January 4. 2:30 p.m. London. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
English Premier League. 20th day
Tottenham (London) – Newcastle
Suspensions : 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 uncertain), Callum Wilson, Nick Pope, Jamaal Lascelles, Emil Krafth
Tottenham vs Newcastle : Cotes des Paris
The meeting between Tottenham and Newcastle has gained a reputation in recent years as one of the most entertaining matches in the Premier League. The teams have traded goals in nine of their last ten meetings, totaling 43 goals (an average of 4.3 per game). Ahead of their next clash, all signs suggest that the ‘Spurs’ and ‘Magpies’ will once again delight fans (especially neutral spectators) with a goal-rich match.
Tottenham
For the first time since the 2008–09 season, Tottenham finished the calendar year in the bottom 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 home win had not occurred since the 2008-09 season, when it culminated with eight games and led to the firing of Juande Ramos.
Ange Postecoglou’s position at the club seemed quite secure not so long ago. However, given the regular failures of the “Spurs”, it would not be surprising if the current head coach follows in the footsteps of Juande Ramos. The next two matches promise to be crucial for the Australian, as they will have a big influence on the success of Tottenham’s season. In the first of these clashes, the ‘Spurs’ will face a competitor for a place in the Champions League (Newcastle), followed by the first semi-final match of the League Cup a few days later.
Unlike his predecessors, Postecoglou cannot rely on the individual brilliance of Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, who previously saved matches for the ‘Spurs’. The club’s all-time top scorer joined Bayern Munich a year and a half ago, while Son appears to be experiencing a decline in form, attributed to age. In the last seven Premier League games, Son Heung-Min has contributed to just four goal actions, 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 facing Ange Postecoglou is complicated by injury problems. Almost all the key players in the defense, as well as starting goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, are away from the field. Even “first substitute” defender Ben Davies is out of action due to injury.
Newcastle
The “Magpies”, for their part, found excellent form towards the end of the year. An impressive victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford (2-0) marked Eddie Howe’s side’s fifth consecutive Premier League victory, propelling them to fifth place. Notably, in four of those matches, Newcastle managed to keep a clean sheet – despite losing their starting goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Alexander Isak is widely seen as the symbol of Newcastle’s December resurgence. The Swedish striker scored in each of the six Premier League matches played by the ‘Magpies’ during the first month of winter, ending the year with 25 league goals – the second highest total in the history of the club behind legend Alan Shearer’s 27 goals. However, amid Isak’s prolific goalscoring, Sandro Tonali’s contributions have been somewhat underappreciated. Newcastle began to flourish when Eddie Howe deployed the Italian in the ‘six’ role. The “Magpies” won five of the seven matches in which Tonali played from the start, while the other two ended in draws. The Italian’s introduction into the starting XI has allowed Newcastle to lessen the impact of Nick Pope’s absence.
Tottenham vs Newcastle: Compositions Prévues
Tottenham vs Newcastle: Author’s Prediction
Newcastle have won four of the last five meetings against Tottenham in the Premier League and have plenty of reasons to hope for a continuation of this successful run. The better form of Eddie Howe’s side, the regular failures of the ‘Spurs’, and the difficult injury situation for the hosts all contribute to the conclusion that the ‘Magpies’ are favorites in this clash. My prediction is that “Newcastle” will not lose + total above (2.5).
