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Tottenham Wage War With Buoyant Newcastle

The January transfer window is now behind us, and we can now start to focus on the important stuff: like actually getting back to playing on a week to week basis. The ruthless nature of the schedule means that even after the midweek chaos in which we saw some truly bizarre results, we’re going to be right back at it this weekend. With the season disappearing before our very eyes, it’s never been more crucial or important to start building up some momentum, which is something that both of these clubs are on the verge of doing in the next few weeks.

The game we’re going to be looking at today is Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United, which doesn’t seem as if it’s going to be quite as one sided as fans were initially expecting just a few short weeks ago. Both clubs have had their fair share of highs and lows throughout the course of the campaign so far, but there’s still a long way to go. The renewed unpredictability of this game is likely what’s going to make it one of the most intriguing to watch this weekend, in what should be one hell of an afternoon at Wembley.

Spurs are an incredibly hot and cold team and while it doesn’t look like they’re going to be lifting any silverware after all this season, we could end up being surprised. Mauricio Pochettino’s side aren’t going to give up without a fight in either the Premier League or the Champions League, and they’ve certainly got a squad capable of doing some seriously big things. Sure, they’ve had a few hiccups along the way, but as long as they don’t have the disruption of the stadium move to deal with before the end of the season, the path should be clear for them to kick on.

Newcastle, on the other hand, have had a very good week both on and off the pitch which is a pretty rare thing to say when it comes to the Magpies. In addition to securing their biggest win of the season last time out they’ve also managed to break their transfer record, which is no small accomplishment for a club like Newcastle. Under the guidance of Rafa Benitez it would seem as if their immediate future is brighter than it has been in a long time, and they’ll be aiming to make Spurs the next feather in their cap.

Tottenham’s last six game stretch has been a bit cagey to say the least, as they kicked things off with a narrow 1-0 triumph over Chelsea in the first leg of their Carabao Cup tie. They went on to lose 1-0 against Manchester United in another pretty tight encounter, with a 2-1 rebound win over Fulham soon following. In the second leg of their semi final against Chelsea they were unable to make their way into the final after losing on penalties, before being knocked out of the FA Cup too just a matter of days later. Then, in their last outing, they just about edged past Watford, getting themselves back on track ever so slightly.

Newcastle’s last six games have also been fairly unpredictable, starting off with their 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup. They then lost 2-1 to Chelsea in a pretty entertaining encounter, before seeing off the challenge of Blackburn in the replay of their cup tie. They followed that up with an impressive 3-0 performance against Cardiff, although they were then knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round by Watford. Alas, you could argue all of that means nothing, as their season really did turn a corner in the week with their unlikely victory over reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.

In terms of the head to head it’s unsurprisingly pretty close between these two clubs, both of whom are steeped in English football history. Tottenham lead 69-58 in the overall standings with 32 draws, with their first meeting taking place way back in February 1905. Their last encounter took place all the way back in August, when neither side really knew what was ahead for them over the next few months. Tottenham came out on top with a 2-1 win, setting them up for a solid start to the season.

Son Heung-Min returned to the first team against Watford and managed to net the equaliser, but he’ll be assessed after suffering from cramp. Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela will likely fight it out for a place in the starting XI, although the biggest absences of all are still Ben Davies, Dele Alli and Harry Kane. Trippier and Dier are expected to come into the fold, with Winks and Aurier being set to be dropped. Either way, though, they’ve got a formidable side that should be more than capable of registering the three points here.

Shelvey, Dummett and Diame are all hoping to recover in time for the trip, with some expecting Rafa Benitez to name the same starting line up from the win against Manchester City. With the addition of Miguel Almiron and Antonio Barreca, though, some have questioned whether or not they’d immediately come into the side – although it seems a little bit too early for that. They could well start on the bench and get a run out towards the end of the game, especially if it starts to look like the Magpies are in a little bit of trouble against the sometimes rampant Spurs.

Tottenham vs Newcastle Betting Prediction

We can see Newcastle flying out of the gates here, building off of the confidence that they’ve gained over the course of the last few weeks. We can actually see them taking the lead, too, but we aren’t expecting it to last all too long. Spurs will equalise before riding out the remainder of the first half, with Newcastle regaining some of their lost momentum after the interval. The game will twist and turn between both clubs which is always going to be an exciting prospect, but in the end, the home side are going to land the final blow.

They’ll score late in the day just as they did against Watford, securing all three points in the process. It may not be the prettiest of victories but it’s one they’ll desperately need, if only because the race for the top four is so unpredictable. Tottenham need to register a convincing performance sooner rather than later if they want to really push on towards an unlikely shot at the title, but for now, they’ll be happy enough to grind out wins. Then, when they’re back to full fitness, perhaps things will change for them.