Newcastle hit troubled Spurs for six to shatter their top four bid

Tottenham Hotspur’s Italian assistant head coach Cristian Stellini (R) reacts as Tottenham Hotspur’s Spanish defender Pedro Porro (L) challenges Newcastle United’s Brazilian striker Joelinton during the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on April 23, 2023. (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby / AFP)

Tottenham’s bid to qualify for the Champions League suffered a hammer blow as they conceded five times in the first 21 minutes of a humiliating 6-1 defeat at top four rivals Newcastle on Sunday.

Cristian Stellini’s side were buried by an avalanche of goals from Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak, who both netted twice, and strikes from Joelinton and Callum Wilson.

Harry Kane’s reply was no consolation for woeful Tottenham, who look certain to miss out on a place in the Premier League’s top four after a second successive loss.

The north Londoners are six points behind third placed Newcastle and fourth placed Manchester United, having played two more games than United and one more than Newcastle.

Fifth placed Tottenham host United on Thursday and a defeat against Erik ten Hag’s team would surely end their faint hopes of salvaging their troubled campaign.

There is a bleak future ahead for Tottenham, who have no permanent manager lined up for next season and no director of football after Fabio Paratici’s resignation on Friday.

Paratici stepped down after failing in his appeal against a 30-month worldwide FIFA ban for his involvement in allegations of false accounting at his former club Juventus.

Tottenham’s heaviest defeat of the season was a new low for a club already in turmoil after Antonio Conte’s departure by “mutual consent” in March