Frank Hails Romero After Spurs Captain Rescues Dramatic Draw
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank didn’t hold back after Cristian Romero’s stunning late show salvaged a 2–2 draw at Newcastle, calling his captain’s performance a “top” display that mixed elite defending with match-saving brilliance.
Romero scored twice, including a stoppage-time overhead kick, to deny a Newcastle side that had looked in control for long stretches at St. James’ Park. And while Spurs remain winless in five Premier League matches, Frank insisted Romero’s leadership and mentality were the real headline.
A Captain’s Double That Changed Everything
Newcastle had spent most of the afternoon pressing for control, eventually breaking through in the 71st minute when Bruno Guimarães swept home after a wave of pressure. Seven minutes later, Romero dragged Spurs level with a powerful diving header from Mohammed Kudus’ looping cross, a finish Frank later described as “better than many strikers.”
But Tottenham’s resilience was tested again. Anthony Gordon restored Newcastle’s lead from the penalty spot after referee Tom Bramall was sent to the monitor for a clash between Rodrigo Bentancur and Dan Burn at a corner.
With Spurs facing another painful defeat, Romero produced a moment that will be replayed for weeks: a fifth-minute-of-stoppage-time bicycle kick that bounced through bodies and nestled perfectly into the far corner.
That goal, Frank said, was “hit with the shin, aiming for the bottom corner… the perfect bicycle kick.”
Why This Result Matters Now
Tottenham entered this fixture under serious pressure. Four games in 10 days, three of them away, had left the squad stretched and confidence fragile.
A fifth straight Premier League match without a win threatens to drag Spurs deeper into mid-table obscurity; they currently sit 11th.
But for Frank, this draw wasn’t about the league table. It was about character.
“I really liked the mentality after three tough games,” he said. “To go behind twice, at a place this difficult, and come back… it shows everything about the willingness in the team.”
Romero’s brace doesn’t erase Spurs’ broader issues—their inability to protect key moments, their fading attacking structure, or their reliance on individual brilliance. But it does offer something they’ve desperately lacked: belief.
The Controversial Penalty That Set Up the Drama
The match’s major flashpoint arrived at 1–1. Bentancur and Burn tangled at the back post as a corner dropped in, and VAR urged Bramall to rewatch the incident. The penalty was awarded, to the fury of the Spurs bench.
Frank didn’t hide his frustration afterward.
“For me, it’s never a penalty,” he said. “Even some from Newcastle don’t think it’s a penalty. The referee nailed it on the pitch—VAR should only intervene if it’s clear and obvious.”
His comments echo a growing frustration across the league about the threshold for VAR involvement. The decision also shifted momentum in a match where Tottenham was starting to gain control.
Newcastle’s View: Dominance Wasted by Defensive Errors
Eddie Howe saw the match from a very different lens.
For the Newcastle manager, this was a game his team had earned the right to win—and threw away through lapses at key moments.
“We’re hugely frustrated with ourselves,” Howe said. “We had to work so hard for our first goal. We were dominant, knocking on the door all the first half.”
Newcastle finished with more shots, more territory, and arguably more control. But two defensive breakdowns, both involving Romero, proved fatal.
“To concede the goals the way we did is hugely disappointing,” Howe added. “We pride ourselves on being better than that defensively.”
On the penalty, Howe offered a simple explanation: “The defender isn’t looking at the ball. He’s focused on Dan, and Dan goes down. I can see why it was given.”
What Comes Next?
For Tottenham, Romero’s heroics won’t mask wider issues. Spurs still haven’t tasted victory in the league since mid-October, and their defensive inconsistencies only deepen the concern.
But the Argentine captain’s performance, leadership, goals, and world-class finish give Frank something to build from as fixtures pile up and pressure mounts.
For Newcastle, this result may sting more than most. It was a match they controlled, at home, against a struggling opponent. Dropping two points in stoppage time raises questions about concentration and game management issues that have haunted them in earlier stretches of the season.
The next few weeks will reveal whether this was a turning point for Spurs or another warning sign for Howe’s men.
What’s certain is that Romero’s bicycle kick will linger far longer than the scoreline.