'Naughty' Bruno Guimaraes & Newcastle United star banned after double injury boost - five things v Spurs

Newcastle United suffered another heavy away defeat as they were beaten 4-1 at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday evening - here are five talking points from the match.

No changes for Newcastle United once again

For the fifth match in 14 days, Eddie Howe opted to name the same outfield line-up for The Magpies. With a squad ravaged by injuries, the Newcastle boss' only change to his starting line-up has been forced with Martin Dubravka coming into the side following Nick Pope's dislocated shoulder.

The quick turnaround of matches, lack of players and quality of opposition always threatened to be Newcastle's undoing. As impressive as Howe's side have been in recent matches against Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, there's still been that undercurrent of inevitability about the last two games.

For a team that prides itself on its intensity, out-battling and outrunning rather than outsmarting the opposition, playing so many games in such a short period without any rotation always felt like a case of when rather than if it would take its toll. And that's how things have played out against Everton and Spurs with seven goals conceded and a general lack of conviction at either end of the pitch.

Sean Longstaff & Callum Wilson return

While the starting line-up was unchanged at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, there were two welcome returns on the bench with Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson back from injury. The pair got on for the final half-hour with the result effectively already decided following a goal from Destiny Udogie and a brace from Richarlison.

Howe suggested afterwards that neither player was ready to start the match for his side when explaining his decision to name the same starting line-up.

Howe said: "It would have been easy to say: 'You've got Callum and Sean, put them on the pitch.' But they're not 100% fit so I've got to be very careful with them.

"Everyone that I picked today wanted to play and felt able to play, no issues. Of course I understand the backlog of fatigue that can build. But we don't have an abundance of options."

Kieran Trippier handed one-match ban

A one-match Premier League ban always looked likely for Kieran Trippier following his fourth booking of the season against Chelsea last month. The 33-year-old - who has started every league game for The Magpies since the start of last season - would have to go six games without picking up a booking to avoid a suspension.

His fifth booking came in the 83rd minute for a foul on Dejan Kulusevski and will see him miss next Saturday's match against Fulham at St James' Park. It rounded off another tough away day for the England international, who was run ragged at times by Son Heung-Min.

The South Korean got the better of Trippier twice to set-up Spurs' opening two goals. The second goal scored by Richarlison was particularly awkward for Trippier as his wayward header fell to Son before a clumsy attempt of a challenge allowed the Spurs man to get a low cross into the box and make it 2-0.

After his mistakes at Everton on Thursday night, it was a far-from-ideal response from the England international. While he will still be available for the Champions League match against AC Milan, having a weekend off to reflect and recuperate could be a blessing in disguise for Trippier, who hasn't had any real break from football since returning from injury in May 2022.

How Trippier has been able to sustain such quality and consistency over an extended period at 33 is a testament to the world-class player he is in Howe's side. The past two matches have proven he is only human.

Tottenham Hotspur & Bruno Guimaraes potential red cards

Callum Wilson found himself at the centre of two controversial moments late in the day as he clashed with two Tottenham players. The Newcastle striker was fouled by Cristian Romero as he threatened to break through on goal.

Romero cynically stepped on Wilson's lower calf before following through with his left leg to trip the Magpies man over. The 25-year-old escaped with a yellow card but it could have been red, Howe deeming it a 'reckless' challenge afterwards.

"I don't want to see players sent off unless it's dangerous," Howe said. "It looked high and it looked reckless but I'm pleased that Callum seemed to not be affected by it." 

A straight red would have seen Romero handed a four-match ban having already been sent off once this season during a 4-1 defeat against Chelsea. But with the score 3-0 to Spurs at the time with 10 minutes of normal time remaining, the decision almost certainly wouldn't have impacted the final result.

In the aftermath of the foul, Bruno Guimaraes was fortunate to avoid punishment after he clashed with Yves Bissouma. The Brazilian head-to-head with the Spurs midfielder before pushing his head forward - an offence that could have resulted in a red card.

It's not the first time Guimaraes has been fortunate to avoid any repercussions for naughty acts of aggression this season. He will need to control his emotions better moving forward given his importance to The Magpies, who can't afford to lose him amid an injury crisis.

A Son Heung-Min penalty made it 4-0 to Spurs shortly afterwards before Joelinton pulled back a consolation in stoppage time. Afterwards, Wilson clashed with Spurs' Guglielmo Vicario regarding the goalkeeper's conduct during the closing stages of the match.

The big games keep coming

Consecutive defeats conceding seven goals in the process is not the ideal way to prepare for arguably Newcastle's biggest game of the season so far against AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday night (8pm kick-off). The Magpies must win at St James' Park in order to have a chance of progressing through to the last-16 while a draw would guarantee a spot in the Europa League come the new year.

Given all the hard work that went into Newcastle reaching the Champions League last season and the highs of the 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain, to fall at the earliest hurdle - albeit in a 'group of death' - would be somewhat underwhelming. Fortunately, Newcastle's home form is a stark contrast to their form on the road.

If they can match the levels of performance shown in recent wins over Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal then the Serie A side shouldn't be a problem. But injuries and the last two performances are cause for concern.