Newcastle Tottenham Premier League action arrives this Saturday teatime as the Magpies make their first competitive away trip under Matthias Jaissle, heading to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a fixture loaded with subplots.
Top of the list: Sandro Tonali. The midfielder left St James’ Park in the summer to join Spurs in a £100m deal, and this will be his first meeting with Newcastle since that move. He is expected to feature, and if Jaissle hands new signing Nico Gonzalez a start, the midfield battle between the two could define the afternoon.
Newcastle Tottenham Premier League build-up: the numbers that matter
Newcastle arrive in north London with confidence after a promising start. A 2-2 draw with Liverpool at St James’ Park on the opening weekend was followed by a 3-2 home win over West Bromwich Albion in the Carabao Cup in midweek. The Magpies were seconds away from beating Liverpool before a late penalty denied them, but the mood in the camp is good.
Spurs, by contrast, come into this on the back of being well beaten by Brentford in their opening match. The Athletic reports that it is now the 21st Premier League home defeat for Spurs since August 2024, a figure that puts them joint-top of that unwanted table alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were relegated last term. That is a context Roberto De Zerbi and his squad cannot ignore.
There is a corresponding concern for Newcastle as well. According to The Athletic, the last time they won a Premier League game from 1-0 down was November 2024. Since that point they have lost 28 matches and drawn eight when conceding the first goal. It is a stat that underlines how much Jaissle’s side need to control the tempo early and avoid going behind.
Eight players out, and selection calls for Jaissle
Eight players are ruled out for the trip to north London. Newcastle United‘s absent list includes William Osula, which opens up a question at centre-forward. Nick Woltemade started against West Brom in midweek but did not exactly nail down his place with that performance, leaving Jaissle with a genuine decision to make about who leads the line.
The other big call is in midfield. Gonzalez is pushing for a debut, and with Tonali waiting on the other side, it would be a sharp introduction to Premier League life. Jaissle went quite strong against West Brom, so there may be a few adjustments to the starting XI here.
Spurs are also missing around four players of their own, so both managers are working with reduced squads heading into what is only the second round of Premier League fixtures.
De Zerbi sets the tone ahead of kick-off
The Spurs boss used his programme notes to acknowledge what Tottenham Hotspur are facing. ‘Under Matthias Jaissle, Newcastle are also under a period of transition but we know the qualities they will bring,’ he wrote. ‘We need to be ready for that from the first minute.’
It is a candid acknowledgement that Newcastle, even mid-rebuild, carry threat. The match odds going into kick-off had Spurs at 6/5, the draw at 27/10, and Newcastle at 2/1, reflecting how closely matched the two sides are at this early stage of the season.
For Newcastle, the priority is straightforward: get the first goal, hold the shape, and do not hand Tonali a platform. That stat about 28 losses after conceding first is the one the Jaissle camp will want buried by full-time.