Tottenham 4-1 Newcastle: Spurs return to winning ways in style as Richarlison scores twice and Son scores one to leave Ange Postecoglou's side just three points off fourth place

It's the way of English football that when a man like Ange Postecoglou comes along and dares to do things a little differently, there are those who long for his downfall.

They had smelled his blood as darkness fell over north London yesterday and Postecoglou's Spurs side were faced with the prospect of losing for the fifth time in six games.

Had Spurs been beaten by Newcastle and the freefall had continued there would have been a crisis, more suggestions that Postecoglou's attacking football was simply too naive for the Premier League and that he had been discovered. English football is a cosmopolitan place, but it struggles with outsiders breaking the mold.

But the joy of the new boy's exit did not last long. Spurs lost their fifth in six not. They won and they won at a gallop. They beat a ragged, dispirited, exhausted Newcastle side with ease and with a style that said Angeball was back and had never really been away.

This was a hugely restorative evening for all involved at Spurs, who remained in fifth place with this emphatic win. Richarlison scored twice, but it was a win inspired by the ever-brilliant Heung-Min Son, who scored two goals and added another himself from the penalty spot.

Richarlison doubled Spurs' lead as Ange Postecoglou's men took the lead in the first half

It felt fitting that Son would be Postecoglou's savior. When Harry Kane left in the summer, Son became the leader of this team and its big player. When they needed him most, even though he had left the previous game against West Ham in pain with a back injury, Son stepped up.

And so, after a ten-match unbeaten start to the season, three Manager of the Month awards for Postecoglou and a fall accelerated by an apocalyptic home defeat to Chelsea, Tottenham are back on track.

The 4-1 result did not flatter Spurs. If anything, it flattered Newcastle, who go into Wednesday night's crucial Champions League match against AC Milan at St James's Park repeating the narrative that their players are empty-handed and their resources are stretched beyond the breaking point.

Newcastle started the same ten outfield players for the fifth game in fifteen days and if Eddie Howe deserves any sympathy for the length of his injured list, he will also understand that that sympathy will necessarily be limited by the fact that Newcastle are now the richest. club in the world.

The team they fielded in North London was worth around a quarter of a billion pounds. Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak alone formed a strike force worth almost £100 million. Under the circumstances, fielding two goalkeepers between the substitutes felt like a performative act that denied a promising young player a place on the bench.

Son was a persistent thorn in Newcastle's side and played a key role in the first two goals

Newcastle started the second half better, but Richarlison made it 3-0 against the run of play

Newcastle are no longer underdogs. They are part of a big-spending elite, which requires a change in mindset that they have not yet implemented. Complaining about injuries is a legitimate complaint when you are at Luton Town. If you are owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, that is not the case.

Howe's team should have taken the lead within ten minutes. Joelinton played a beautiful volley pass over the top of the Spurs defense into space for Gordon to run into.

Gordon drilled his cross to the back post, where it looked as if Ben Davies would have to turn the ball into his own net or Isak would get a tap-in.

Instead, Davies slid at full speed to get a light touch on the ball, and that was enough to deter Isak, who could only connect the ball from point-blank range. The Swedish striker put his hands on his head. Most Newcastle fans did too.

The Spurs struck back. Miguel Almiron hooked Cristian Romero's header off the line, Son's brilliant cross narrowly avoided the flying Richarlison at the near post and Brennan Johnson blasted a ball into the area just too far for the Brazilian striker. It felt like a home goal was coming.

It inevitably came from the brilliant Son. There were 20 minutes until half-time when Destiny Udogie played the ball wide of the South Korean striker and he squared Kieran Trippier, danced past him and whipped a low cross into the box. Udogie had continued his flight and turned him home from close range.

Spurs, no doubt haunted by the knowledge that they have surrendered a one-goal lead in each of their last five winless matches, should have been up two minutes later.

Johnson crossed to the back post where Pape Sarr, Richarlison and Son all lined up for the final hand.

Sarr got there first and dragged it wide. Give more hands on the head.

It was now end to end. Gordon fed Almiron, who should have scored but his shot hit too close to Guglielmo Vicario. Newcastle soon regretted their indiscretion as they were again tortured by Son.

Son finally had an own goal after converting a late penalty in Spurs' dominant win

Joelinton scored a consolation goal in injury time, but it was a miserable day for the visitors

Ange Postecoglou's men erased their recent woes to end a five-match winless run

Once again it was poor Trippier who was the fall guy. The English full-back, who had a torrid evening against Everton in midweek, could only half clear a long pass and it fell at Son's feet. Son ran towards Trippier again and pushed past him again. He pulled the ball back for Richarlison, who put the ball in the net. It was Richarlison's sixth goal for Spurs and the first he has scored with anything other than his head.

Richarlison scored again after an hour. Pedro Porro floated a beautiful ball over Jamaal Lascelles and Richarlison let it go over him before sliding it through the legs of Martin Dubravka and into the Newcastle net.

The match was now effectively over and Spurs began to play with even more freedom. Johnson hit the inside of the post with a rising drive and Son hit a shot across goal and just wide of Dubravka's left post. It threatened to end in defeat.

It became a defeat five minutes before the end when Son went around Dubravka and was taken down. The referee awarded a penalty and Son sent it low to the goalkeeper's right. Joelinton grabbed a consolation goal for Newcastle in extra time, but Spurs were back in style.