Callum Wilson’s stoppage-time penalty earned Newcastle United a Premier League point at Tottenham Hotspur as the new handball law continued to cause controversy and confusion.
In a game dominated by Spurs, which saw Newcastle goalkeeper Karl Darlow make a string of fine saves and Son Heung-min hit the woodwork twice, the visitors snatched a 1-1 draw with their first shot on target.
Lucas Moura’s first league goal since December appeared to have put Jose Mourinho’s side on course for the win, but the Portuguese disappeared down the tunnel before full-time after Eric Dier was adjudged to have handled in the box.
Wilson made no mistake from 12 yards and Tottenham’s goalkeeper coach Nuno Santos was shown a red card by referee Peter Bankes for his protestations at the decision.
As Mourinho recalled his big-hitters, Dele Alli was once again conspicuous by his absence, while Gareth Bale – still nursing a knee injury – watched on from a directors’ box as he awaits his second debut as a Spurs player.
Newcastle won 7-0 against Morecambe in the Carabao Cup during the week, but they could have been on the receiving end of a similar thrashing were it not for Darlow, who almost single-handedly kept his side in the game in the first half.
Darlow was alert early, brilliantly pushing away Giovani Lo Celso’s free-kick before jumping to his feet and preventing Harry Kane turning home the rebound.
He made another fine save with less than nine minutes on the clock, this time getting a glove to Kane’s close-range header.
But there was nothing Darlow could do as Kane once again turned provider, the England captain laying on his fifth assist of the season as his low cross picked out Moura, who tucked home at the back post.
Newcastle were relying on their keeper to prevent the game running away from them and, immediately after the goal, Darlow was at it again, this time getting his fingertips to a curling Kane strike.
And, if it was not Darlow keeping out Tottenham, it was the frame of the goal as Son’s effort came back off a post with the hosts now well on top, while Dier should have done better with a free header soon after.
Son hit four at Southampton last weekend but was again denied by the woodwork as a shot before half-time cannoned against the crossbar.
Newcastle threatened the Spurs goal for the first time in the dying embers of the first half, Jonjo Shelvey angling a volley just wide.
Mourinho opted to replace Son at half-time as the South Korea international made way for Steven Bergwijn.
The contest continued in a similar vein to the opening 45 minutes, although Newcastle were having more joy in cutting out Tottenham attacks, even if they struggled to mount any telling ones of their own.
Erik Lamela replaced Moura in the closing stages and his free-kick from an acute angle was tipped over by Darlow.
It appeared as though Newcastle’s closest attempt to a dramatic late equaliser would be courtesy of a mix-up in the Tottenham defence as Ben Davies hammered a clearance straight into team-mate Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with the ball flashing wide of a post.
But, in added time, they were awarded a penalty as a header from substitute Andy Carroll struck the arm of Dier.
The lengthy check saw a potential offside against Carroll dismissed before the penalty was awarded, with Wilson calm enough to slam home the resulting spot-kick and earn the visitors a point.
Mourinho had already stormed from the touchline by then and the hosts’ fury at the decision resulted in Santos seeing red for his protests.