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Tottenham vs Newcastle: Prediction, kick-off time, team news, TV, live stream, h2h results, odds today

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Tottenham host Newcastle in their opening match of the New Year today, with the pressure on to secure a win.

Spurs have won just one of their last six games in the Premier League and were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw with Wolves last time out.

Ange Postecoglou’s brand of football continues to divide opinion and the injury crisis at the club cannot be overlooked, with an already depleted squad now also hit by a sickness bug.

All that means the visit of Eddie Howe’s high-flying Magpies is hugely unwelcome. After a slow start to the season, Newcastle have won their last five games across all competitions and have fresh eyes on Champions League qualification.

They cruised to a 2-0 win over Manchester United on Monday night and will feel confident about their trip to north London.

Tottenham vs Newcastle is scheduled for a 12:30pm GMT kick-off time today on Saturday January 4, 2025.

TV channel: Today’s game will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate. Coverage starts at 11am GMT.

Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers will also be able to watch the contest on a live stream online via the Discovery+ app and website.

Destiny Udogie is facing an injury lay-off of around six weeks after the hamstring issue he suffered during the draw with Wolves. Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Mikey Moore, Richarlison, Ben Davies and Wilson Odobert are all injured, though Djed Spence is back from a ban.

A virus has also hit the Spurs squad before the game, leaving the likes of third-choice goalkeeper Brandon Austin and young defender Alfie Dorrington on standby for potential first starts.

Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended again after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season last time out.

Newcastle will be without the suspended Fabian Schar. Kieran Trippier is fit to face his former club despite coming off against Manchester United, while Sven Botman could return to the squad for the first time this season.

Tottenham XI vs Newcastle: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup, injury latest today after sickness bug

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Depleted and struggling Spurs squad hit by illness before first Premier League game of 2025

Dan Kilpatrick @ Dan_KP54 seconds ago

Tottenham will have to make late calls on a number of players after their squad was hit by illness before today’s Premier League clash with Newcastle.

Destiny Udogie will miss the first game of 2025 as he begins a lay-off of around six weeks with the hamstring strain picked up against Wolves last weekend, with Djed Spence set to deputise at left-back after a suspension.

Guglielmo Vicario (foot), Ben Davies, Micky van de Ven (both hamstring) and Cristian Romero (quad) remain sidelined, so the rest of Ange Postecoglou's back five effectively picks itself, though concerns over a sickness bug affecting the squad could see third-choice goalkeeper Brandon Austin and young defender Alfie Dorrington handed first-ever starts.

Austin, 26, has been at Spurs for nine years but has never made a first-team appearance. His last competitive outing came for loan club Orlando City in Major League Soccer (MLS) back in 2021. Dorrington was a late substitute in the recent 5-0 win at Southampton for his first senior minutes for Spurs.

With Rodrigo Bentancur banned again, Yves Bissouma is expected to return at No6, with James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr likely to start in the twin No8 roles because they are both suspended for the midweek game against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

Dejan Kulusevski could move into the front three alongside Heung-min Son and Dominic Solanke, with Brennan Johnson, Lucas Bergvall and Timo Werner among Postecoglou's likely substitutes.

Richarlison (hamstring) and Mikey Moore (illness) are expected to return to the squad next week, while Wilson Odobert (hamstring) is a longer-term injury.

Selection headache: Ange Postecoglou is missing a number of key Tottenham players

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New signing Yang Min-hyeok is available after officially joining the club on January 1, although Postecoglou has said Spurs will give the 18-year-old time to adjust to English football.

Predicted Tottenham XI (4-3-3): Forster; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Bissouma, Sarr, Maddison; Kulusevski, Son, Solanke

Injured: Udogie, Vicario, Davies, Van de Ven, Romero, Richarlison, Moore, Odobert

Doubt: Forster

Suspended: Bentancur

Time and date: 12.30pm GMT on Saturday January 4, 2025

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

TV channel and live stream: TNT Sports

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Tottenham: Brandon Austin and Alfie Dorrington on standby as sickly Spurs prepare for Newcastle

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It is fitting of Tottenham's season that a rare free week without a match has somehow turned into another major selection headache for Ange Postecoglou.

The six-day gap between Spurs' 2-2 draw with Wolves last weekend and Saturday's early kick-off against Newcastle was supposed to be an opportunity for Postecoglou's squad to switch off and recover after a gruelling sequence of five games in 14 days – part of a run of mid-week matches stretching back to August.

