Ange Postecoglou hands Pape Matar Sarr the keys to drive his 100-mile-per-hour Tottenham car

FROM TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM — For the first time since October, Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur have tasted victory.

Spurs defeated Newcastle United 4-1 on Sunday evening, putting an end to a run of five matches without a win. The hosts played with the swagger and confidence of the injury-free side that won over neutrals during the season's first three months.

Despite last taking to the pitch three days ago and succumbing to a humbling 2-1 loss at home to West Ham United, Tottenham looked far fresher in mind and body against the Magpies.

Richarlison, finally back in full flight after groin surgery, looked as quick as he ever has in a Spurs shirt. 31-year-old Son Heung-min returned to the left wing and played with the pace and trickery of his younger years. Pedro Porro, Yves Bissouma, Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie and Brennan Johnson were all also in peak condition.

And then there was Pape Matar Sarr.

The 21-year-old was one of Tottenham's key performers in the late summer and early autumn, though cooled off a little prior to their recent run of dread and missed nearly three of those five matches with a knock.

His return to the starting lineup on Sunday coincided with an energetic Spurs performance, though this was in fact no coincidence. Sarr has almost literally grown into an all-seeing and all-covering approach — he's listed as 6ft1, but in motion gives the illusion of standing at closer to 6ft5.

It's a quality few midfielders have. Not many players in general are able to quicken the pace of the game on their own simply by virtue of running instead of passing. It's an antithesis of that famous scene from where Santiago Munez is taught the ball can travel faster than him.

In Sarr's absence, Tottenham bundled their