Newcastle United secured an impressive 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon. Despite a lack of action in the transfer window from Eddie Howe, the Magpies have claimed seven points from nine in the Premier League along with reaching the next round of the EFL Cup.

This victory over Spurs will surely give the Club a major confidence boost heading into the international break. Maybe Howe will be able to take the Club back into Europe with the players he has at his disposal after all.

Alexander Isak and Harvey Barnes were the goalscorers, with both players shining during the match.

Alexander Isak and Harvey Barnes’ statistics vs Tottenham

Barnes scored the opener with just eight minutes left of the first half and the winger was lively throughout his time on the pitch.

Indeed, he managed two shots during the match while succeeding with 100% of his dribbles and winning 100% of his ground duels against Spurs.

Barnes managed just 23 matches last term due to injury issues, but he still scored five times. If he remains fit, there is no doubting his importance this season.

Isak will also be key if Howe wants his side to get back into the Champions League group stages via their league performance this season.

The Swede scored his first goal of 2023/24 against the North Londoners on the weekend, which will hopefully be the catalyst for many more over the next few months. It was a simple one, latching onto Jacob Murphy’s selfless pass that took Guglielmo Vicario out of the game.

It was a strike that turned out to be the winner with just 12 minutes to go but that wasn’t the only thing he did right, attempting three shots during the match as well as succeeding with one of his three dribble attempts.

Like Barnes, Isak will be key to any success Newcastle go on to have this term, but there was an underrated hero for the Club against Spurs.

Valentino Livramento’s game in numbers vs Spurs

Barnes and Isak may have got the goals which carried the team to a crucial three points, but the right-back shone against Spurs, fully demonstrating why he’s been named in the recent England squad by Lee Carsley.

He was given a match rating of 9/10 by the Chronicle for his display, with journalist Lee Ryder claiming he delivered a ‘near immaculate’ performance during the match.

The praise didn’t stop there, as journalist Aaron Stokes lauded the defender for his fine display, saying that Livramento was “absolutely exceptional.”

The right-back made eight clearances and two tackles during the game while winning four of his seven duels and failing to be dribbled past once by an opposition player.

Going forward, Livramento succeeded with two of his three dribble attempts and made one key pass, proving he was keen on contributing at both ends of the pitch.

It was a stellar performance by the player, despite Newcastle as a whole not exactly lighting up St James’ Park during the game.

The international break comes at the perfect time for Howe. With seven points on the board, it has been a solid enough start for the Magpies.