Match Preview: Newcastle United v Spurs (after losing against the Cherries, at least we got an easy game, ha, ha!).

 

Match Preview: Newcastle United v Spurs (after losing against the Cherries, at least we got an easy game, ha, ha!).

I jest not, it seems we get humiliated against teams like Southampton, Bournemouth, Sheffield United (Cup), Wolves etc., and then go and beat the likes of City. Granted, we got hit by the Magpies at home… but that win or other results is all part of our topsy-turvy season. Who knows how the results will go this Sunday, or even against United at home (this coming Thursday).

Apart from everything else going on, we've just heard that Fabio Paratici had to resign. Managers come and go, and Directors of football are forced to resign… all in the life of one Daniel Levy's 22 years tenancy. Oh… should I also mention his solo achievement in 2008 when we won the magnificent League Cup? His crowning glory… that is on the field…

Concerning Paratici's resignation: Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that managing director of football Fabio Paratici has resigned immediately from his club position.

He was handed a 30-month suspension from the game in January after his former club Juventus, where he worked for 11 years, were found guilty by an Italian court of false alleged accounting. The ban was eventually extended throughout the world… another one bites the dust.

Anyway… moving swiftly on to our game against Newcastle…

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

Newcastle are vying to complete a league double against us for the first time since the 2015-16 season, in which the Magpies were relegated.

We have won six of our eight most recent top-flight matches at St James' Park (D1, L1), including a 3-2 victory last season.

We have scored in each of our past 16 fixtures away to Newcastle in all competitions since a 1-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat in March 2005.

Spurs…

We have lost five of six League matches this season against sides currently in the top four, except for a 1-0 home win against Manchester City on February 5.

We are winless in six away games since beating Preston 3-0 in the FA Cup on January 28 (D2, L4). It is our longest streak since an eight-match run from August to November 2019 at the end of Mauricio Pochettino's tenure.

We have scored a league-high 65% of our goals this season after half-time, though opponents Newcastle have conceded just 13 second-half Premier League goals, fewer than any other side.

We have not won a league match outside of London since beating Bournemouth 3-2 on October 29. Since then, we have taken two points from a possible 15 outside London, conceding 13 goals.

Harry Kane is two goals shy of matching Wayne Rooney's 208 Premier League goals, a figure bettered only by all-time top scorer Alan Shearer (260).

Kane has netted six Premier League goals at St James' Park - only Rooney, with nine, has a better record among visiting players.

This is a game that could make or break our Champions League ambitions.

We fell to an excruciating 3-2 loss to Bournemouth last weekend (at home), while the Magpies suffered a painful beating, going down 3-0 to Aston Villa.

 

Match preview

Newcastle…

Under Unai Emery, Aston Villa have been doing brilliantly, however, a few expected Newcastle to capitulate like they did in the West Midland. If we only had beaten Bournemouth. But we can't cry over spilt milk… but lift ourselves up, dust ourselves down, and prepare for this game.

Spurs…

The air of venomousness overwhelming our Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been apparent for several weeks. Still, our season debatably reached a low ebb during the visit of Bournemouth, who came out winners with a 3-2 scoreline in our Stadium this time around.

Arnaut Danjuma had seemingly rescued a point for us late on. Still, Dango Ouattara's 95th-minute winner sparked scenes of delirium for the away end and a familiar sense of doom and gloom for us faithful supporters.

To say that Cristian Stellini is facing an uphill task to galvanise our troops would be an understatement. Davinson Sanchez was booed by our fans before being sympathetically withdrawn. Our shambles of a week also saw Fabio Paratici resign from his role as sporting director in the wake of his failed appeal over a 30-month suspension.

Antonio Conte has just one win from his three games as acting head coach, who have both Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion breathing down our necks, and defeat at St James' Park would represent the most damaging blow yet to our Champions League hopes.

Only two of our last eight games in all tournaments have now ended in victory, and not since January have we won an away match; losing four and drawing two of our last six on the road during a terrible spell on our travels.

As for Newcastle, they came away from our Stadium with a 2-1 win back in October - ending a five-game winless run against us, who spoiled the Magpies' takeover party with a 3-2 success at St James' Park 18 months ago.

Newcastle United Premier League form:

WWWWWL

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

LWDDWL

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

DWDDWL

 

TEAM NEWS

Spurs…

The club will assess Clement Lenglet, who was forced off against Bournemouth.

If he is unavailable, the centre-back will likely be replaced by Davinson Sanchez or Japhet Tanganga.

Lucas Moura completes a three-game ban, while Emerson Royal, Ryan Sessegnon, Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma are still injured.

Ben Davies is back in training after recovering from a hamstring problem, but this game will probably come too soon for him.

My possible starting lineup:

Lloris; Porro, Romero, Dier, Perisic; Kulusevski, Hojbjerg, Skipp, Danjuma; Kane, Son

My Prediction…

Yes, we've got Harry Kane and Son, who is coming into form, however, that hasn't helped us recently.

As I said, It has been a strange old season for us, and I don't think we will get into the Champions League places on our current form. But do we deserve it?

Talking to fans, I feel like we are approaching this stage of the season where all our fans are hoping for is that Arsenic doesn't win the Premier League (City to win the League), but, for now, we still have a chance of making the top four.

Newcastle will take the game to us, and I can see it being quite open. I also think the Magpies will bounce back from their defeat by Aston Villa, and they know they can take a big step towards the Champions League themselves if they win this one. Nevertheless… I am going (hoping for) at least a draw… but a win would be nice.

Prediction: 2-2

Mel and I will be driving up on Sunday morning and probably be back sometime Monday morning. We leave my house at 6 am.

All the best,

COYS!

Glenn