Tottenham's struggles to balance both European and domestic duties were once again evident as Spurs succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle United in Sunday's early kick off. The hosts were the dominant side in the first half and deserved to go into the break ahead after Ryan Mason picked out Emmanuel Adebayor at the back post to head past Tim Krul.

 

However, Newcastle hauled themselves back into the encounter straight from kick off at the beginning of the second half as half time substitute Sammy Ameobi latched onto a Jack Colback long ball. Eric Dier misjudged the flight of the ball and Ameobi brought down well before firing past Hugo Lloris. Dier's mistake means Spurs have committed the most errors that have led to an opposition goal in the Premier League since the beginning of the 2012/13 season (23).

 

Rémy Cabella, also introduced at the interval, had a big part to play in Newcastle's second, with the summer arrival delivering for Ayoze Pérez to head past Lloris as the Magpies, now unbeaten in 3, continued their recent good run of form. Alan Pardew's side secured a surprise 1-0 win in the same fixture last season and the win will not only serve as a confidence boost to the struggling Magpies, but also alleviate the pressure that had been building on Pardew.

 

Victory for Newcastle lifted them away from the relegation zone, but question marks must be asked of Spurs as they failed to again make their dominance count at White Hart Lane. The north London side have now won only 3 of their last 11 games in all competitions, while their inability to balance both the Europa League and Premier League is worrying. Pochettino's side have won only 6 points of a possible 15 following European duties this season and the Argentine faces a mountainous task to balance both competitions.

 

Defeat came despite Spurs being, arguably, the stronger of the two teams. They enjoyed a larger share of possession (63% to Newcastle's 37%) and had more shots (17 to 8) than their opponents. Regardless, both Spurs and Newcastle has 2 shots on target apiece, with Pardew's side the more clinical of the two. Tellingly, a majority of the hosts' shots came outside the box (59%) as Newcastle remained compact in and around their own area to frustrate Spurs. A 5% conversion rate for a team harbouring Champions League hopes is simply not good enough and finishing is an area Spurs need to improve on.

 

Despite victory, however, Newcastle did not out perform their Premier League counterparts at White Hart Lane on Sunday. The win should prove to be the catalyst for a good run of form, but work still needs to be done if they are to once more stave off the threat of relegation. It was more a case of wanting the 3 points more than Spurs in the capital this weekend, encapsulated best in the performance of WhoScored's man of the match Ameobi, who made 4 tackles and 4 interceptions to go with his goal, despite playing just 45 minutes.

 

"Sammy Ameobi made a great little cameo," Pardew said in his post match press conference and the victory at White Hart Lane can only serve as a springboard for further success. As for Spurs, Pochettino admitted his side needs to improve on their concentration and mentality and Ameobi's goal is a case in point.

 

After a positive first half, defeat leaves Spurs 5 points off rivals West Ham in 4th and now only 1 point above Newcastle in the table. It remains to be seen how and when they can turn their fortunes around, but Pochettino needs to right Spurs' wrongs sooner rather than later or run the risk of falling further behind their competitors for a European spot.

 

Do you think Newcastle can build on their 2-1 win at White Hart Lane? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below