Instead, after two days off at the start of the week, "several" Spurs players reported back to the club on Wednesday with a sickness bug, which is threatening to leave Postecoglou even shorter of numbers for Newcastle's visit – with eight already ruled out through injury and Rodrigo Bentancur suspended again.

"Fair to say I almost got involved in training yesterday, which is not a good thing," Postecoglou said at his Friday press conference, having also revealed that Destiny Udogie has joined the club's lengthy injury list for around six weeks after pulling up with a hamstring strain against Wolves.

Four of Spurs' first-choice back five are now sidelined, with Micky van de Ven (hamstring) and Cristian Romero (quad) not expected back until the end of January and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario (foot) tracking to be fit in late February. Ben Davies (hamstring) is also expected back at the end of this month, though Richarlison (hamstring) and Mikey Moore (virus) should be ready to feature against Liverpool or Tamworth next week.

Postecoglou said only "a few players" were ill but they are thought to include some of Spurs' remaining back five, leaving the likes of defender Alfie Dorrington, 19, and third-choice goalkeeper Brandon Austin on standby to face Newcastle, who have won five games on the spin.

James Maddison was not well enough to start against Wolves – though Postecoglou had "no problem" with the playmaker attending the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace that night – but the playmaker has trained this week, and is likely to start against the Magpies because he is suspended for Liverpool's visit on Wednesday.

Postecoglou said Spurs were assessing the ill players "hour by hour" but stressed that the situation has already "impacted training", sapping energy from those affected and limiting the impact of a clear week which had felt so important to Spurs' chances of an uptick in their poor form.

No wonder Postecoglou evoked Mario Balotelli when discussing his selection problems, though he characteristically refused to blame the club's summer recruitment for the state of his squad.

"Football is like life and you know how sometimes in life you get one thing go wrong and you get another thing later on, and you're doing nothing different, you're just going 'why is it always me at the moment?'," he said.

"That's just life and sometimes no one's at blame, no one's at fault, you know, it's just, we're going through a bad trot, but it is temporary, we'll get through it. We'll analyse areas we can improve in and move forward from there."

An in-form Newcastle would unlikely be top of Postecoglou's preferred opponents in Spurs' current state but if there is a reason for optimism for the Australian, it may come in the Magpies' own injury troubles last season.

Eddie Howe's squad was stretched to the limit by injuries and Champions League football last term and they lost nine of fifteen games between early November and mid-January – a run comparable to Spurs' six defeats in the last 13 matches.

The Toon, though, kept the faith in Howe and recovered to finish seventh after they crashed out of Europe and key players returned to fitness, while they are pushing for the top-four again this season.

"They had a ridiculous amount of injuries and I actually specifically mentioned Newcastle and how they have a ridiculous amount of injuries and it’s no wonder their form is suffering, but that’s a boring tale, mate," Postecoglou said, when asked if the situations were comparable.

"[But] people will still be outside with pitch forks and looking for heads, so let’s not take that narrative.

Tottenham XI vs Newcastle: Predicted lineup, confirmed team news and injury latest for Premier League

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Spurs camp hit by illness in build-up to Saturday’s game

Dan Kilpatrick @ Dan_KP1 minute ago

Ange Postecoglou will perform late checks on a number of players for Saturday's visit of Newcastle after an illness swept through the Tottenham squad this week.

Destiny Udogie will miss the game as he begins a lay-off of around six weeks with the hamstring strain picked up against Wolves last weekend, with Djed Spence set to deputise at left-back after a suspension.

Guglielmo Vicario (foot), Ben Davies, Micky van de Ven (both hamstring) and Cristian Romero (quad) remain sidelined, so the rest of Postecoglou's back five effectively picks itself.

With Rodrigo Bentancur banned, Yves Bissouma is expected to return at No6, with James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr likely to start in the twin No8 roles because they are both suspended for the mid-week game against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

Dejan Kulusevski could move into the front three alongside Heung-min Son and Dominic Solanke, with Brennan Johnson, Lucas Bergvall and Timo Werner among Postecoglou's likely substitutes.

Richarlison (hamstring) and Mikey Moore (illness) are expected to return to the squad next week, while Wilson Odobert (hamstring) is a longer-term injury.

Ange Postecoglou is missing a number of key Tottenham players

AFP via Getty Images

New signing Yang Min-hyeok is available after officially joining the club on January 1, although Postecoglou has said Spurs will give the 18-year-old time to adjust to English football.

