Reality check for Newcastle after 5-1 hammering against Tottenham

NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United and Eddie Howe endured a Premier League reality check as they were torn to shreds by Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur.

Four second-half goals and a Magpies capitulation made it three losses on the bounce in the top flight on an afternoon to forget in N17.

Fabian Schar had given Howe’s men the lead — and it was a deserved one, too, but Ben Davies leveled things up before the break. Then goals from Matt Doherty, Son Heung-Min, Emerson Royal and Steven Bergwijn showed Newcastle that there are levels to this game in the top flight. And while Conte admitted pre-match that the Saudi-majority owners of United mean business, Spurs showed just how far the Magpies are from challenging not just the elite, but the group just below them, too.

Having had an international break and jaunt to Dubai to craft a team capable of competing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Eddie Howe made three changes to his side beaten, quite dramatically, at Everton.

Miguel Almiron was absent from the squad altogether, while Bruno Guimaraes and Emil Krafth dropped to the bench, the Brazilian an absentee due in no small part to his travels across the globe, and goalscoring exploits, with Selecao.

It is often the hope of a visiting side to catch Spurs on an off day, of which they have many, but Conte’s side eased into this encounter, playing with United’s compact unit at will, spreading from right to left and dominating possession in the Newcastle half.

Eric Dier, with a flicked header from a corner, and Harry Kane, with a low misfired drive, signaled Spurs’ intent early doors.

Having weathered that early storm, United began to find pockets of space and pressure of their own. Allan Saint-Maximin did his best to wind up