Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou admitted that the 2-1 loss to Newcastle at St James' Park was "a bitter pill to swallow" after his side let the game slip away on Sunday.
Newcastle United extended their unbeaten start to the season with a dramatic victory over Spurs. Harvey Barnes opened the scoring for the home side in the 37th minute, finishing off a well-executed play.
Tottenham found an equaliser in the 56th minute when Newcastle's Dan Burn inadvertently scored an own goal. Despite Tottenham’s sustained pressure in the second half, Newcastle regained the lead with a late goal from Alexander Isak, set up by a clever assist from Jacob Murphy.
In a positive note for Newcastle, Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali made his first Premier League appearance since serving a 10-month ban, receiving a standing ovation from the home crowd.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Postecoglou reflected on the missed opportunities: “Another one that got away from us. We had the chance to win the game pretty comfortably, but you walk away with nothing. A bitter pill to swallow, but it is what it is. We created chances and had the momentum. I thought we were in control of the game, playing in their half, and their keeper pulled off a couple of good saves.”
Postecoglou remained optimistic about the team's performance, despite the disappointing result. “When we are creating the amount of chances we have, we should really be getting more than we have as a return. The positives are that our football is good and has been for three games. We just need the rewards for our football. What I do know is if we play like that, we will get our rewards.”
Tottenham winger Brennan Johnson, who played a key role in the second half, also shared his thoughts on the match. “Yeah, really disappointed. I think in the first half we were decent and created a few chances. Our general play wasn’t too bad. In the second half, we came out well and pushed them back. It's about doing what we can with the chances we created. We have to be more clinical,” Johnson said.
Johnson emphasised the responsibility the players have in improving their finishing: “I definitely think it's just responsibility on us guys. We are getting into good areas. It’s probably our final ball. It’s about creating the right chance. There were a few opportunities today where we could have shot and not passed, then others when we could have passed and not shot. It’s disappointing to concede in that manner too.”
Johnson also spoke about adapting to different attacking options and formations: “Nobody will complain about putting Sonny [Son Heung-min] up front because he can score an amazing amount of goals. I wouldn’t put it on that. There’s no excuses on that front. I think it's about adapting to what guys we have up front and creating the right chances.”
Despite the setback, Tottenham will look to bounce back in their upcoming matches after the international break, aiming to convert their promising play into more consistent results.
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