January 4. 14:30. London. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
English Premier League. Matchday 20
Tottenham (London) – Newcastle
Suspended: Rodrigo Bentancur – Fabian Schar
Injured: Richarlison, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Wilson Odobert, Guglielmo Vicario - Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier (both doubtful), Callum Wilson, Nick Pope, Jamaal Lascelles, Emil Krafth
Tottenham vs Newcastle: Betting Odds
The clash between Tottenham and Newcastle has gained a reputation in recent years as one of the most entertaining fixtures in the Premier League. The teams exchanged goals in nine of their last ten encounters, collectively netting 43 goals (an average of 4.3 per game). Ahead of their next meeting, all signs suggest that the "Spurs" and "Magpies" will once again delight fans (especially neutrals) with a high-scoring match.
Tottenham
For the first time since the 2008-2009 season, Tottenham ended the calendar year positioned in the lower half of the table. A last-minute equalizer from Wolverhampton (2-2 draw) not only cost Ange Postecoglou’s side two points but also extended their winless run to five consecutive home games in the Premier League. Such a prolonged streak without a victory at home hasn’t occurred since the 2008-2009 season, when it culminated in eight games and resulted in the sacking of Juande Ramos.
Ange Postecoglou's position at the club appeared quite secure not long ago. However, given the regular failures of the "Spurs", it would come as no surprise if the current head coach were to follow in Juande Ramos's footsteps. The upcoming two matches are sure to be crucial for the Australian, as they will greatly influence Tottenham's season success. In the first of these encounters, the "Spurs" will face a fellow contender for a Champions League spot (Newcastle), followed by the first semifinal clash of the League Cup just days later.
Unlike his predecessors, Postecoglou cannot rely on the individual brilliance of Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, who have previously single-handedly rescued matches for the "Spurs". The club's all-time leading scorer moved to Bayern Munich a year and a half ago, while Son seems to be experiencing a dip in form, attributed to age. In the last seven Premier League games, Son Heung-Min has only contributed four goal involvements, three of which came against a demoralized Southampton. In the previous round, the Korean missed a penalty, losing a duel to Wolverhampton goalkeeper Jose Sa.
The situation faced by Ange Postecoglou is further complicated by injury concerns. Almost all key defensive players, as well as first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, are sidelined. Even "first substitute" defender Ben Davies is ruled out due to injury.
Newcastle
The "Magpies", on the other hand, have found excellent form towards the end of the year. An impressive victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford (2-0) marked Eddie Howe’s men’s fifth consecutive win in the Premier League, propelling them to fifth place. Notably, in four of these matches, Newcastle managed to keep clean sheets – despite losing first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Alexander Isak is widely regarded as the symbol of Newcastle's December resurgence. The Swedish forward scored in each of the six Premier League matches the "Magpies" played during the first month of winter, finishing the year with 25 league goals – the second-highest total in the club's history behind the legendary Alan Shearer’s 27 goals. However, amidst Isak's prolific scoring, Sandro Tonali's contributions have been somewhat underrated. Newcastle started to thrive when Eddie Howe deployed the Italian in the "six" role. The "Magpies" have won five of seven matches where Tonali played from the outset, while the other two ended in draws. Introducing the Italian in the starting lineup has allowed Newcastle to mitigate the impact of Nick Pope's absence.
Tottenham vs Newcastle: Predicted Lineups
Tottenham vs Newcastle: Author's Prediction
Newcastle has won four of the last five encounters against Tottenham in the Premier League and has ample reasons to expect the continuation of this successful streak. The better form of Eddie Howe’s side, regular failures of the "Spurs", and the challenging injury situation for the hosts all contribute to the conclusion that the "Magpies" are favored in this matchup. My prediction is that "Newcastle" will not lose + total over (2.5).