- Tottenham Hotspur have not won any of their last 2 home games against Newcastle.
- Tottenham Hotspur are unbeaten across their last 10 matches in all competitions (W5, D4, L1).
- Newcastle have failed to win 7 of their last 10 fixtures in all competitions (W3, D2, L5).
Spurs and Magpies to play out another thriller?
Spurs are the slight favourites at 2.0 for Saturday's clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the Magpies are coming up at a shade of odds at 3.3 and the draw at 3.7. With Newcasle winning two of the last three meetings (D1), we're going for the visitors in the Double Chance market at 3.3 as Tottenham have failed to beat Newcastle in their last two meetings, including a 1-2 defeat at home in the Premier League, six months ago.
Newcastle have struggled for form across their last 10 in all competitions (W3, D2, L5) and they come into this latest test at Tottenham on the back of a three-match losing run. The Magpies suffered a 1-2 home defeat to Bayer 04 Leverkusen in their penultimate European Group game before being beaten by Racing Club Strasbourg in a penalty shootout last Thursday.
Matthias Jaissle's men will come to face Tottenham set up to put the pressure on and run at their opponents. Newcastle's system is to press high and try to win the ball back in advanced positions, which suits Harvey Barnes' game more than most. The former Leicester City man is the main spark in the Newcastle ranks and has scored two of their six goals across the last five games, so he should make the most of the open nature of this fixture.
Spurs are unbeaten in 10 in all competitions (W5, D4, L1) and look to be the better equipped team to dominate this contest, particularly as Roberto De Zerbi's side have found an impressive balance between playing a possession-based game and being deadly in the transition. Spurs have drawn their last three games in a row and that includes a couple of 2-2 home draws with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Newcastle can keep it close
De Zerbi's team look to play a possession-based, positional game where they can dictate the flow of the contest and pick their moments to hit their opponents vertically into the half-spaces. This could be a chess match, with Spurs wanting to control it and Newcastle will try to disrupt and sprint.
We feel that the hosts have the edge, given their unbeaten home form of W3, D4 from seven and the true fortress feel about their stadium at the moment. But the visitors can keep it relatively close in North London, while the odds and the nature of Newcastle's play suggests that this will be an open contest, so we're taking Over 2.5 goals at 1.65 and Both Teams To Score at 1.57.
