Newcastle United have given their hopes of qualifying for Europe a real shot in the arm with their 4-0 hammering of Tottenham at St James’ Park last weekend.
Eddie Howe’s Magpies got their opener on the half-hour mark, Anthony Gordon playing Alexander Isak in during a counter-attack, and the Swede clinically netted his 20th of the season.
Just two minutes later, Gordon got in on the action by pouncing on a miscued clearance and cutting inside Micky van de Ven before hammering past Guglielmo Vicario.
Newcastle then made it three early on in the second half, the product of yet more poor Spurs defending as Isak raced clear from a Bruno Guimaraes ball up top and slotted home.
And then came the cherry on top for the Magpies through an unlikely goal-scorer, Fabian Schar thumping a header home from Gordon’s corner late on.
Although Isak and Gordon got most of the spotlight, Schar also received credit from the likes of Alan Shearer and Garth Crooks in their Player of the Week pieces.
The 32-year-old made the cut in both of their selections, although Crooks did also have some criticism about the referee regarding what Schar did early on in the game.
What has Garth Crooks said about Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar?
“Fabian Schar should have been booked in the first few minutes against Tottenham for his tackle on Son Heung-min and so should Dan Burn for pulling back James Maddison,” said Crooks.
“If referees are going to be lenient in the opening exchanges, and I detect more officials are giving players a little latitude, it should not be for deliberate or premeditated offences.
“Let’s not go back to the days when it was accepted a defender could have a free hit at a striker and the official would turn a blind eye.
“Having said that, the fixture was never in doubt once Newcastle realised that their visitors were never up for the battle.
“This was a poor show by Tottenham but an impressive performance in the end by Newcastle.
“From his very first tackle, Schar was determined to leave an impression on the game and he did just that.”
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Schar has been a wonderful servant to Newcastle over the past six years, and it’s great to see him continue to impress for the Magpies.
The Swiss ace delivered a defensive masterclass, with a nice goal as the cherry on top.
His efforts at the back and in attack could have a big say towards the end of the season when it comes to Europa League qualification.
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