Newcastle look bound for Champions League after crushing Tottenham 6-1

NEWCASTLE: What a difference a year makes.

Newcastle United put one foot firmly in the Champions League by hammering Tottenham Hotspur 6-1 at St. James’ Park to open up a six-point gap to their top-four rivals — and with a game in hand.

The result comes a little over a year after Antonio Conte’s Spurs put lowly Newcastle to the sword 5-1 in London. How the tables have turned now. The Magpies blitzed their opponents, who are now looking up at Newcastle, rather than down.

Five first-half goals, two apiece from Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak as well as one from Joelinton, ended this one as a contest. Harry Kane grabbed a consolation just after the break but Callum Wilson added his 11th of the campaign to put the icing on the cake.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe made just the one change to his side, with Sean Longstaff coming in for Anthony Gordon. And the midfielder, along with the other five in United’s front six, was at it from minute one, in a far cry from the disappointing dip at Aston Villa.

In fact, it took the Magpies just 60 seconds to open the scoring.

Pedro Porro will have nightmares about the runs of Joelinton from the Newcastle left, and one such dart caught the Spurs wing-back napping as the Brazilian cut in and fired at goal. His shot was saved by Hugo Lloris low to his left but that palmed clearance only fell to Murphy, who hammered into the roof of the net.

Just five minutes later it was 2-0 — and this time the creator was the scorer.

A searching ball from Fabian Schar picked out Joelinton, who ghosted in behind Porro again, slipped around Lloris and tucked into the empty net.

In a blistering opening quarter the Magpies added three, four and five in very quick succession — and it was the often unsung