Soccer-Rampant Newcastle hit Tottenham for six to go third

Soccer Football - Premier League - Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - April 23, 2023 Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane reacts after Newcastle United's Callum Wilson scores their sixth goal REUTERS/Scott Heppell

NEWCASTLE, England (Reuters) -Newcastle United obliterated Premier League top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur with a five-goal salvo in the opening 21 minutes on the way to a 6-1 rout at a rocking St James' Park on Sunday.

A game billed as a crucial six-pointer in the race to secure Champions League qualification was effectively all over before the clock had reached 10 minutes as fifth-placed Tottenham collapsed like a pack of cards.