Newcastle United will welcome Tottenham Hotspur to St. James’ Park on Sunday, looking to get back to winning ways.
Newcastle United were held to a draw against Bournemouth after a win over Southampton in their season opener, with Tottenham Hotspur their next opponent. The Magpies will be pushing for UEFA Champions League qualification, and they cannot afford to drop points in these games.
The fans will expect the players to make amends here, and it remains to be seen whether they can pick up a morale-boosting victory over their top four rivals. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur are coming into this game on the back of a comprehensive victory against Everton.
They will be full of confidence, and it remains to be seen whether they can build on that and grind out another positive result here. Both teams have the quality to pick up all three points here and this is likely to be a fascinating contest.
Team News and Tactics
Newcastle United
Newcastle United will be without a few players heading into this contest, and they will be without star defenders Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles because of their respective knee injuries. Fabian Schar is suspended, while Callum Wilson has a back injury.
The home side will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Nick Pope in goal. Valentino Livramento and Lewis Hall will start as the full-backs. The two players will look to contribute at both ends of the park. Lloyd Kelly will start in central defence alongside Dan Burn.
In the midfield unit, Bruno Guimaraes will look to control the tempo of the game and help out defensively. Sean Longstaff will be the defensive midfielder, and he will look to break up opposition attacks. Joelinton will start in the midfield three as well, and the Brazilian will look to add creativity and drive to the side. Alexander Isak will lead the line for Newcastle United, with Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Livramento, Burn, Kelly, Hall; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Gordon
Tottenham Hotspur
Dominic Solanke misses out with an ankle injury, and Richarlison is unavailable due to a knock as well. Tottenham are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Newcastle United, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal.
Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie will start as the full-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Cristian Romero will start alongside Micky van de Ven at the heart of the defence.
Yves Bissouma is likely to start alongside Pape Matar Sarr in the midfield double pivot. The two players will look to add defensive cover and work rate to the side. James Maddison will start in the central attacking midfield role, and he will look to carve out opportunities for his teammates in the final third with his passing and vision.
Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. Son Heung-min will lead the line for the home team in the absence of Solanke.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Odobert; Son
Key Stats
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 26 of Tottenham‘s last 31 games (Premier League).
- Newcastle United have won four of the last six matches against Tottenham.
- 27 goals have been scored in the last six matches between Newcastle United and Tottenham.
- Both teams have scored in five of the last six matches between Newcastle United and Tottenham.
- Tottenham are winless in four of the last five matches against Newcastle United.
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
Newcastle United have an impressive record against Tottenham, and they will look to pick up all three points here. They will certainly fancy their chances against the North London club and they need their star striker Alexander Isak to step up.
The Swedish international is more than just a goalscorer, and he will help carve out goalscoring opportunities as well. He is our key player to watch out for, and it remains to be seen whether he can open up the Tottenham defence with his creativity and clinical finishing.
Prediction
Newcastle United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Both teams are quite evenly matched, and this is likely to be a close contest. Even though Newcastle United have a better head to head record against Tottenham in recent years, this is likely to be a tough game for both teams. It would not be a surprise if they ended up cancelling each out. A draw seems like the most probable result here.
