The victory temporarily lifts Mauricio Pochettino’s side up to second position in the Premier League and the relief was palpable when Son’s shot hit the back of the net in the 83rd minute to end a shut-out that threatened to deny the home side all three points.
Spurs dominated from start to finish, with Lucas Moura spurning a golden opportunity to open the scoring after 17 minutes, heading wide when he should have found the net. Moments later, Erik Lamela struck the woodwork with a header.
Newcastle ended a strong spell at the start of the second half and hit the woodwork themselves, with Salomon Rondon beating Hugo Lloris with a header across goal. But it was Son who broke the deadlock, squeezing a shot through Martin Dubravka, who should have made the save.