Eddie Howe pays tribute to Conte’s brilliant Tottenham

Eddie Howe admits Newcastle United were “punished” by a reckless, insistent Tottenham Hotspur side during Sunday’s 5-1 Premier League win over Antonio Conte The chronicle.

The Newcastle boss probably knew how Michael Corleone felt as he analyzed the disastrous defense that led to the heaviest defeat of the post-Steve Bruce era.

“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”

Newcastle really should have cleared the relegation zone. Burnley, Watford and Everton are just dots that disappear on the horizon in the rear-view mirror.

But after three straight Premier League defeats, fans are once again looking over their shoulders nervously, even if there’s still a healthy gap between them in the bottom three.

More performances than Sunday – Newcastle conceded as many goals in 40 minutes in north London as they have in their last six games – and it could still be a jittery end to an upside-down season at Tyneside.

Will Newcastle United be a Premier League team next season?

“The most important goal is the second goal,” Howe says, reflecting on the way Spurs took the lead just three minutes into the second half through the revived Matt Doherty.

“From our point of view, the way it was done was really disappointing. We had to feel our way into the second half, but we didn’t allow ourselves that.

“Then we followed the game very aggressively and probably played in a way we shouldn’t have. We played a lot and took risks with the ball. And it was too early in the game for that.

“Then we were punished by a top-level team.”

It was reminiscent in many ways of Tottenham’s recent hammerings against Leeds and Everton. Carving through a team desperately chasing the game, their high-pressing tactics are nothing short of defensive suicide against the speed of Heung Min Son and Steven Bergwijn, the skill and vision of Harry Kane, Dejan Kulusevski and the wonderful Rodrigo Bentancur.

Tottenham have now scored at least three goals in five of their last eight games.

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