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Newcastle United resume their race against relegation against Tottenham Hotspur as the Premier League returns after an International Break.
Two teams lock horns with two very different objectives up for stakes. Newcastle United, the home side, are placed 17th in the Premier League standings, and they are only two points adrift from the relegation zone. Tottenham Hotspur, on the contrary, are placed sixth in the table and are chasing a European slot. They are one point short of a Europa League spot and four points short of a Champions League spot for the 2021/22 season.
Newcastle United have had a colossal failure of sorts in the last few weeks. The side has lost its shape both tactically and technically in the business end of the season and are at the brink of relegation. The Magpies were placed 11th in the Premier League standings and just two points away from a Europa League spot at one point, but now they have crashed themselves all the way to the 17th place in the standings.
Steve Bruce’ men come into the Spurs fixture on the back of a 3-0 loss to relegation rivals Brighton and Hove Albion before the international break raised its curtains. Fulham and Newcastle United are all set for a titanic end to a spectacular relegation race. The Magpies simply have to garner regular wins on the road and at home to stay afloat in the top flight of England. They can no longer bank on the hopes of a final day win over Fulham as the gap is fast decreasing with matches being played in regular intervals.
Tottenham’s form has not been that good in the recent few weeks either. They faced a horror Europa League exit in the Round of 16 to Dinamo Zagreb and succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the North London Derby.
Jose Mourinho’s side comes into the fixture with a win over Aston Villa before the international break kicked in. With shattered European aspirations with a slow end to the Premier League, the Spurs faithful only have an EFL Cup final with Manchester City later in this month as a possible source to win silverware and dash Pep Guardiola’s hopes of a quadruple.
Spurs have won four of their last five league games and that will act as a confidence boost for Mourinho. The North London side will be looking to win the EFL Cup and finish fourth in the Premier League. Newcastle have lost five of their last six home Premier League fixtures with Tottenham including all of the three previous meetings between the two sides in Newcastle.
A win for Newcastle will take them 5 points clear of the relegation race above Fulham, while a Spurs win takes them to fourth in the standings if Chelsea do not win their games.
Players to look out for:
Harry Kane: The English striker is the leading goal-scorer of the current Premier League season. Kane has netted 17 goals and assisted 13 himself for Jose Mourinho’s side. Kane has played a primary striker throughout the league but can also drop down and help his team in recovering the ball in the middle areas. Kane’s unparalleled scoring rate will be a real threat for Newcastle as Spurs take them on in this fixture.
Carlos Vinicius: Vinicius has been misfiring ever since he has arrived from Benfica on loan. The Brazilian striker has just managed to find the back of the net on one occasion. However, the shaky defensive line-up of Newcastle United might be the perfect opening for the Brazilian to secure his spot up top in the formation and get some goals. Vinicius is very good on the ball but lacks finishing.
Giovani Lo Celso: The central midfielder from Argentina is the midfield general of Tottenham. He dictates the terms of possession for his side and earns back the ball. He has also scored once in the current season and created one goal. Celso’s vision on the ball to switch positions and allow other players to get through with gaps in the opposition defence, makes him a crucial part of Jose Mourinho’s plan.
Miguel Almiron: With the absence of Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson, the onus will be on the Paraguayan attacking midfielder to create, control and score for his side against Spurs. Almiron is primarily a central attacking midfielder but can also play as left and right-winger when required. Almiron has scored four goals and created one in the current football season.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United need a string of wins to secure a Champions League and Premier League berth respectively in the next season. The current form of both teams suggests that the game will go Tottenham’s way, but international break blues have often derailed the strongest of teams in the business end of the season and the Magpies will be banking on the same.
