Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur

A closely-contested Premier League top-four race heats up as Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur lock horns in a high-stakes showdown.

Aston Villa ended Newcastle United’s formidable five-match winning Premier League streak abruptly last weekend with a thumping 3-0 win at Villa Park, putting the ‘Magpies’ at risk of losing back-to-back league games for the second time this season. The impending home return should put Newcastle’s fears at ease, considering they’ve only lost one of their 14 home league matches in 2022/23 (W8, D5). Eddie Howe’s men have won their last two top-flight outings at St James’ Park by an aggregate score of 4-1 and could make it three wins on the trot for the first time since October. Achieving that feat would see Newcastle complete their first league double over Tottenham since 2015/16 following a dramatic 2-1 triumph in the reverse fixture in London.

As for Tottenham, last weekend’s disappointing 3-2 home loss to bottom-half Bournemouth halted their four-match unbeaten league run (W2, D2) and threw a spanner in the works of their top-four bid. Though they trail fourth-placed Newcastle by three points, the ‘Magpies’ have a game in hand, highlighting the importance of extending their impressive five-match unbeaten streak at St James’ Park (W4, D1). Worryingly, though, Christian Stellini’s men have won none of their last four Premier League outings on the road (D2, L2), accounting for their worst away form in the top flight since 2019. Moreover, they’ve not won a league fixture outside London since October! Any success may require patience, with 65% of Tottenham’s Premier League goals this season arriving in the second half of play (37/57).