The Eddie Howe decisions which hint at Newcastle's summer transfer priority after deadline-day snub

It was a decision which raised a few eyebrows among Newcastle United fans, but one that was justified given the horror 25 minutes which had preceded it. Eddie Howe made his final change in the 70th minute of Sunday's thrashing at Tottenham, replacing Chris Wood with captain Jamaal Lascelles.

Time and time again in the second half, Antonio Conte's side were able to slice through the Magpies' defence and midfield to score four times. The 5-1 scoreline somewhat flattered Newcastle by the full-time whistle, with the hosts spurning several glorious openings to pile on further misery.

The Magpies were three goals adrift by the time Howe opted to withdraw his only recognised striker, and revert to a back five. Substitute Jacob Murphy seemed to join Allan Saint-Maximin in attack, although Newcastle's shape in the closing stages was hard to discern.

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Howe's decision to introduce Lascelles in and of itself was not confusing, given the porous nature of his backline and the need for damage limitation. Yet while the game was theoretically still in the balance, the head coach's decision not to call upon his only striking alternative was illuminating.

Dwight Gayle is yet to make a Premier League start this season, and has featured for just eight minutes in two substitute appearances under Howe so far. The former Newcastle number nine may be impressing in training according to his captain, but this has not translated into starts or meaningful cameos.

The match quickly turned at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, yet there was never a realistic expectation that Newcastle would call upon the 32-year-old. But despite being a bit-part player