Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to return to winning ways and curb the winning momentum of Newcastle United at home on Saturday.
The second half of the 2024/25 Premier League season starts this weekend with Gameweek 20. Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United will get us underway in the latest round of fixtures with the lunchtime kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
The dreaded “second season syndrome” has struck Ange Postecoglou, with Tottenham Hotspur struggling to embark on a long winning run. The North London giants have won only two of their last ten games across all competitions, with the latest setback coming in the 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.
On the other hand, Newcastle United have hit a purple patch that has helped them zoom through the Premier League standings. Things looked bleak for Eddie Howe and the Tyneside outfit after the 4-2 defeat to Brentford four weeks ago. However, since then, the Magpies have embarked on a five-game winning run. Four victories have come in the Premier League, taking them to fifth on the table.
The reverse fixture saw Newcastle United eke a narrow 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, with Alexander Isak scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Ange Postecoglou has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Tottenham Hotspur manager will be bereft of the services of eight first-team players vs Newcastle United on Saturday.
Destiny Udogie is the latest absentee after picking up a hamstring injury last weekend. The Italian full-back has joined Guglielmo Vicario (ankle), Micky van de Ven (hamstring), Cristian Romero (thigh), Ben Davies (hamstring), Mikey Moore (illness), Wilson Odobert (hamstring), and Richarlison (hamstring) on the sidelines, with most players recovering from thigh issues.
Meanwhile, Rodrigo Bentancur remains unavailable due to a ban. However, there is some respite, as Djed Spence has served a suspension and should replace Udogie as the left-back. Spence will join Pedro Porro, Archie Gray, and Radu Dragusin in the backline, with Fraser Forster taking his spot between the sticks.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Pape Matar Sarr, Dejan Kulusevski, and James Maddison, with the latter duo providing the creative impetus from the central areas. Finally, Dominic Solanke will spearhead the Tottenham attack against Newcastle United, with Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Forster; Porro, Gray, Dragusin, Spence; Kulusevski, Sarr, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son
Newcastle United
Like his counterpart in the Tottenham dugout, Eddie Howe has a new roster issue hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Newcastle United manager will be without six first-team players on Saturday.
Fabian Schar is the latest absentee, with the veteran defender serving a suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the 2024/25 Premier League season. The Swiss international has joined Nick Pope (knee), Sven Botman (match fitness), Jamaal Lascelles (knee), Emil Krafth (shoulder), and Callum Wilson (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Martin Dubravka will continue to deputise for Pope between the sticks, with Newcastle United lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. The backline should feature Valentino Livramento, Lloyd Kelly, Dan Burn, and Lewis Hall.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past the formidable trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Joelinton. Finally, Alexander Isak will lead the line for Newcastle United against Tottenham Hotspur, with Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Dubravka; Livramento, Kelly, Burn, Hall; Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Gordon
Key Stats
- Tottenham Hotspur have won two of their last three top-flight home games vs Newcastle United (L1). However, the Magpies have beaten the North London outfit in four of their five most recent Premier League meetings, suffering just one defeat.
- Tottenham have managed only one victory in their last seven Premier League outings (D2 L4). The Lilywhites are winless in five successive Premier League home games, drawing two and losing three, their worst run since they went eight without victory under Juande Ramos between March and October 2008.
- Newcastle United have won four successive Premier League games, scoring 13 goals and conceding none. However, Eddie Howe’s men have yet to win in four league trips to London this season, drawing 1-1 with Crystal Palace in November and losing at Fulham, Chelsea, and Brentford.
- Newcastle United have won their opening league match of the year only once in the last 12 seasons (D3 L8), a 1-0 victory at Stoke City on New Year’s Day 2018.
- Brennan Johnson has been directly involved in a goal in his last four Premier League home games, finding the back of the net twice and providing two assists.
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
While a team effort has contributed to Newcastle United’s recent winning run, Alexander Isak has been the driving force, inspiring positive performances from his teammates. The Swede was exceptional throughout 2025, scoring 25 top-flight goals, the most for the Magpies in a calendar year since Alan Shearer netted 27 times in 2002.
In addition, Isak has found the back of the net in six successive Premier League games, scoring eight times in that run. Newcastle United will hope the 25-year-old can continue his prolific run to help the away side beat Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Newcastle United
Newcastle United might feel a sense of familiarity heading into Saturday’s game, considering their opponents earlier this week were also in a similar run of form. That match was also an away outing for the Tyneside outfit, and the visitors will feel they can exploit Tottenham’s sketchy form this weekend.
While the home side should produce a better showing than Manchester United, the defensive issues will come to the fore again. That will enable Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon to pounce, although Dominic Solanke might pull one back for Tottenham. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Eddie Howe and his charges.
