Newcastle hit Spurs for six to dent top four ambition
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. 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 after just 16 months in charge. Tottenham haven't won a major trophy since 2008 and their latest setback could increase the chances of England striker Harry Kane asking to leave in the close-season. Fans are also unhappy with chairman Daniel Levy, who has gone through a host of unsuccessful managers since sacking the popular Mauricio Pochettino in 2019. In Sunday's other game, West Ham boosted their bid to avoid relegation with a 4-0 victory at Bournemouth thanks to goals from Michail Antonio, Lucas Paqueta, Declan Rice and Pablo Fornals. (AFP)