Newcastle v Tottenham Premier League Preview: Can Spurs End The Magpies 5-Game Unbeaten Run?

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Newcastle United play Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at St James’ Park on Sunday.

Joe Kinnear’s Magpies go into this clash on a 5-game unbeaten run, but only one win in this streak against Portsmouth 3-0 at Fratton Park last Sunday, with draws against Stoke City, Middlesbrough, Chelsea and Wigan Athletic. However, Newcastle are still in the relegation fight and find themselves just 1 point off the drop zone in 14th place in the Premier League and just ahead of Sunday’s opposition Tottenham by virtue of goals scored.

Spurs go into this game on the back of a 0-0 draw with Premiership Champions Manchester United last Saturday at White Hart Lane, but still find themselves in the wrong half of the table in 15th place. Redknapp’s side have only lost twice in the league since his arrival from Portsmouth, but both of those defeats against Everton and Fulham have come in their last 5 matches, with wins against West Ham United and struggling Blackburn Rovers completing their results for this 5-match sequence.

Newcastle will be without strikers Obafemi Martins (groin) and Alan Smith (achilles) along with Joey Barton (knee) and Ignacio Gonzalez (achilles), with Mark Viduka and Michael Owen expected to lead the attack.

Redknapp has a growing injury list at White Hart Lane, with Giovanni (ankle), Alan Hutton (metatarsal), Jonathan Woodgate (back), Darren Bent (virus) and Jermaine Jenas (calf) all ruled out of the trip to the North East. Ledley King is still struggling with a persistent knee injury and is a doubt, but Vedran Corluka and Roman Pavlyuchenko are available after being cup-tied for the UEFA clash with Spartak Moscow on Thursday.

Newcastle United: (from) Given, Coloccini, Enrique, Bassong, Taylor, Cacapa, Guthrie, Owen, Duff, Harper, N’Zogbia, Xisco, Geremi, Beye, Butt, Ameobi, Kadar, Edgar, Tozer, Viduka, LuaLua, Carroll, Donaldson, Ranger

Tottenham Hotspur: (from) Gomes, Bale, King, Gunter, Woodgate, Corluka, Bentley, Huddlestone, Zokora, Gilberto, Lennon, Modric, Pavlyuchenko, Campbell, Cesar, Stalteri, Boateng, Rocha, Taarabt, Dawson, Ghaly, O’Hara, Assou-Ekotto

West Ham v Tottenham Premier League Preview: Can The Hammers Continue Their Recent Form Against Spurs?

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West Ham United play, Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at Upton Park on Monday.

Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola was starting to come under pressure at Upton Park in his first managerial job. However, a spirited 0-0 draw against Liverpool on Monday night at Anfield, which was on the back of a 1-0 win against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light has turned things around for West Ham, who had not won in their previous seven Premier League games. West Ham, are just three points above Tottenham and with things so tight in the Premiership this season, will hope to collect all three points against their London rivals.

Spurs lost at White Hart Lane last week to Everton, which was the first loss at home under Harry Redknapp, having won all their other matches on their own patch since the former Portsmouth boss took over from Juande Ramos. However, despite having a good run of form before the defeat to the Toffees, Spurs are just out of the relegation spots on goal difference in 16th place in the Premier League. However, Tottenham did make it through to the semi-finals of the Carling Cup on Wednesday, when they beat Championship side Watford 2-1 at Vicarage Road. Roman Pavlyuchenko and Darren Bent bagged one apiece to send the North London club through, with Redknapp hoping for more of the same to fire Spurs up the table.

Zola is unable to call on Kieron Dyer (broken leg), Jonathan Spector (Thigh), Daniel Gabbidon (groin) and striker Dean Ashton (os Trigonum syndrome) for the visit of Tottenham. With Craig Bellamy, Carlton Cole David Di Michele and Diego Tristan all fighting to play upfront in a Hammers attack that has been misfiring recently.

Tottenham will be without Alan Hutton (metatarsal), Luka Modric (thigh) and summer signing Giovanni Dos Santos (ankle) for the trip across London to Upton park. Redknapp is likely to field his strongest side against the Hammers as the Spurs boss is only too aware of the tightness of the situation at the bottom of the table and the importance of staying in the Premier League to Tottenham.

“It's very hard to get out, you need a good run. We've had a good run, we've taken nearly two points a game,” Redknapp said earlier this week.

“Long term the most important thing for this club is the Premier League. That's the most important thing by far.”