Spurs predicted XI (4-3-3): Forster; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Bissouma, Sarr, Maddison; Kulusevski, Son, Solanke

Injured: Udogie, Vicario, Davies, Van de Ven, Romero, Richarlison, Moore, Odobert

Suspended: Bentancur

Time and date: 12.30pm GMT on Saturday 5 January 2025

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

TV channel and live stream: TNT Sports

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Tottenham squad hit by sickness bug before Newcastle clash

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Ange Postecoglou has confirmed a sickness bug has hit the Tottenham squad ahead of their Premier League clash with Newcastle.

Several players have been struck down by illness this week and have missed training.

Postecoglou has also confirmed when Spurs expect to have both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero back from injury.

Destiny Udogie is set to be sidelined for six weeks with the hamstring injury he suffered in the 2-2 draw with Wolves.

Postecoglou has also revealed Guglielmo Vicario is on course to return at the end of February.

“At this stage, Richy and Mikey Moore are the two next cabs off the rank, hopefully next week at some point,” said Postecoglou.

“Ben [Davies], Micky van de Ven, Romero all around the same time, the back end of January they're slated to return.

“Destiny obviously with his hamstring looks around the six-week mark for him missing.

“None of the injured ones are back yet, we've had a bit of an illness bug around the squad so a few were missing from training but we'll be alright.

“Vic? He's on schedule, he's still on the same sort of timeline,” said the Spurs head coach. “End of February was the initial prognosis and he's still on schedule.”

Udogie was injured at the start of the second half of the 2-2 draw with Wolves last weekend - his 22nd appearance of a congested season - and was replaced by forgotten man Sergio Reguilon.

Djed Spence, who was suspended against Wolves, is likely to come in at left-back for against Newcastle on Saturday, with Ben Davies still out with a hamstring problem of his own.

Udogie's injury is another hammer blow for Postecoglou, who has been without his first-choice centre-halves Romero and Van de Ven for most of winter.

Tottenham vs Newcastle: Prediction, kick-off time, TV, live stream, team news, h2h results, odds

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Tottenham are under major pressure ahead of their Premier League clash with Newcastle on Saturday.

Spurs have won just one of their last six games in the League and were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw with Wolves last time out.

Ange Postecoglou’s brand of football continues to divide opinion and the injury crisis at the club cannot be overlooked.

All that means the visit of Eddie Howe’s high-flying Magpies is hugely unwelcome. After a slow start to the season, Newcastle have won their last five games across all competitions and have fresh eyes on Champions League qualification.

They cruised to a 2-0 win over Manchester United on Monday and will feel confident about their trip to north London.

Tottenham vs Newcastle is scheduled for a 12.30pm GMT kick-off time on Saturday 4 January, 2025.

TV channel: The game will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate.

Live stream: Subscribers will be able to watch on a live stream via the Discovery+ app.

Destiny Udogie added to the injury problems at Spurs with what Postecoglou has confirmed is a hamstring injury. It means the Italian is unlikely to feature here, while all of Ben Davies, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison and Guglielmo Vicario are injured. Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended.

Newcastle will be without the suspended Fabian Schar, while Kieran Trippier came off during their win over Manchester United earlier this week. Sven Botman, however, is closing in on a comeback.

Tottenham player ratings vs Wolves: Kulusevski outstanding but Son penalty miss proves costly in draw

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Jorgen Strand Larsen scored a late equaliser to rescue a 2-2 draw for Wolves at Tottenham, extending the hosts' difficult run of form.

The substitute levelled in the 87th-minute after goals from Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson had put Spurs in front at the interval.

Hee-chan Hwang gave Wolves an early lead and Spurs captain Heung-min Son missed a penalty at 1-1, with Jose Sa making a smart save.

Well beaten by superb strikes by Hwang and Strand Larsen but might have been more convincing for Wolves’ equaliser. His kicking was mixed but he had the excuse of an apparent muscle tweak in the first half.

His corners were a constant threat, leading to Bentancur’s equaliser and a big chance for Radu Dragusin. Linked up well with Johnson and Kulusevski but Wolves had some joy when attacking down his flank.

Went close to scoring with a header from Porro’s corner and was solid in the air defensively. Allowed Strand Larsen to run behind him for Wolves’ leveller.

Growing in stature with every game. Put in a number of important challenges in another encouraging display.

Hobbled off at the start of the second half clutching his hamstring, potentially deepening Spurs’ injury crisis.

Struggled to get to grips with Matheus Cunha in the first half but tidy in possession.

