Cristian Romero produced a stunning late intervention to snatch a dramatic 2-2 draw for Tottenham Hotspur against Newcastle United at St James' Park on Tuesday night. The Argentine defender scored twice, with a spectacular overhead kick deep into stoppage time denying the Magpies all three points.
A Superhero Performance in Stoppage Time
With Tottenham heading for a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat, the game appeared lost when Anthony Gordon converted an 86th-minute penalty to put Newcastle 2-1 ahead. However, in the fifth minute of added time, Romero executed a breathtaking overhead kick to level the scores and send the travelling Spurs fans into raptures.
This was the defender's second equaliser of a pulsating second half. His first, on 79 minutes, was a brilliant diving header from a Mohammed Kudus cross that cancelled out Bruno Guimaraes's 71st-minute opener for the hosts. But it was his last-gasp acrobatics that will live longest in the memory, a moment that could prove pivotal for manager Thomas Frank.
A Game of Two Halves at St James' Park
The late drama was in stark contrast to a largely uneventful first period. The half's most notable moment came when Tottenham's Mohammed Kudus attempted an audacious piece of skill deep in his own half, only to lose possession. Newcastle's Jacob Murphy volleyed the resulting chance over the crossbar, much to the relief of the visitors.
The match sparked into life after the interval. Newcastle came close through Harvey Barnes and Nick Woltemade, before Brazilian captain Bruno Guimaraes, introduced at half-time, broke the deadlock with a fine curled finish into the bottom corner. Romero's first reply set up a frantic finale, which saw Gordon restore Newcastle's lead from the spot after a foul by Micky van de Ven.
What This Result Means for Both Sides
For Thomas Frank, this felt like a victory snatched from the jaws of defeat. The point halts a damaging losing run and provides a crucial morale boost ahead of a tough trip to face his former club, Brentford, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday. Spurs have not won a Premier League game in North London since the opening day of the season.
Newcastle, meanwhile, will be devastated not to have secured a third consecutive league win. They had done enough to claim the victory, only to be undone by Romero's moment of pure inspiration. The result leaves Eddie Howe's side reflecting on two points dropped in their pursuit of European qualification.
The match also featured a fiery South American sub-plot, with Argentinian Romero and Uruguayan Rodrigo Bentancur clashing with Newcastle's Brazilian duo Joelinton and Guimaraes. Romero was booked for a foul on Joelinton, who later hit the post, in a contest that grew increasingly physical as the clock ticked down.