West Ham United: (from) Green, Neill, Ilunga, Lopez, Parker, Bellamy, Etherington, Cole, Boa Morte, Upson, Noble, Mullins, Collins, Faubert, Behrami, Stokes, Lastuvka, Tristan, Davenport, Bowyer, Collison, Di Michele, Sears, Stech, Hines, Jeffery

Tottenham Hotspur: (from) Gomes, King, Woodgate, Corluka, Bale, Jenas, Bentley, Zokora, Lennon, Huddlestone, Bent, Pavlyuchenko, Cesar, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto,
Gunter, Campbell, Stalteri, Ghaly, Taarabt, Rocha, Boateng, O’Hara, Gilberto, Alnwick

Spurs v Blackburn Premiership Preview: Modric Out For Tottenham As Rovers Look To End 7-Game Winless Streak

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Tottenham Hotspur play, Paul Ince’s Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League at White Hart Lane on Sunday

Spurs will be full of confidence going into this clash with Blackburn, despite losing for the first time in seven games under new boss Harry Redknapp against Fulham at Craven Cottage last weekend. Tottenham are still in the relegation zone, but had won three out of the last four in the Premiership before the defeat to the Cottagers, with wins against Liverpool, Manchester City and Bolton and a draw against North London rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Redknapp will see this as a must win game against Rovers, who are just a point ahead of Tottenham in the table.

Ince will be hoping his Blackburn side can turn around a slump that has seen them take just 3 points out of a possible 21 in the last seven games, which has seen the North West club slide into the relegation zone. Rovers have not won since September, when they beat Newcastle United 2-1 at St James’ Park. Ince will be boosted by the fact that Blackburn have been better on their travels this season losing only twice compared with four times at Ewood Park, but will be happy to take anything away from White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Redknapp will be without his playmaker Luka Modric, who will be out for up to two weeks with a groin strain picked up against Fulham last weekend.

A statement on the club's official website read: “An MRI scan has revealed that Luka Modric has suffered a partially torn groin muscle. He was forced off with the injury at half-time in Saturday's match with Fulham and is expected to be sidelined for up to two weeks.”

While, Tottenham will also be without Giovanni Dos Santos (ankle) and Brazilian Gilberto (knee) for the visit of Blackburn. One selection dilemma for Redknapp is who to play up front, with Roman Pavlyuchenko, Darren Bent and Fraizer Campell, who was man-of the-match for the England Under-21 side in their win against the Czech Republic on Tuesday all in good goal-scoring form.

Blackburn will be without Brett Emerton (hamstring), Steven Reid (knee), Vince Grella (hamstring) and David Dunn (calf) for the crunch clash at White Hart Lane. Paul Robinson is set to face his former club for the first time since his summer move to Rovers and will want to show Spurs they were wrong to sell him after being shown the door at Tottenham by former manager Juande Ramos.

Tottenham Hotspur: (from) Gomes, Hutton, Bale, Zokora, Bentley, Huddlestone, Lennon, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Bent, Stalteri, Ghaly, Gunter, Campbell, Taarabt, Dawson, Cesar, Corluka, Boateng, O’Hara, King, Assou-Ekotto, Rocha, Woodgate, Bostock, Dervite

Blackburn Rovers: (from) Robinson, Oojer, Warnock, Samba, Tugay, Nelsen, Santa Cruz, McCarthy, Pederson, Khizanishvili, Vogel, Mokoena, Andrews, Villanueva, Simpson, Fowler, Treacy, Derbyshire, Olsson, Roberts, Brown, Bunn

Fulham v Spurs Premiership Preview: Can The Cottagers End The Redknapp Tottenham Honeymoon?

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Fulham play, Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

The Cottagers go into this clash on the back of a win against Newcastle United at home last weekend, but lost to Everton at Goodison Park the week before. Fulham have only been beaten by West Ham United at Craven Cottage, but their lack of a win on their travels sees the West London club in mid-table, with manager Roy Hodgson aware that Fulham must start to pick up points on the road as well as at home or possibly face a repeat of fighting for their Premiership survival again.

Spurs will go into this London derby full of confidence, with the North London club unbeaten since Redknapp took over at White Hart Lane. Wins against Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premiership along with a draw against Arsenal have seen Tottenham climb out of the relegation zone. With Spurs also beating Liverpool again 4-2 in the Carling Cup on Wednesday as the Redknapp revolution starts to gather pace at Tottenham.

Hodgson is unable to call on Seol Ki-Hyeon, summer signing Andranik Teymourian and Diomansy Kamara, who all have knee problems for the visit of Spurs. Jimmy Bullard is likely to partner captain Danny Murphy in the centre of midfield, with Andy Johnson and former Tottenham player Bobby Zamora set to lead the attack for the Cottagers.

