By Ian King
Two sides heading in reverse instructions?
Spurs enter the brand new 12 months with their Premier League season already working out of fuel. They’ve solely gained as soon as within the League since beating Manchester Metropolis six weeks in the past and there have been few indicators of enchancment of their final match, with yet one more two factors dropped from a successful place in opposition to Wolves.
Newcastle, in the meantime, have lately recovered their poise after an underwhelming autumn, throughout which they gained simply two of 11 League matches. They arrive in North London having gained their final 4 in a row, having scored 13 objectives and conceded none in anyway.
Historical past suggests a aim fest!
Traditionally talking, when these two meet there are usually objectives and large wins. Their final eight conferences have introduced 37 of them, together with 6-1 and 4-0 wins for Newcastle and 5-1 and 4-1 wins for Spurs. Spurs supporters with longer reminiscences might shudder on the reminiscence of a 7-1 defeat at St James’ Park in December 1996, a 6-1 defeat there within the FA Cup in 1999 or their 5-1 loss there in Might 2016.
Key gamers
As with another golf equipment, Spurs’ 2024/25 has to this point been partly outlined by who’s been absent slightly than who’s been match. There haven’t been too many brilliant spots, however the performances of Dejan Kulusevski have turn out to be more and more essential to them.
Alexander Isak is the shape participant for Newcastle, having scored six objectives of their latest four-game successful run, together with a hat-trick at Ipswich and their opening aim at Previous Trafford on Monday evening. However the provide line is equally essential; Jacob Murphy, Bruno Guimarães and Anthony Gordon have 14 assists between them to this point this season.
Staff Information
Future Udogie is the most recent identify to be added to the Spurs harm checklist. He has a hamstring harm, whereas Ben Davies, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison and Guglielmo Vicario stay injured, and Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended.
For Newcastle, Fabian Schär is suspended after choosing up one other yellow card in opposition to Manchester United (Lloyd Kelly is prone to exchange him), whereas Kieran Trippier was withdrawn and is uncertain. Sven Botman is known to be near returning, however Callum Wilson, Emil Krafth and Jamaal Lascelles all stay injured.
Prediction
Considerably surprisingly, Spurs’ latest 6-3 defeat in opposition to Liverpool was the primary time they’d misplaced a league match by greater than a single aim this season. Couple that with them being the second-highest goalscorers within the Premier League and their place going into this match may not fairly be as hopeless because it at first seems.
However in latest weeks Newcastle have discovered the much-cherished equilibrium of scoring a variety of objectives whereas conceding only a few, and contemplating the darkish clouds which have settled over the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium of late and that historical past of huge wins, a 3-0 Newcastle win would solely flip the warmth up additional beneath Ange Postecoglou.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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