Premier League: Tyneside’s Big Audition is Set for a Curtain-Raiser

Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur

Despite their woeful 2021/22 Premier League campaign so far, there’s been a wave of optimism around Newcastle United surrounding the future of the club.

However, they must focus at the task at hand first when they’ll host Tottenham at St. James Park this Sunday.

Newcastle United are in the dreaded relegation zone as of the moment, placing 19^th since they’ve yet to grab their first victory of the season.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are at eighth with 12 points. The Spurs have been struggling to find consistency and they are eager to start a new win streak similar to what they had at the start of this term.

Other than the notable players who are going to be featured this weekend, this fixture pits together two managers in different situations.

Nuno Espirito Santo is still trying to establish his footing at Tottenham while Steve Bruce, who has been with Newcastle since 2019, is fighting for his job.

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Premier League

Talking Points

Speculation looms over Steve Bruce and Newcastle United

Since the Premier League 2021 news broke about Saudi Arabia PIF’s takeover of Newcastle United, there’s been growing uncertainty regarding Steve Bruce’s future with the club.

Many are expecting that Bruce is going to get sacked sooner or later. And a number of managers have been linked with his job, including the likes of Lucien Favre, Frank Lampard, and Luis Campos – although these are merely rumours for now.

Either way, Steve Bruce is determined to show his new employers why he should be retained. However, he must produce positive results starting from his 1000^th game as manager.

Make no mistake about it, Steve Bruce is not the only one who’s under scrutiny as the players have to audition for their new bosses too.

From the outside looking in, Allan Saint-Maximin is the only one who makes sense to retain for the long haul given his oozing talent and upside at just 24 years old.

Miguel Almiron, who has been playing superb for Paraguay in international competitions, is also eager to prove his worth and he’ll rejoin Allan Saint-Maximin to try and provide goals for the Magpies.

Furthermore, Steve Bruce gets a lineup boost for this contest with the impending return of Callum Wilson, Jamaal Lascelles, and Jonjo Shelvey. But whether they can make instant impact remains to be seen.

Harry Kane still struggling at Tottenham

Harry Kane is ready for another Premier League match after his international break — Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane applauds fans after the match

Tottenham’s inconsistencies reared its ugly head these past few weeks since they’ve only won once in their last four, which is in stark contrast to their hot start this term.

The common theme in their losses against Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Arsenal is that they couldn’t buy goals when they need to.

Harry Kane may have scored six for Tottenham this season but he has yet to find the back of the net in the Premier League, which is unusual considering his calibre.

The England captain’s goal drought carried over to the most recent international break as he failed to score against Hungary and Andorra.

The three-time golden boot winner now finds himself in a predicament since his slump is damaging his transfer value, weakening his overall leverage.

Kane should eventually score for the Spurs here in the Premier League, but it’s going to be a matter of when and where.

History

The Premier League head-to-heads between Newcastle United and Tottenham have been neck-and-neck.

In their 52 games against each other in English top-flight, the Magpies and the Spurs have shared 22 wins each along with eight draws.

Two of those draws came from their two meetings last season as Tottenham couldn’t seal the deal with no thanks to late equalisers from Newcastle United in those occasions.

The Magpies’ home record against the Spurs is not good especially recently given that they’re winless in their last four home league games since 2016 (L3, D1).

However, Tottenham have lost their last two away league fixtures with an aggregate tally of 1-6. They have not conceded at least three goals in three straight Premier League road matches since April 2014.

Betting Tip

	Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur	Tottenham Hotspur Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 1.83
	October 17, 23:30 (GMT+8)

The SBOTOP Premier League 2021 odds are pointing to a close affair at St. James Park this weekend.

Tottenham are installed as the marginal favourites at 2.11, while Newcastle United are pegged to win at 3.40 and a draw is at 3.35 in the 1X2 market.

Despite the feel-good factor evident at Tyneside, it’s hard to see them turn around their fortunes immediately given their inferior team quality.

On the flip side, Tottenham cannot afford to be complacent at all and this is a fixture that is theirs to lose.