As well as being on an unbeaten run at Tottenham, Redknapp also has a fully fit squad to choose from for the game with Fulham, with only keeper Heurelho Gomes a doubt after the Brazilian was stretchered off in the 4-2 win against Liverpool with a head injury.

One dilemma facing Redknapp is who to bring back in and who to leave out, with the former Portsmouth manager resting Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate, Luka Modric, Jermaine Jenas, David Bentley and 11-goal Darren Bent for the Carling Cup game. With summer signings Roman Pavlyuchenko and Fraizer Campbell both netting a brace against the Reds and Dawson looking assured in defence in a 4-4-2 formation, which worked just as effectively as the 4-5-1 system Redknapp has employed when Bent is in the team.

Fulham: (from) Schwarzer, Konchesky, Paintsil, Hangeland, Johnson, Zamora, Nevland, Gera, Stockdale, Murphy, Gray, Hughes, Zuberbuhler, Etuhu, Bullard, Stoor, Dempsey, Davies, Andreasen, Leijer, Milsom, Brown, Kallio, Baird, Smalling, Watts

Tottenham Hotspur: (from) Gomes, Hutton, Bale, Zokora, Bentley, Huddlestone, Lennon, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Bent, Gilberto, Stalteri, Modric, Ghaly, Gunter, Giovanni, Campbell, Taarabt, Dawson, Cesar, Corluka, Boateng, O’Hara, Assou-Ekotto, Rocha, Woodgate, Bostock, Dervite

Man City v Spurs Premiership Preview: Will The Redknapp Factor Tip The Balance At The Eastlands?

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Mark Hughes’ Manchester City play, Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at the Eastlands Stadium on Sunday.

City under Hughes and the ADUG are still like City under Eriksson and Shinawatra, with the Eastlands faithful unsure of which side of the Blues they will see on any given day. With Man City going into this clash with a galvanised Tottenham on the back of two successive league defeats to Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United 2-0, but winning in the UEFA Cup on Thursday. Hughes’ side have looked capable of beating anyone on their day and the new boss will eventually get the balance right in the Blue half of Manchester.

Since the arrival of Harry Redknapp as manager at White Hart Lane from Southampton, Spurs are unbeaten, with the North London club beating Bolton Wanderers and Liverpool and drawing with Arsenal in the Premier League. With Tottenham looking like a completely different side to the team which collected 2 points from their first 8 games in the Premiership under Juande Ramos. Spurs like City also go into this clash on the back of a win in Europe, with Tottenham drubbing Dinamo Zagreb 4-0 in the UEFA Cup on Thursday. However, the North London club still find themselves at the bottom of the table, but under the leadership of Redknapp are not expected to stay there for long.

Hughes is unable to call on Martin Petrov (knee), Michael Johnson (groin) or long-term absentee Valeri Bojinov (calf), but strikers Darius Vassell and Benjani are in contention, with Benjani scoring on his comeback on Thursday in the UEFA Cup.

Redknapp will have to decide whether to put Russian International Roman Pavlyuchenko back in the Spurs starting eleven, who was cup-tied for the match with Zagreb. With Darren Bent finally finding his goal-scoring touch for Tottenham this season after his hat-trick against Zagreb took his tally to nine in all competitions this campaign.

Captain Ledley King should start along with Vedran Corluka, who like Pavlyuchenko was cup-tied in Europe and is set to face his former club. Midfielder Jermaine Jenas could shake off an ankle injury in time, while Gilberto is also a doubt for the trip to the Eastlands. Giovanni is definitely out after picking up an ankle injury on Monday, but Michael Dawson is available again after suspension.

Manchester City: (from) Hart, Dunne, Richards, Zabaleta, Garrido, Hamann, Kompany, Ireland, Elano, Jo, Robinho, Wright-Phillips, Ball, Schmeichel, Mills, Fernandes, Calcedo, Evans, Castillo, Ben Haim, Etuhu, Sturridge, Logan, Glauber, Benjani, Vassell

Tottenham Hotspur: (from) Gomes, Bale, Gunter, Woodgate, Corluka, King, Hutton, Assou-Ekotto, Jenas, Zokora, Huddlestone, Bentley, Modric, Pavlyuchenko, Cesar, Bent, Campbell, Taarabt, Stalteri, Ghaly, Rocha, Lennon, Prince-Boateng, O’Hara, Dawson