Premier League Match Preview: Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur will travel north to St. James’ Park as they gear up to take on Newcastle United in Matchweek 36 of the 2019/20 Premier League on Wednesday evening.
Jose Mourinho’s side are currently eighth in the Premier League table, with 52 points from 35 matches. Given that the team is just three points shy of Wolves in sixth and two below seventh placed Sheffield United, there is still a chance for them to secure Europa League football next season, provided there are no slip-ups moving forward and other results go the Lilywhites’ way.
Newcastle United, on the other hand, are 13th in the standings. Safe from relegation and some way off from a top-half finish, the Magpies don’t have much to play for. However, Steve Bruce will want to end the season on a strong note and strengthen his case to stay as the manager at the club, ahead of the potential takeover.
Recent Form
Newcastle United
Newcastle United had been in quite good touch since the restart of the Premier League last month. The Magpies went without losing their first four league games post resumption, winning handsomely against Sheffield United and Bournemouth, while drawing against Aston Villa and West Ham United.
However, they were thrashed 5-0 by Manchester City last week, which was followed by a 2-1 defeat to Watford at the weekend.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham head into the game on the back of a hugely important 2-1 win over arch rivals Arsenal, with goals coming from Son Heung-min and Toby Alderweireld. In the six matches since the season resumed, Mourinho’s side have now picked up three victories (D2 L1) and are currently on a three-match unbeaten run.
Head-to-head
Newcastle United: 59 Tottenham Hotspur: 70 Draws: 32
The reverse fixture in August 2019, saw Tottenham suffer a shock 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United, with Joelinton scoring the only goal of the game. Prior to that, Spurs had won the last four meetings with the Magpies across all competitions.
Team News
Newcastle United
Bruce has a host of injury problems to contend with heading into the Tottenham game. Newcastle could be without as many as eight first-team players on Wednesday.
Isaac Hayden, Ciaran Clark, Sean Longstaff, Jamaal Lascelles all ruled out with injuries. Florian Lejeune and Andy Carroll are major doubts, while Allan Saint-Maximin will undergo a late fitness test to determine his availability. Finally on-loan Tottenham star Danny Rose will miss out as he is ineligible to play against his parent club.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham, on the other hand, have a fresh concern as Tanguy Ndombele could miss out after picking up an injury during training. Dele Alli and Juan Foyth continue to be sidelined, while Eric Dier remains suspended for the game. Serge Aurier is a doubt for the fixture, following the tragic incident of his brother’s death earlier in the week.
Predicted Lineups
Newcastle United
Martin Dubravka; DeAndre Yedlin, Emil Krafth, Fabian Schar, Federico Fernandez, Matt Ritchie; Almiron, Shelvey, Bentaleb, Saint-Maximin; Gayle
Tottenham Hotspur
Hugo Lloris; Japhet Tanganga, Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez, Ben Davies; Moussa Sissoko, Harry Winks; Lucas Moura, Giovani Lo Celso, Son Heung-min; Harry Kane
Players to Watch
Allan Saint-Maximin
While he is a fitness doubt for the game, given his importance to this Newcastle United side, even if he is not 100%, there is a good chance that Allan Saint-Maximin will feature against Tottenham.
The 23-year-old has made quite the impact since joining the Magpies last summer, scoring four goals and setting up seven more. Linked with a summer switch to Tottenham, the Frenchman will be looking to a make an impression on Spurs’ boss Jose Mourinho.
Lucas Moura
The 2019/20 campaign hasn’t been Lucas Moura’s best. He has managed a decent return of seven goals and three assists from 44 matches in all competitions. But the Brazilian hasn’t scored a goal in the Premier League since December, while he hasn’t assisted one since February.
More Tottenham Hotspur News
- Tottenham make enquiry for Lille ace Jonathan Ikone
- Manchester City join Tottenham in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg pursuit
- Tottenham Hotspur offer Chelsea star Willian a lucrative deal
The 27-year-old put in a hard-working performance against Arsenal last time out. However, it is time for him to step up and deliver the goods in front of goal in the business end of the season.