Levelled the game with a thumping near post header and involved in the build up to Spurs’ second goal, driving forward with the ball from midfield. Booked for a reckless late challenge, which will rule him out of the Newcastle game next weekend.

Outstanding. Looked hellbent on ensuring Spurs went in ahead at the interval, creating the penalty and Johnson’s goal with some excellent work down the right. Unlucky not to score when he rounded Sa but Santiago Bueno got back to clear.

Took his goal coolly, playing a smart one-two with Kulusevski and finishing at the near post. Showed great desire to win the penalty after bursting onto the Swede’s pass.

His penalty miss reflected a lack of confidence and perhaps mental and physical fatigue. Struggled to get into the game and needs a rest.

His tireless pressing was eye-catching again and he created a great chance for Kulusevski to wrap up the game with a fine pass.

The Spaniard did OK on his first Premier League appearance for Spurs since April 2022. Kept it simple in possession, though his crossing was inconsistent.

Added energy to the left flank and flashed a dangerous ball across the six-yard box which only just evaded Solanke.

Twice squandered chances to win the game after Wolves’ late equaliser. Helped to give Spurs more control in midfield and his fresh legs were important.

Tottenham 2-2 Wolves: Jorgen Strand Larsen equalises late on as Spurs lose more key players

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Tottenham conceded a late goal to draw 2-2 at home with Wolves in the Premier League, a result that keeps the pressure on Ange Postecoglou in the process..

To compound matters, Spurs suffered a fresh injury blow when Destiny Udogie limped off with a suspected hamstring issue early in the second half to further deepen the well-documented crisis in defence, whilst Rodrigo Bentancur will miss the Newcastle United game through suspension.

Having conceded 13 goals in their last three home games across all competitions, Tottenham suffered the worst start possible as Wolves broke the deadlock after just seven minutes thanks to a well-worked set-piece routine.

Rayan Ait-Nouri rolled the ball to Hwang Hee-chan who escaped his marker to find the net with a fine finish and score for the second time in three days following his goal in the 2-0 win over Manchester United on Boxing Day.

However, Spurs’ response was immediate and from a set-piece of their own when Pedro Porro’s brilliant out-swinging cross was met by the head of Bentancur as he scored his first goal after serving a seven-match domestic suspension.

Whilst the visitors dominated possession for large parts of the first-half, it was the north London outfit who had the chance to go ahead before the break when Brennan Johnson was brought down in the box to win a penalty.

Although, Heung-min Son failed to make the most of the opportunity as his spot-kick was well saved by Jose Sa. But the Spurs captain’s blushes were spared moments later as Johnson completed the turnaround as he finished off a flowing move.

In truth, the second half was largely disrupted by injuries with Udogie limping off for Spurs and Wolves midfielder Andre requiring treatment before being replaced by Tommy Doyle.

The hosts did have chances to extend their lead but were punished with four minutes of normal time remaining as Jorgen Strand Larsen equalised with a fantastic finish to deny Tottenham all three points.

Tottenham XI vs Wolves: Dragusin in - Starting lineup, confirmed team news, injury latest for Premier League

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Ange Postecoglou boosted by fitness of defender for final game of 2024

Dan Kilpatrick @ Dan_KP1 minute ago

Radu Dragusin starts for Tottenham against Wolves.

Dragusin was a major doubt after he was forced off with an ankle injury in the defeat at Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW TOTTENHAM VS WOLVES LIVE!

But he has recovered in time for the final Spurs game of 2024 and his fitness is a major boost for Ange Postecoglou, whose defensive crisis has deepened after Ben Davies suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Dragusin and teenager Archie Gray continue at centre-back, with Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie as the full-backs with Djed Spence suspended.

Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski start in midfield.

Heung-min Son and Brennan Johnson flank Dominic Solanke in attack.

Bissouma replaces Pape Sarr and Porro returns in place of Spence in two changes from the 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.

James Maddison is on the bench again, as is youngster Callum Latif Olusesi.

Micky van de Ven (hamstring), Cristian Romero (quad), Guglielmo Vicario (foot), Wilson Odobert, Richarlison (both hamstring) and Mikey Moore (illness) remain sidelined.

Confirmed Spurs XI (4-3-3): Forster; Porro, Gray, Dragusin, Udogie; Bissouma, Bentancur, Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, Son

Subs: Austin, Reguilon, Dorrington, Sarr, Bergvall, Maddison, Olusesi, Werner, Lankshear

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