James Maddison slammed Tottenham for being too cautious in their expensive loss to Newcastle United in the Premier League.

In a devastating defeat for Tottenham Hotspur, James Maddison expressed his disappointment, stating that the team lacked bravery in their 4-0 loss to Newcastle United.

Despite enjoying 73% possession, Spurs fell short in the shot column, with Newcastle leading 18-11. This defeat caused them to drop out of the top four, with only two attempts on target.

Tottenham’s downfall was largely self-inflicted, with Anthony Gordon capitalizing on Destiny Udogie’s mistake for the first goal. Just 95 seconds later, a poor pass from Pedro Porro set up the second goal. Micky van de Ven was beaten for each of the opening three scores. Although Spurs applied pressure, Alexander Isak’s second strike came from a single pass, leading to a one-on-one opportunity. Fabian Schar added the fourth goal from a late corner, leaving Tottenham completely deflated.

Reflecting on the match, Maddison admitted, “It was just a really bad day. We conceded the first goal, and when you concede a second so quickly after at a place like this, you give yourself a mountain to climb.” He believed that at 0-0, there were opportunities for Spurs to create chances, but the team played it safe and lacked the courage to take risks. Maddison emphasized that the sloppy details cost them, and they struggled from that point onwards.

While Alexander Isak shone for Newcastle, both Heung-Min Son and Maddison himself were ineffective for Tottenham. As a result of this defeat, Tottenham dropped below Aston Villa on goal difference, with the European reward for fifth place still uncertain.

Their upcoming matches against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Arsenal will be crucial, but they won’t take the field for another 15 days before the highly anticipated north London derby.