Newcastle, England – In a dramatic Premier League encounter at St. James' Park on Tuesday night, Cristian Romero's stunning stoppage-time bicycle kick secured a 2-2 draw for Tottenham against Newcastle. The Argentine defender, returning from a one-match suspension, produced a captain's performance, twice pulling his team level to salvage a crucial point for under-pressure manager Thomas Frank.
Newcastle dominated the first half, with Joelinton striking the post. The deadlock was broken in the 71st minute when Bruno Guimaraes, a half-time substitute, curled a brilliant shot into the bottom corner after good work from Anthony Gordon.
Tottenham responded swiftly, with Romero heading in from a Mohammed Kudus cross in the 78th minute. However, Newcastle regained the lead in the 86th minute after a controversial penalty awarded for a shirt pull by Rodrigo Bentancur on Dan Burn. Gordon converted the spot-kick, sending Guglielmo Vicario the wrong way.
With the game deep into added time, Tottenham pushed for an equaliser. A corner was cleared only as far as Romero, who, from the edge of the box, connected with an overhead kick that found its way through a crowd of players and into the bottom corner of the net. The goal, scored in the 95th minute, sent the away fans into raptures and stunned the home crowd into silence.
The draw puts a halt to Tottenham's recent struggles, which included a 2-1 defeat to Fulham. Thomas Frank made four changes to the starting lineup, bringing in Romero, Brennan Johnson, Pape Matar Sarr, and Rodrigo Bentancur.
Despite the late drama, Frank acknowledged his team's struggles, particularly in the first half where they failed to register a shot on target. However, he praised Romero's leadership and the team's character to fight back twice from a losing position.
The result leaves Newcastle in a comfortable position, while Tottenham will look to build on this draw as they face Brentford next. Romero's brace, including the spectacular late equaliser, will undoubtedly be the talking point of the match, providing a much-needed boost for Tottenham and their manager.
