Spurs needed a reason to believe. Main character Cristian Romero gave them one – The Athletic
All season, Tottenham Hotspur fans have just wanted something to believe in. Something to buy into. Something to get behind. Anything to make them feel like Spurs are alive, fighting, rewarding their own commitment and passion with equal energy of their own.
And on Tuesday night at St James’ Park, it came to them in the form of the comic-book hero Cristian Romero.
Twice here, Tottenham were heading for defeat. Twice, they were rescued by Romero. First, 1-0 down with 12 minutes left, Romero threw himself into a diving header at the near post to turn in Mohammed Kudus’ cross, a goal of striker’s instinct, timing and athleticism. Thomas Frank thought it was his best goal of the night and from a technical perspective, it is hard to argue.
But then four minutes into stoppage time, with Spurs 2-1 down, Romero did something more surprising, more spectacular, more dramatic, ultimately more fantastical.
Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale punched Mathys Tel’s corner up into the air. Romero was down on the ground after colliding with Rodrigo Bentancur and Malick Thiaw. He leapt up and ran away from the goal, towards the path of the falling ball. He might have just headed the ball backwards, towards Richarlison or Kevin Danso.
But he leapt up and hit an overhead kick. The Newcastle defenders looked frozen in shock at something so audacious. Thiaw, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Nick Woltemade were rooted in place. The only thing moving was the ball, cutting through the four of them, rolling into the bottom corner.
It was the last thing you would expect from a centre-back, in stoppage time, with his team 2-1 down, with nine black and white shirts and Ramsdale between him and the goal. But then Romero is not an ordinary centre-back. He is not even an ordinary footballer.
There has always been something special about Romero. There is his uncompromising will to win, a fire that burns brighter in him than in almost any other player. There is his technical skill, not just in defending but in using the ball, darting forward passes through the opposition lines. There is physical aggression, putting his body on the line, and any other bodies that get in his way. And, at his best, there is an icy rationality, even on the biggest stages, in the biggest moments.
Put it all together and you might even call it “main character energy”. That is what Romero has shown throughout his career, from his two Copa America wins, to his integral role in the 2022 World Cup, to the way that he took control of the Europa League campaign, ending in glory in Bilbao six months ago. Spurs would never have lifted that trophy without Romero guiding them through, on and off the pitch.
Everyone looks on as Romero equalises for Spurs (Steve Welsh/PA Images via Getty Images)
Tottenham have been desperately lacking that individual force in recent years. Harry Kane left in 2023 and Son Heung-min this summer and neither man has been replaced. Romero — with a nod to Micky van de Ven — is the only Spurs player who could reasonably claim to be one of the world’s best in his position. And, like Van de Ven, but unlike anyone else at the club, he is an individual match-winner, someone who can imagine things and execute them, beyond the capacities of normal players.
And this was precisely the sort of night and performance when Spurs needed that individual magic. It has been a tough time recently. They have not won in the Premier League since October. Since the November international break, they lost 4-1 at Arsenal, 5-3 at Paris Saint-Germain, and then found themselves 2-0 down to Fulham after six minutes. The booing during and after that game pointed to a fanbase on edge, anxious about performances, and a team whose confidence was bruised.
Spurs came to Newcastle knowing that they would have to dig in and fight to get anything. It was not pretty — it has not been all season — but Tottenham slowly got a foothold in the game. What they did not have, what they have lacked all year, was quality or firepower in the final third. One Lucas Bergvall flick over the bar in the first half was as good as it got.
Sure enough, Spurs tired, gave up space, and went 1-0 down. But then Romero got them level, Spurs’ first shot on target of the game. They conceded a second to a very debatable VAR penalty decision, and then Romero got them level again, their second shot on target. Newcastle ended with seven.
The point itself is not to be sniffed at. Spurs lost their last three league games here. They lost 6-1 under Cristian Stellini in April 2023 and 4-0 under Ange Postecoglou that December. There were moments early on where it felt like they might get overwhelmed again by Newcastle’s physicality and momentum, but they clung on and rode it out.
But at this stage in the season, at this stage in the Frank project, there are more important things than a point here or a point there. What really counts are the intangibles. Do the players believe in what they are doing? Are the fans behind the new coach and the team? Are those bonds — between the fans, the players and the manager — strong enough to pull everyone together? No one who was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night could have been optimistic about any of that.
What Tottenham desperately needed was a moment, a spark, a bolt of lightning, just something to remind everyone that they are all in this shared enterprise together. Frank admitted afterwards that at moments like this, individuals taking responsibility can make all the difference. “We can set up everything nice tactically, good principles and all that, and that’s the foundation, and hopefully we can make a great team,” he said. “But sometimes it’s decisive actions from key players. And Cuti definitely did that today.”
The real challenge is to turn this from one good moment into something Spurs can build on. They need to hope that the bright light of Romero’s heroics in Newcastle can guide them further down the road, starting with Brentford on Saturday.
