Tottenham Hotspur will host injury-stricken Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon, aiming to earn their first win in six matches.
UEFA Champions League hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur and injury-stricken Newcastle United will both be aiming to make amends for their midweek defeats when they square off in Sunday’s Premier League showdown in North London.
After a brief spell in which they were dubbed as potential title challengers, scanning the rest of the Premier League from the summit after 10 games, the wheels seem to have fallen off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and they head into Sunday’s clash looking to snap a dreadful run of form.
They grabbed the lead for the ninth time in a row in midweek but failed to hold on for the fifth time on the spin, losing 2-1 at home to West Ham to make it Ange Postecoglou’s side with one point from 15 available. They now sit fifth, nine points behind leaders Arsenal, and just one point above their next opponents, Newcastle United, in seventh.
Newcastle United were also on the wrong end of a humbling as a revived Everton thrashed them 3-0 at Goodison Park. Following big wins over Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United recently and a full-blown injury crisis, tiredness clearly crept into the Newcastle side with few changes to the team being made.
While Kieran Trippier shoulders some blame for his individual errors, the entire team looked off the pace and must share responsibility, failing to create sufficient scoring opportunities at the opposite end of the pitch, warranting nothing from the game.
Still, the visitors’ overall form is better than Spurs, and Eddie Howe will fancy his side having a good chance to bounce back on Sunday after doing a league double over the Lilywhites last season, winning 2-1 away in October 2022 and 6-1 at home in April. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News and Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Ange Postecoglou has plenty of serious injury concerns that have contributed to their poor recent form. To make matters worse, star-man Son Heung-min limped off at the end during the defeat to West Ham, although he did play down the seriousness of the injury and could feature here.
Micky van de Ven (hamstring), James Maddison (ankle), and Rodrigo Bentancur (ankle) remain out injured, while fringe stars Manor Solomon, Ryan Sessegnon, and Ivan Perisic are among those also sidelined. The injury absences of Maddison and van de Ven in particular have caused major problems for Postecoglou, as Spurs have also completely lost the ability to defend a lead.
On the flip side, Pape Matar Sarr and Richarlison featured briefly against West Ham United, and the latter could even start upfront here, linking arms with talisman Son and Dejan Kulusevski in the final third.
Playing in his preferred No. 10 role, Giovani Lo Celso has stepped back onto the stage in recent games. The Argentine has offered a flair of creativity alongside productive movement on and off the ball, retaining possession but carrying the team forward with excellent ball progression.
Sarr’s return to fitness could see the Senegalese reform his partnership with Yves Bissouma, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg making way. Destiny Udogie is a guaranteed starter at left-back, while Pedro Porro should also keep Emerson Royal at bay on the opposite flank.
Cristian Romero marked his return from red-card suspension by scoring the opener in midweek and should partner Ben Davies in central defence as they look to protect goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario in between the sticks.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Davies, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Lo Celso, Richarlison; Son
Newcastle United
Much like their hosts, Newcastle United are dealing with a severe injury crisis that has threatened to derail their season. No. 1 goalkeeper Nick Pope joined that lengthy list of absentees when he dislocated his shoulder in last weekend’s 1-0 home win against Manchester United and now looks set to miss the remainder of the season.
Ten players are currently out injured for Newcastle, including usual starters such as Sven Botman, Matt Targett, and Sean Longstaff. Callum Wilson, Jacob Murphy, Dan Burn, Elliot Anderson, Joe Willock, and Harvey Barnes are also sidelined.
Sandro Tonali also remains out as he serves his betting ban until August 2024, with Eddie Howe operating with a very thin squad ahead of another trip to a top-four rival ahead of a critical clash with AC Milan in the Champions League next midweek.
There was further concern for Howe when club captain Jamaal Lascelles picked up a dead leg in Thursday’s defeat against Everton, while stand-in goalie Martin Dubravka took a couple of knocks to his back. Both should be available for the trip to North London.
Kieran Trippier managed two significant lapses in concentration to allow Everton’s first two goals in their 3-0 defeat at Goodison Park. Left-back Lewis Hall could very well get a look-in if Howe deems that Trippier requires a breather ahead of next Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League clash. Otherwise, there are no changes expected in the rest of the starting lineup.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Dubravka; Livramento, Lascelles, Schar, Hall; Joelinton, Guimaraes, Miley; Almiron, Isak, Gordon
Key Stats
- Tottenham are the first team to open the scoring in five successive Premier League games and win none of them (D1 L4).
- There have been 25 goals in the most recent five league fixtures between the two sides, with both teams scoring in the last seven times they have met.
- Eddie Howe’s side have won just one of their last nine matches on the road.
- The Magpies have only kept one clean sheet in seven league away games this term.
- Newcastle United are unbeaten in eight Premier League games in London since a 5-1 defeat at Tottenham in April 2022 (W4 D4).
Player to Watch
Giovani Lo Celso
Since being recalled to the side, Lo Celso has started and scored in two of Tottenham Hotspur’s last three matches. The former Real Betis midfielder took his opportunity with a stunning volley against Aston Villa from the edge of the box, continually pulling the strings during transition at the heart of Spurs’ midfield.
His form continued against Manchester City, highlighted by his well-placed curler, while also controlling the tempo of the game against West Ham. With Maddison out injured until January at the earliest, Spurs need Lo Celso to provide creativity in the final third.
Although he doesn’t create a plethora of clear-cut chances, his work in the transition has proved crucial for Spurs’ sparkling attack in recent matches, despite their patchy form.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Newcastle United
Tottenham again endured the ignominy of taking the lead yet failing to win for the fifth straight game in a row. Ange Postecoglou’s team have dropped a league-high 16 points from winning positions this season.
Carrying a lead over the line will no doubt be a rewarding moment for Ange Postecoglou. But Eddie Howe will surely set his team up to disrupt Tottenham on the counter. For that reason, the Hard Tackle predicts a share of honours at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. These two normally serve up a cracker, and goals could very well be on the cards this weekend.
