Football fans in Bangladesh were struck by an extraordinary sense of déjà vu when Cristian Romero scored a stunning bicycle-kick equaliser for Tottenham against Newcastle. The goal, arriving deep into stoppage time, mirrored Hamza Choudhury’s spectacular strike in Dhaka — a moment still fresh in the minds of Bangladeshi supporters.
Tottenham’s evening had begun poorly as Newcastle seized control early after halftime. Bruno Guimarães’ quick strike gave the Magpies a promising lead. Spurs, despite maintaining possession, struggled to break down the home defence. Their persistence finally paid off when Mohamed Kudus curled in a brilliant cross in the 78th minute. Romero, timing his leap perfectly, powered a header home to restore parity.
However, Tottenham’s defensive issues resurfaced, and Newcastle reclaimed the lead in the 86th minute. Spurs appeared to be heading towards a disappointing defeat until Romero stepped up again in spectacular fashion.
In the 95th minute, Tottenham won a corner. Newcastle’s defensive line faltered as the ball ricocheted chaotically inside the penalty area. Romero reacted with instinctive brilliance, leaping backward to execute an acrobatic bicycle kick that flew beyond the goalkeeper. The stadium fell silent as Spurs celebrated a remarkable escape.
The resemblance to Hamza Choudhury’s goal was impossible to ignore. Hamza’s bicycle kick for Bangladesh against Nepal had become a national talking point, not only for its beauty but for the fact that he scored twice to secure a 2-2 draw. Romero repeated the script almost exactly — two goals, a 2-2 draw, and a defender turning into an unexpected scorer.
Such goals are rare. Even legendary forwards like Ronaldo, Messi, and Ibrahimović have only scored a handful in their illustrious careers. For Romero, scoring his first in such dramatic fashion elevates the moment to one of the great Premier League highlights of the season.
Tottenham walked away with a valuable point, but the real story belonged to Romero — and the uncanny connection his goal created with football fans thousands of miles away in Bangladesh.
