Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United

Injury-hit Newcastle United take a daunting trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to meet Tottenham Hotspur in a handsomely-looking Premier League fixture.

Problems continue to pile up for Ange Postecoglou following a dream managerial start at Tottenham, with his side squandering another early lead in a 2-1 home defeat to West Ham in midweek Premier League action. Things are getting out of hand for ‘Spurs,’ who became the first side in the Premier League era to go winless in five consecutive league matches despite breaking the deadlock on each occasion. Delivering action from the get-go, Postecoglou’s team did so within the opening 25 minutes, highlighting the potential for a quick-fire start. However, defensive woes have been Tottenham’s undoing in recent games, as they’ve conceded 13 goals in their last five. That’s particularly ominous knowing they take on a Newcastle side that defeated them in both top-flight H2Hs in 2022/24, including an infamous 6-1 battering at St James’ Park in April.

On the other hand, a substantial injury crisis took its toll on Newcastle in midweek as they fell to a 3-0 defeat at bottom-half Everton, surrendering a three-game unbeaten streak in all competitions (W2, D1). Newcastle’s travel sickness has been an enigma for manager Eddie Howe, with his side only winning once in their seven away league matches this season (D2, L4). To solve this puzzle, he must first address Newcastle’s defensive issues that have seen them concede 2+ goals on four consecutive Premier League travels (D2, L2) since a historic 8-0 win at rock-bottom Sheffield United in September. One could say North London has been a happy hunting ground for the ‘Magpies’ of late, considering they’ve only lost once in their last four top-flight H2Hs here (W2, D1).