The North London side has been absolutely fantastic this season.  They have a resilient and cohesive football team filled with young players who have fast become success stories of the season. Mauricio Pochettino has slowly, but surely made an emphatic mark at proceedings at the club.
Tottenham come into the match with an emphatic 4-1 win over AS Monaco. Mauricio Pochettino has rotated his squad in Europe, but for the game against Newcastle, his training time would obviously have been limited.
Newcastle would have been boosted by their win over Liverpool last week and would hope to carry that confidence into this game. With Spurs possibly a little leggy after their Europa League clash with Monaco, Newcastle could hope to capitalize on the opportunity and use the win over Liverpool as a stepping stone to finally get out of the relegation zone and add to their one away victory.
Team News
Tottenham’s fitness has been brilliant this season and they only have Ryan Mason and Alex Pritchard missing from the match. Eric Dier was substituted in the last game which might have caused the fans some worry but he is expected to be fit to feature against Newcastle.
The Magpies on the other hand have plenty of injury issues within their squad but don’t have any new ones to deal with. Cheick Tiote and Rolando Aarons will be edging close to return but the Tottenham game will in all probability, be a little too soon for them.
Key Men
Moussa Dembele
Dembele, under Pochettino has slowly evolved from a fringe players who could have been sold on a few occasions, to an important first team player who has almost made himself indispensable putting in solid performances game after game. He has played in a variety of roles in the midfield, and has applied himself with determination anywhere he has been asked to play by his boss. In such a young side, the 28-year-old’s useful experience and leadership adds even more to the team.
Georginio Wijnaldum
Steve McClaren would have been thanking the Dutch star for his game changing performance against Liverpool as it looked as though a defeat in the game could be the end of the Englishman’s short spell in charge of the club. Wijnaldum has proved to be a quality signing for the Magpies. However, he still needs to become more consistent and against Tottenham he is the key player for Newcastle, and must take the responsibility seriously as the flashes of brilliance from him and superb performances need to come in a more consistent manner.
Prediction
Tottenham 2 Newcastle 0
Spurs are yet to lose since their opening day defeat against Manchester United and considering the form they’re in, it is difficult to envision anything but a win for the Lilywhites. On the other hand, while Newcastle must surely be boosted by their win over Liverpool, it will take a lot for them to break down the resilient Tottenham midfield and defence.
