A dramatic stoppage-time equaliser from Cristian Romero sparked a furious confrontation with Bruno Guimaraes at full-time, as Tottenham Hotspur snatched a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United at St James' Park on Wednesday night.
Late Drama and Celebration Controversy
The match, played on December 2nd, 2025, was a rollercoaster of emotions. Bruno Guimaraes opened the scoring for Newcastle, only for Cristian Romero to head Tottenham level. Anthony Gordon then looked to have won it for the Magpies with an 86th-minute penalty, awarded after a VAR intervention.
Deep into added time, however, Romero produced a spectacular overhead kick to make it 2-2 and secure a vital point for Spurs. The Argentine defender then ignited the flashpoint by appearing to mimic Guimaraes's trademark celebration, cupping his ears to the crowd and pointing to the name on the back of his shirt.
Full-Time Fracas as Tensions Boil Over
As the final whistle sounded shortly after, the simmering tension erupted into a physical clash between the two South American internationals. An incensed Bruno Guimaraes had to be physically restrained by teammates from confronting Romero, with players from both sides quickly intervening to separate the pair.
The incident underscored the frustration for Eddie Howe's Newcastle, who have now surrendered a lead on four separate occasions this season. The manager admitted his team's inability to see out games is becoming a serious issue. "It's a real strange one," Howe said. "Historically we have been very good at seeing games out... We have got to try and re-find that quickly because it's costing us important points."
Managerial Reaction and VAR Dispute
For Tottenham boss Thomas Frank, the character shown to fight back twice away from home was a major positive after a recent defeat to Fulham. "I really liked the character and the mentality in the team," Frank stated. "It shows everything about the willingness and mentality in the team."
However, Frank was scathing about the decision to award Newcastle's late penalty, calling the VAR intervention "an absolute mistake." He argued: "The referee did good to do the ref call and they encourage the refereeing call on the pitch. For me, that is never a penalty."
The result leaves Newcastle languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table, while Tottenham's battling point provides a morale boost in their pursuit of European qualification.
