File photo dated 10-02-2019 of Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team escaped from the Etihad Stadium last weekend with a point after another dramatic match against Manchester City and now after eight days’ rest Spurs will go again against Steve Bruce’s side.
Mauricio Pochettino said of the geordies: “It’s going to be a very difficult opponent. They need to be start to win points, they’ll be tough.
“They have a new manager, new signings. All that is going to make them more focused and try to be compact.
“For us after a good result at City our trust and confidence is high and at the same point believing Newcastle will be tough. We have to beat them,” reports The Evening Chronicle.
On Sunday Spurs will be without club record signing Tanguy Ndombele for the visit of Newcastle.
The midfielder has a minor thigh injury and will miss out, along with Juan Foyth and Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring).
Son Heung-min is back from a three-game ban and Dele Alli has returned to training after a hamstring injury.
Newcastle striker Joelinton is fit. The £40million record signing limped out of the loss at Norwich with a hip problem but has returned to training and is available.
He could be joined by winger Allan Saint-Maximin – who missed the game at Carrow Road with a hamstring problem – and midfielder Christian Atsu, who has also resumed training after recovering from a knee issue.
However, full-back DeAndre Yedlin (groin), central defender Florian Lejeune (knee) and Dwight Gayle (hamstring) are still missing, while fellow striker Andy Carroll continues his quest for full match fitness.
Steve Bruce has taken the blame for Newcastle United’s slow start but suggested the situation has been “over sensationalised.”
Newcastle have started the season with back-to-back defeats, and Bruce is now the bookies’ favourite to be the first Premier League manager sacked.
Ahead of their meeting with Tottenham on Sunday, Bruce called for more calm over his side’s situation, though admitted results have to pick up soon.
The Sky Sports pundit has given his prediciton.
“Newcastle lacked ambition and togetherness against Norwich but you can’t just point the finger at Steve Bruce and say it’s because Rafa Benitez has gone, because they started slow last season too.
“It takes this team a bit of time to get going. Joelinton had no service at all and Miguel Almiron was the same.
“He is about pace and counter-attacking but couldn’t get in the game.
“I was not impressed with Newcastle, but I think Bruce will be working with them all week to say ‘this isn’t good enough, if we sit in and wait to get beaten then we will get beaten’.
“They need to have more ambition when they have the ball. The problem is I don’t see them getting enough of the ball to trouble Spurs.
“Spurs will be quite happy with the way they have started. They were lucky to get a draw against Manchester City but I think this will be a comfortable win.”
Provisional Tottenham squad: Lloris, Gazzaniga, Walker-Peters, Aurier, Dier, Alderwerield, Vertonghen, Sanchez, Rose, Dier, Winks, Sissoko, Wanyama, Lo Celso, Eriksen, Skipp, Son, Alli, Lamela, Nkoudou, Moura, Parrott.
Provisional Newcastle squad: Dubravka, Darlow, Manquillo, Krafth, Dummett, Fernandez, Schar, Lascelles, Clark, Shelvey, Hayden, S. Longstaff, Ki, Ritchie, Willems, Atsu, Almiron, Saint-Maximin, Joelinton, Muto.
