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

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