At the most elite level the difference between success and failure is fire power and so it was demonstrated on the northerly boundaries of our capital city. Spurs had Harry Kane and Son. Newcastle had neither.
Kane and Son have scored 37 goals between them so far this season (22-15). The whole of the United team that started have managed only 17, less than half that of the masters. Our centre-forward has a single goal to his credit, theirs has 22.
That is bad enough but when you're Deadly Duo are also Kings of the Assists, mighty takers AND makers, then the gulf in class becomes as wide as the Thames. United flattered all by taking the lead but then Son made the equaliser with a delicious whipped cross, Kane equalled his partner's audacity to create a sumptuous second, and Son scored their third. Game well and truly over.
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That Spurs went on to make it five was merely salt poured into a gaping wound as United reverted to the bad old days of defensive embarrassment. To underline what really occurred Harry Kane was picked as Man of the Match by Sky's Jamie Carragher even though for once he failed to score when his team notched five!
How do you stop such all round perfection? Apart from their goals Son has now a whopping 45 assists in the Premier League and Kane 40. Harry's first 20 assists took 211 matches, his next 20 just 63.
Batman and Robin devastated United during a second-half of total humiliation. Quite frankly the Magpies were battered. Yet if we talk about trophy winning (and after all our barren years that is certainly our yardstick) then incredibly for all the artillery Kane and Son possess they have failed to win a solitary trophy under the emblem of the cockerel.
That is how far United still have to go beyond Spurs to break through the glass ceiling. Without question a 5-1 scoreline is massive and the extent of the dismantling is underlined by the fact that before Son and Kane came into their obit Newcastle had never conceded more than once in any of their previous 11 league outings shipping only eight goals in that time.
All I can say is thank goodness Newcastle's run of four successive away matches is over. It has got progressively worse as time has evaporated. A terrific win at Southampton, robbed by referee and VAR at Chelsea, poor at Everton and undone by the last kick, and humiliation here.
An unbeaten run of nine matches has been replaced by three successive defeats. The only consolation is that little damage has been done in the relegation fight. There are now only eight games remaining and United have a nine point gap to third bottom which should be more than enough even if a Burnley victory over an Everton side embarrassing on the road come Wednesday night would eat into that cushion.
The Magpies, shredded after a supposedly morale lifting trip to the sun, must lick their considerable wounds and regroup for three successive home matches that now take on huge proportions. Three losses must turn into three wins - or at least two victories and a draw.
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