Four things we learnt from Tottenham's 2-1 defeat to Newcastle

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Three defeats on the spin in the North East does not make for pretty reading for Ange Postecoglou's side.

Despite dominating proceedings, Spurs squandered countless of presentable opportunities and were punished for their wastefulness by Newcastle's proficiency in front of goal.

Harvey Barnes opened the scoring in the first period, with an instinctive half-volley that flew beyond the despairing reach of Guglielmo Vicario, to give the Magpies the advantage going into the break.

Tottenham came out after the interval with a renewed sense of endeavour and an onslaught of chances on Nick Pope's net ensued.

Eventually, Eddie Howe's defence succumbed to the pressure, with Dan Burn inadvertently smashing in Brennan Johnson's effort into his own goal.

The North London based club had a flurry of chances to grab the winner, but they themselves were undone with roughly ten minutes to go.

Jacob Murphy raced clear and squared the ball to Alexander Isak on a silver platter and the Swede had the simple task of rolling the sphere into the untended net.

Spurs attempted to restore parity again, but failed to test the makeshift Newcastle backline, which resulted in them making the trip back down to London empty-handed.

Postecoglou needs to turn their losses into learning, and here are some things we learnt.

Radu Dragusin is a man you can trust

Radu Dragusin was a surprise inclusion in the starting berth, after Micky van de Ven was ruled out due to injury. The Dutchman's pace and athleticism makes him a valuable asset, especially in this system, so his replacement had big shoes to fill.

Dragusin ended up being Spurs' best player on the day, with his last-ditch interventions preventing Newcastle from turning a slender win into a rout.

The Romanian offers different qualities to van de Ven, with Dragusin being blessed with more vigour and strength. That robustness was a necessity in dealing with the height that this Newcastle team possess, which makes them a threat from set-pieces.

With Tottenham's schedule being congested with Europa League and domestic fixtures, Dragusin will end up being called upon several times this campaign, which Postecoglou will not be afraid to do considering the attributes he provides.

Solanke's return cannot come soon enough

Tottenham made a statement this summer with the club record signing of Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth.

Many aspects were considered by Postecoglou and technical director Johan Lange when analysing forward options, but Solanke's fitness particularly stood out.

The 26-year-old is a tireless presser and his availability for his old side was crucial last campaign as he appeared in all 38 Premier League matches for the Cherries.

So, it is ironic that Solanke has already missed two of Spurs' opening three league games.

He was desperately missed by his new teammates on Sunday, as his stature and aerial ability would have been key against the low block of Newcastle.

They were crying out for a natural poacher to latch onto the countless of crosses being smashed across the six-yard-box, and if Solanke had been available it could've been a very different story at St. James' Park.

It doesn't help when the other natural striker in Tottenham's ranks, Richarlison, was also unavailable through injury.

Brennan Johnson does not get the praise he deserves

The Welshman regularly gets flung into the negative limelight after a defeat and has frequently been treated as a scapegoat since his arrival from Nottingham Forest last summer.

Johnson is a polarising figure amongst the Spurs fanbase, with many regarding him as a potential world beater one day whilst others consider him a weak point in the system.

In his first season at the club, the winger registered five goals and ten assists in the Premier League with Cole Palmer, Michael Olise and Bukayo Saka the only players under the age of 23 notching more goal involvements in English football's top flight.

The 23-year-old started the game on the substitute's bench, but his introduction into the fray at the interval sparked a change in his team's attacking impetus and completely changed the face of the game.

He terrorised Newcastle full back Lloyd Kelly on multiple occasions and it was his shot that forced the own goal that got Spurs back into the contest.

You never really know what you've got until it is gone, and the difference Johnson made on the pitch on Sunday proved that old adage.

Trust the process

Despite only collecting four points out of a possible nine, Tottenham fans should try to not let the disappointing results cloud their judgement.

Based on the statistics and performances, Spurs should have collected the maximum complement of points so far.

Whether it is down to a lack of potency, poor decision making or just simple lady luck going against them, Tottenham find themselves with an underwhelming points return after three games played.

But football is a fickle, fragile game and Postecoglou's and his players' fortunes can change in an instant.

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