift passing sequence from the Magpies.
This will serve as a morale-boosting draw for Newcastle following defeats to Celtic, Arsenal and the K-League All Stars, not to mention their ongoing striker saga.
But how did the players perform in this high-profile friendly encounter?
Nick Pope makes statement performance
Nick Pope – 8
Made some great saves, including one-on-one to deny an overly casual Mathys Tel in the first half. A statement performance following the arrival of Aaron Ramsdale.
Kieran Trippier – 7
Put some dangerous balls into the box but had no big presence there to connect with them. Wasn’t overly tested defensively, but got the job done.
Fabian Schar – 8
Made some key defensive interventions, including four recoveries, four clearances and three interceptions. Tested his luck with a powerful long-range effort in the first half, but it went wide.
Dan Burn – 7
Kept things solid and won all four of his aerial duels, which will come as a surprise to absolutely nobody.
Matt Targett – 8
Excellent on the ball, completing 41 of his 42 passes, while he kept things tight at the back, with three recoveries, two interceptions and one tackle. Not much got past Targett.
Gordon and Barnes combine
Bruno Guimaraes – 8
Gave supporters a bit of a scare with an awkward slip just after half-time but appeared to run it off very quickly. Created a match-high four chances and was at the heart of much of what Newcastle did well here.
Lewis Miley – 7
A composed performance from Miley, who showcased his passing skills with 91% accuracy overall and 100% on long passes. Did plenty to break up Tottenham attacks and will hope he’s impressed Eddie Howe enough for a bigger role in the side this season.
Joelinton – 4
Put himself about well, but lacked composure in front of goal, missing big chances in the first half. First, he couldn’t connect with a Gordon cut-back, before he completely shanked an attempted header from a Guimaraes cross.
Harvey Barnes – 9
Took his goal brilliantly and looked positive every time he got the ball, even if not everything came off for him.
Anthony Gordon – 8
Played in a more unfamiliar striker role as Newcastle’s striker saga rolls on, but took to it very well, setting up Harvey Barnes for the equaliser, while testing Antonin Kinsky with a couple of efforts. Could easily have had another assist when he cut back to Joelinton in the first half, but the Brazilian couldn’t connect.
Jacob Murphy – 6
Made a terrible start to the game, gifting Spurs a chance with a poor clearance before losing the ball for the opening goal. Recovered well to create some dangerous openings and test Kinsky with some decent efforts.
Travis Hernes makes promising cameo
Tino Livramento (on for Targett, 62′) – 6
Composed on the ball and solid defensively.
William Osula (on for Gordon, 62′) – 3
Barely got into the game, failing to complete a single pass.
Lewis Hall (on for Trippier, 77′) – 6
Tried to give Newcastle a bit more thrust down the left but didn’t quite get going.
Seung-soo Park (on for Murphy, 77′) – 7
Given a big welcome by the South Korean crowd, and came up with a few moments of real promise.
Anthony Elanga (on for Barnes, 82′) – 5
Didn’t get into the game.
Emil Krafth (on for Schar, 82′) – 6
Helped close out the draw.
Mark Gillespie (on for Pope, 82′) – 6
Didn’t have a great deal to do in the final stages.
Travis Hernes (on for Joelinton, 87′) – 7
A good runout for the teenager, who saw a surprisigly high amount of the ball and completed 100% of his passes.