Newcastle United's 'record breaker' and a Premier League leader – Liam Kennedy's SEVEN takeaways

Away day performances are rarely exhilarating under Steve Bruce, they weren’t all that much better at times before that either, but even by United’s standards Sunday’s was something quite remarkable.

Here’s Liam Kennedy’s seven takeaways from an utterly forgettable and equally memorable away day point at Spurs.

Callum Wilson = record breaker

Just three games into his Newcastle United career, summer signing Callum Wilson is a Newcastle United record breaker.

A tweet from stats people Opta reads: “96:20 - Since Opta began collecting exact Premier League goal times in 2006, Callum Wilson's penalty equaliser is the latest any side has scored with their first shot on target in a match in the competition. Grab.”

Wilson and Bruce’s Mags breaking records no one knew existed. Crazy times we live in.

Joelinton – best of a bad bunch?

Newcastle did not paint themselves in glory as an outfield unit and basically had Karl Darlow to thank for his heroics between the sticks, which allowed them to snatch a point from the jaws of defeat in the dying embers of the game.

But one player who looked much-improved was Joelinton. The Brazilian did a fantastic job for United out on the left.

Maybe it is too early to say the corner has been turned, but the signs are promising. I think.

Andy Carroll hunger for THAT goal

He missed a sitter last time out against Morecambe – but that doesn’t seem to have dampened Carroll’s want to bag another goal for United, almost a decade since his last.

Having won the penalty, the No7 wanted the ball to take the penalty, but for manager Bruce’s protestations on the touchline, calling for Wilson to be given the chance from the spot. Good call Bruce!

Isaac Hayden – an uncomfortable defender

I’ve no doubt, from time to time, against lower opposition, Isaac Hayden could quite easily drop into defence and do a decent job.

Against Son and Harry Kane that’s a big ask – and Hayden looked very uncomfortable in the centre of defence against Jose’s frontline.

It’s not an experiment I’m in a hurry to see again.

A player struggling to find his home

Matt Ritchie looks a little off the pace when played further forward now, turning back on himself at every opportunity – and against top opposition he doesn’t look anywhere near defensively aware enough to play in the backline. See Lucas Moura’s goal for evidence.

So what does the future hold for the wideman who almost left the club this summer?

He’s still a player with a cracking left boot and a top class attitude, but it’s hard to work out what his role will be moving forward, when he comes back from injury, anyway.

Murphy audition – did he blow it again?

After his sparkling display in the Carabao Cup, Jacob Murphy worked his way on to the Newcastle bench, and then the pitch in the second half against Spurs.

And sadly, as much as I wanted him to do well, he struggled, gifting possession away at regular intervals.

Still think he’s got a chance though. Let’s hope that confidence, a frailty in the past, is not knocked and he comes back stronger than ever in a likely starting spot on Wednesday.

Always believe in… Karl Darlow

Karl Darlow finds himself in exactly the same slot as Martin Dubravka did last season – top of the pile when it comes to most busy keepers in the Premier League.That is definitely not something we should be celebrating, or be proud of.

While that highlights United’s defensive fragility mainly, it does also show the positive start to the season the Magpies’ No2 has made.

He’s been a rock in goal for Newcastle this season, pushed all the way by the equally adept-looking Mark Gillespie, of Carabao Cup fame.

Everyone thought we’d be crying out for Dubravka back by now, but Darlow has done the business, so far anyway.

Sunday’s performance was akin to that of former United keeper Tim Krul’s at White Hart Lane a number of years ago – he was an immovable object, unbeatable for much of the encounter.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Shields Gazette website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here. Thank you.