Son Heung-min strikes late against Newcastle to send Spurs second

LONDON (Agencies): Son Heung-Min scored a late winner as Tottenham beat Newcastle 1-0 at Wembley to move ahead of Manchester City and into second place ahead of City’s home game against Arsenal on Sunday.

Just seven minutes remained when Son struck from the edge of the area, Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka allowing the shot to slip beyond him and into the net. The win means Tottenham have gone 29 Premier League games without a draw, beating Bolton’s previous record of 28 set in 2011. Spurs, who had returned to winning ways in their last home game against Watford, started on the front foot, Son and Christian Eriksen creating pressure down the left. Playmaker Eriksen almost put Son through with a glorious pass after five minutes, but Dubravka was quickly out to the edge of his area to gather.

The visitors were struggling to get any possession early on, Dubravka again in the action as he gathered a Moussa Sissoko cross before it took two Newcastle defenders to snuff out a Son run. But they showed their first glimpse of threat after 12 minutes, Sean Longstaff’s diagonal pass finding Salomon Rondon on the left before Kieran Trippier dealt with the danger.

Spurs should have led five minutes later, Lucas Moura powering a free header wide from close range after Erik Lamela’s cross. Eriksen blasted a shot against Newcastle defender Jamaal Lascelles, but after 23 minutes Spurs were within a whisker of breaking through as Lamela’s header hit the bar with Dubravka stranded.

On the half-hour, Rondon had a scuffed shot blocked by Eriksen after a swift Newcastle break saw the ball played low across the area, but back came Spurs and a Lamela corner was nodded over by Davinson Sanchez. Vertonghen’s shot was hacked away as Tottenham ended the half on the front foot, and Drubravka made a good low save to turn away Sissoko’s shot with no Spurs player on hand to put away the rebound.

Ayoze Perez twisted his way into the area but his attempt to find Rondon was cut out, and home frustrations grew when Eriksen’s free kick from a promising position was easily dealt with just before the break. Son won the first corner of the second half after Moura had flicked the ball to him inside a crowded penalty area, and from it Sanchez sent in a header that dropped just wide of the far post.

But after 52 minutes, Newcastle were even closer as Rondon headed against the post from De Andre Yedlin’s cross with Hugo Lloris beaten, and then the Spurs keeper held Matt Ritchie’s low drive. Home boss Mauricio Pochettino had seen enough and made a change, bringing striker Fernando Llorente on for Moura on the hour, and within five minutes his side were within a whisker of going in front, Eriksen’s flick cleared off the line by Fabian Schar.

Lloris made a fine save to claw a Perez shot away as the Magpies responded, the Spurs keeper then intercepting on the edge of his area as the same player looked to get through moments later. Spurs conjured another chance when Eriksen floated a superb pass into the area for Llorente, but the substitute drifted his header over.

With the game approaching its final 10 minutes Spurs made another change, Danny Rose on for Lamela, and they almost went ahead when Eriksen flicked goalwards from a corner but Ritchie cleared.

Newcastle brought on Kenedy for Christian Atsu, but with eight minutes remaining Spurs found their winner as Llorente chested the ball down and Son, from the edge of the area, fired in a shot that Dubravka failed to deal with. Rafa Benitez brought on new signing Antonio Barreca for Ritchie, Spurs scorer Son coming off soon afterwards to be replaced by Eric Dier.