Tottenham welcome Newcastle United to London on Sunday and all eyes will be on manager Jose Mourinho to see what kind of team he goes with. Spurs continued their Europa League adventure yesterday with a 3-1 win over Macedonian side Shkendija.
Now their attention will turn back towards the Premier League as they look to build on last Sunday’s result against Southampton. Given that there are many more matches coming up, and the number of absentees, will we see a strong line-up here?
We should probably see a team quite similar to the one that beat Saints 5-2.
In goal, captain Hugo Lloris will be present. In the 4-2-3-1 that Mourinho likes to play, he will likely have Matt Doherty and Ben Davies as the full backs.
In the centre of defence, we will probably be seeing Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier. The latter has been particularly impressive this season and will look to continue his good form. With Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg missing Thursday’s game with an injury, it is unlikely that he will play on Sunday.
In his place, there could be a chance for Moussa Sissoko or Tanguy Ndombele. It will most likely be the former as he is defensively a little more solid. He will be partnered with Harry Winks who has played in both Premier League games so far.
The attacking trio in front of them will be key to unlocking the Newcastle defence.
The players being entrusted with this job will likely be Lucas Moura and Heung-min Son on the wings. Son in particular has been in tremendous form and has scored four goals in his last League game.
Between these two and playing behind the striker would be Giovani Lo Celso. Though there are other options like Dele Alli, Lo Celso suits the manager’s style of play a little better.
Up front, Harry Kane will return to the starting eleven after being left on the bench against Shkendija. The Englishman had a great game at Southampton where he contributed with four assists and a goal.
If he and Son can combine like they did last week, the Magpies will have their work cut out. Tottenham have an incredibly packed schedule right now, so they must make sure that every game counts.
Predicted Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI against Newcastle United (4-2-3-1):
Hugo Lloris, Matt Doherty, Ben Davies, Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez, Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko, Heung-min Son, Lucas Moura, Giovani Lo Celso, Harry Kane