Eddie Howe has named his starting XI to take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League tonight as the Magpies go for their third successive win.
After defeating Man City and hammering Everton in the last week or so, Newcastle United are slowly but surely climbing the Premier League table and are growing in confidence.
Newcastle’s hopes of Champions League qualification are growing, too, and a win against Spurs will go a long way towards making that dream a reality.
We know Eddie Howe fears the threat Spurs pose, but history suggests Newcastle can get another win against the Lilywhites tonight.
Newcastle United’s confirmed XI to face Tottenham 📄
⚠️Bruno Guimaraes has been dropped, but is that the right decision?!
Injuries are hitting Newcastle hard. There’s also the matter of certain players, like Nick Pope and Anthony Gordon, being out of form. So, what do we think of the line-up Howe has gone with for the clash at St. James’ Park?
Eddie Howe makes controversial Lewis Miley call
One of the big questions ahead of tonight was whether Nick Pope would be available. Even if he was match fit, there’s also still the matter of deciding between the Newcastle number one and his rival, Aaron Ramsdale.
The latter played really well against Everton and deserves to keep his spot, but the fact that Pope is out for the next three weeks does make Howe’s decision a lot easier.
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In defence, Howe’s hand is forced really. With the likes of Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth, and Sven Botman out injured, the backline is fairly obvious. Malick Thiaw will be hoping he can add to his goal tally after that double against Everton, while Dan Burn is alongside him as expected.
Most importantly, both Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall start again. The two full-backs make Newcastle a better team whenever they play, and fans will be delighted to see them in the starting XI again tonight.
In our predicted XI for the Spurs game, we suggested Lewis Miley would step aside for Sandro Tonali. That’s despite Miley’s incredible coming-of-age performance against Everton, but we were wrong.
Interestingly, Howe has kept the youngster in the team, but it’s captain Bruno Guimaraes who drops to the bench. It will be fascinating to see if this risky call pays off.
Name the former Newcastle and Spurs player if you can…
Extra bonus points available if you can remember his thunderous goal against Man United ⚡
Out wide, Newcastle’s player of the month for November, Harvey Barnes is in the team again, while on the opposite side, it’s Jacob Murphy. Despite his strong showing against Everton, Anthony Elanga is back on the bench.
Anthony Gordon has dropped down the pecking order of late. After his performance against Marseille and his late but uneventful cameo against Everton, it’s no surprise to see him on the bench again, and this is surely a clear warning from Howe that he has simply not been good enough.
Finally, up top, Nick Woltemade leads the line. With Yoane Wissa still not ready to play and William Osula injured, too, there’s not much choice for Eddie Howe. Still, given the form Woltemade is in, you wouldn’t want anyone else starting in attack anyway.