Tottenham Hotspur travel to northeast England, Tyneside specifically, to take on Newcastle United in what has been an interesting international break for the Geordies. Tottenham will be looking to build momentum after having snapped a horrible league losing streak against Aston Villa last time out.
Previous seasons would see Tottenham fully expect to take 3 points back home from this fixture. Looking at the table, this should be the case. Newcastle finds themselves winless in the 19th spot. The Geordies shouldn’t really have a chance, but Spurs have been a bit of a soft touch lately, so the result isn’t as cut and dry as you might think.
Tottenham vs Newcastle FYIs:
Kick-off time: 4.30 PM GMT, 17 October Sunday
Premier League Preview Podcast: go here
Team News: go here
Form Guide (All Competitions): Tottenham (LLWLW) Newcastle (DLDDL)
Let’s take a look at how Nuno Espirito Santo will have his Spurs side line up.
In goal, Hugo Lloris will be between the posts and be on a high after his goalkeeping exploits helped his nation, France, lift the UEFA Nations League trophy during the international break.
In defense, Spurs might suffer from the short turnaround from the South American fixtures. Cristian Romero is unlikely to play given it will be only 36 hours since Argentina’s last qualifier when this one kicks off. I expect Japhet Tanganga to line up at right full-back and Sergio Reguilon to line up at left-back.
In the heart of the defense, Davison Sanchez will probably start in place of the aforementioned Cristian Romero, with Eric Dier lining up alongside him.
In the center of the park, I think Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will be paired up as a defensive midfield duo. I’d like to see Dele Alli given a chance here in the role of the most advanced midfielder.
Tanguy Ndombele hasn’t convinced me since his move to North London, so I’d leave him on the bench for this one.
In attack, Son Heung-Min is a certainty to start on the left. Whether he deserves it or not, Harry Kane will lineup as the focal point in attack. On the right, I’d like to see what Bryan Gil has got to offer as a starter.
I’ll admit Lucas Moura is more likely to get the nod, however.
Predicted Tottenham Starting XI Against Newcastle (4-3-3):
Hugo Lloris, Japhet Tanganga, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, Sergio Reguilon, Oliver Skipp, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Delli Alli, Bryan Gil, Harry Kane, Heung-min Son