Alexander Isak scored a goal after Micky Van de Ven’s slip, as depicted in the Getty image. The pundit’s curse was evident at St. James’ Park on Saturday, with Rio Ferdinand being forced into an awkward backtrack just 45 minutes into the match between Newcastle United and Tottenham. He had praised the form of away center-back Micky van de Ven prior to the game but was proven wrong when Van de Ven slipped, allowing Isak to score the opening goal for Newcastle. Van de Ven’s mistake led to the second goal just 90 seconds later, scored by Anthony Gordon.
At halftime, presenter Lynsey Hipgrave called out Ferdinand for his earlier praise, to which he humorously replied, “Sometimes even Rolls Royce’s have technical issues!” However, he also criticized Van de Ven for his lack of composure during the match, emphasizing the need to slow down feet in defense to avoid such errors. The day went from bad to worse for Van de Ven and his team, as Isak scored again in the second half and Fabian Schar sealed the victory. This result negatively impacted Spurs’ aspirations for a top-four finish, dropping them to fifth place in the standings.
The defeat also saw Van de Ven’s team drop below Aston Villa on goal difference before their rivals played at Arsenal later that evening.