Tottenham's debut under Roberto De Zerbi ended in a 3-0 defeat, and a heavily rotated lineup with five regulars missing raises questions about their cohesion. Newcastle, despite a 2-2 draw, showed attacking verve and will look to exploit their superb recent record at this…
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Sign inTottenham Hotspur welcome Newcastle United to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday for a Premier League matchday two showdown that pits a remodelled Spurs midfield against a Magpies side entering a new era under head coach Matthias Jaissle. Both clubs head into the London contest looking to build early-season momentum after significant summer upheaval.
The narrative is inescapable as former Newcastle trio Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon, and captain Bruno Guimaraes all departed St James’ Park for big-money moves over the summer, with Tonali and Guimaraes now wearing Tottenham colours after completing switches to north London. Gordon, meanwhile, joined Barcelona. Their presence in the home dressing room will add a layer of personal history to an already intriguing fixture.
Spurs begin life with a midfield unit that barely resembles last season’s engine room. Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes are expected to anchor the centre of the park, while Mateus Fernandes is also in contention despite nursing a slight pre-season issue. James Maddison is set to feature, potentially playing slightly wider alongside Conor Gallagher in an attack-minded setup.
Defensively, Micky van de Ven has overcome a minor knock to be available, but manager Ange Postecoglou is managing several fitness concerns. Destiny Udogie is dealing with his own fitness niggle, which should see new signing Andrew Robertson continue at left-back. Dominic Solanke has also had a disrupted pre-season, though Richarlison is available to lead the line, supported by Mathys Tel and Maddison.
Jaissle has inherited a squad significantly weakened by both departures and injuries. Joelinton is sidelined for “a couple of weeks” with a groin problem, while Valentino Livramento remains short of full fitness following a calf issue that saw him miss the World Cup. Fabian Schar is also nursing an injury that leaves his involvement in doubt.
The silver lining for Newcastle is the expected Premier League debut of summer signing Amar Dedic at right-back, with Jaissle stating, “He got some minutes in friendlies there, I am confident that he’s ready and we need him.” In goal, Lukas Hornicek is poised to start with Nick Pope frozen out amid speculation linking him with a move to Celtic. Aladji Bamba is also in line for his first league start in midfield.
Few subplots in the early Premier League season will carry as much personal weight as the sight of Guimaraes and Tonali lining up against their former club. Newcastle’s heartbeat for several campaigns, Guimaraes captained the side before his summer exit, and Tonali’s passing range was a rare bright spot before the upheaval began. Now they form the spine of a Spurs side desperate to reassert itself after a dismal 2025/26 campaign.
Jaissle will counter with a makeshift pairing featuring Bamba and Jacob Ramsey, supported by Sean Steur in a deeper role. The contest in central areas will be decisive: if Spurs’ new-look duo can dictate tempo, Tottenham will control proceedings; if Newcastle disrupt and transition quickly through the pace of Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes wide, the visitors can trouble a Spurs backline still bedding in Robertson and summer signing Jan Paul van Hecke.
After finishing 12th last season — their lowest placing since 2020/21 — Newcastle turned to Jaissle, who arrives from Al Ahli having won back-to-back AFC Champions League titles and previously earned a glowing reputation at Red Bull Salzburg. He is expected to deploy a 4-2-3-1 shape, with William Osula leading the line and Yoane Wissa operating centrally behind him. The Magpies’ recruitment has pivoted towards overseas markets, with Luka, Hornicek, Dedic, and Bamba all arriving in a summer of transition. Jaissle’s challenge is to forge a coherent unit quickly, with a daunting trip to an increasingly confident Tottenham his second competitive test.
A strong performance in north London would offer early evidence that a corner has been turned; another disjointed display would raise familiar questions about a squad in flux. Tottenham, beaten twice by Liverpool last season, will target this as a statement victory before a challenging run that sees them face several top-half sides in the opening month.
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