Premier League

TOTTENHAM 1 (Gray 64)
NEWCASTLE UNITED 2 (Thiaw 45+5, Ramsey 68)

TOTTENHAM have now won just twice in 17 games.

That is relegation form – and the distance between Thomas Frank’s chaotic side and West Ham in the drop zone is now just five points.

Tonight (Tuesday) Frank’s players threw their exhausted, mis-matched efforts at a Newcastle side also in a bit of slump, having lost their past three.

But, as just about every Premier League club this season will testify, if you’re in trouble, play Spurs – they’ll make you feel a whole lot better.

Speaking after his side lost 2-1 to goals from Malick Thiaw and Jacob Ramsey – with a glimmer-of-hope equaliser from Archie Gray sandwiched in between – Frank said he was “1,000 per cent sure” that he could turn fortunes around.

He also cited the dramatic injury list – but added his squad would come back stronger after facing the adversity of a genuine relegation battle. He said: “I never expected us to be in a situation like this, with 11 or 12 injuries. When you’re building something you need to get through things and show unbelievably strong resilience.

“I think it’s fair to say there’s been a few more before me sat up here, not only for Tottenham but many other clubs, who have lost their head many times and I think you need to have a calm head, carry on, keep fighting, keep doing the right things, and make sure we stick together.

“You can only get through this together. That’s the board, the leaders, the players, the staff, me, the fans. We only get through this together.”

With the first-team players out through injury and a captain unavailable due to his latest bout of hotheadedness, Frank has been dealt a pretty terrible hand.

One can only assume the inclusion of Yves Bissouma in the starting XI was an act of desperation, pinning hopes on the unwanted midfielder having some professional pride, and due to not wanting to risk Palhinha after a quick turnaround from Saturday’s defeat at Manchester United.

It was a desperately poor 45 minutes from the player, who is out of contract in the summer and might as well be now. He was as soggy as the February drizzle that made this a game a skiddy pitch peppered with errors.

Newcastle licked their lips at the scaredy-cat start from a home side shaking with nerves. They earned two corners in the opening five minutes – and caused some panic in the Spurs box. Bissouma was also guilty of a clumsy challenge on eight that left the defence exposed, but Harvey Barnes could only drag his shot wide of the far post.

There were glimmers: Wilson Odobert broke but couldn’t quite get his pass to Xavi Simons comfortable enough, and then Conor Gallagher dashed into space and just failed to find Dominic Solanke central.

But overall, it was a grim first half. Tottenham chased shadows when they did not have the ball – and that was for the vast majority of the time – and when they did, they lacked any invention.

Newcastle thought they had earned a deserved lead to take into the half-time break: on 43, more Spurs sloppiness saw them surrender the ball cheaply. Joe Willock raced on to a simple through pass and shot low. A VAR check for offside let the home side off the hook – but the respite did not last long.

Minutes later Thiaw tapped home from close range after another period of Spurs just failing to show any aggression in closing down their opponents.

A half-time switch saw Palhinha on for the awful Bissouma, and the mix of his rallying challenges and calmness in possession gave hope. Gray broke in on 52 minutes, crashing through two tackles. His pin-point back post ball was shinned over by Mathys Tel.

It pushed his teammates: moments later Gray side-stepped a challenge and suddenly Pape Matar Sarr was bearing down on goal. His shot had to be parried.

Tottenham had found their nerve – with Palhinha shoring things up centrally, they began to look like they could cause problems. Gallagher’s running forced a corner and from the resulting pressure Gray smuggled home an instinctive shot from the six-yard box.

But instead of any semblance of control, Spurs immediately lost their shape and Newcastle’s Jacob Ramsey restored the lead four minutes after conceding.

Arsenal are up next: barring a miracle, by the time Spurs meet Fulham and Crystal Palace, 19th place will be even closer.

Tottenham: Vicario, Dragusin, van de Ven, Spence, Gray, Bissouma (Palhinha, HT), Gallagher (Kolo Muano, 69) Simons, Sarr, Odobert (Tel, 33), Solanke
Substitutes not used: Kinskly, Souza, Olusesi, Byfield, Williams-Barnett, Roswell

Newcastle: Pope, Trippier, Botman, Thiaw, Burn, Guimaraes (Hall, 90+1), Ramsey (Tonali 74), Gordon (Osula, 88), Barnes, Elanga (Murphy, 74), Willock (Woltemade, 88)
Substitutes not used: Ramsdale, Hall, Wissa, Osula, Murphy, Shahar