Newcastle vs Tottenham Preview: Classic Encounter, Key Battle, Team News & More

Newcastle United face Tottenham Hotspur in a mouthwatering Premier League clash on Saturday afternoon, as both sides look to get the 2018/19 campaign off to a

Newcastle United face Tottenham Hotspur in a mouthwatering Premier League clash on Saturday afternoon, as both sides look to get the 2018/19 campaign off to a winning start.

The Magpies enjoyed a solid campaign last season, and will look to continue their quest to re-establish themselves as a top tier force this year despite struggling again to recruit new players in the summer transfer window.

Spurs finished third last season, and will need to up their game significantly if they are to stand any chance of challenging Manchester City for their Premier League crown. Mauricio Pochettino hasn't signed a single player this summer, which has been a matter of great concern to many of the club's supporters.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of the clash at St. James' Park:

Classic Encounter

Steve Bardens/GettyImages

Newcastle have a pretty decent record against Spurs, having claimed all three points against the north Londoners four times in their last ten clashes. Back in 2015, the travelling Magpies fans had a day out to remember, as their side came from behind to beat the hosts 2-1 at White Hart  Lane.

Pochettino's side took the lead late in the first half, as Eric Dier powered home a Christian Eriksen corner. However, Newcastle came out fighting in the second half, and pulled level via an Aleksandar Mitrović tap in. The best was yet to come for the visitors, who sparked pandemonium in the away end when Ayoze Pérez scored the winner in the 93rd minute.

Key Battle

Paul Dummett vs Son Heung-min

While Spurs are unlikely to have their full squad available to them on Saturday, with a number of players who starred in the World Cup still believed to be recovering, South Korean ace Son Heung-min is looking to return to Premier League action in style on Saturday, and could cause Newcastle's defence all manner of problems with his direct style of play.

Magpies left-back Paul Dummett will be tasked with the unenviable task of keeping the former Bayer Leverkusen man quiet, and could face a difficult afternoon indeed. However, having not played in this summer's World Cup, the Welshman will have a fitness advantage over his opposition player, and will look to match him stride for stride as they face off on the field.

With all the media attention focused solely on club talisman Harry Kane, Son is often overlooked, but the tenacious forward remains one of his side's most important players, and bagged 18 goals in a sensational 2017/18 season.

Team News

Other than Florian Lejeune, who is likely to miss most of the season with a knee injury, Newcastle boss Rafael Benítez has a fully fit squad available to him for Saturday's clash. New signing Martin Dúbravka is expected to recover from a minor injury in order to start in goal.

New signings Ki Sung-yeung, Yoshinori Mutō and Fabian Schär are all likely to be handed competitive debuts by their manager.

Spurs could be without a number of key players for the game, with England's lengthy run in the 2018 World Cup proving a headache for Pochettino in preparing for the upcoming season. The likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Kieran Trippier, Danny Rose and Jan Vertonghen are all doubts for the game, as they look to recover from their exertions in Russia.

Juan Foyth, Cameron Carter-Vicker, Victor Wanyama, Harry Winks and Victor Wanyama are all set to miss the game through injury.

Potential Newcastle Starting Lineup: Dúbravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Schär, Dummett, Shelvey, Ki, Kenedy, Ritchie, Pérez, Mutō.

Potential Spurs Starting Lineup: Vorm, Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies, Dembele, Dier, Lucas, Eriksen, Son, Llorente.

Prediction

St. James' Park will be rocking to its foundations on Saturday afternoon, and the home fans will play a big part in creating an intimidating atmosphere for Pochettino's side.

Spurs will be missing a number of key players for the match, but still boast a more impressive array of talents than the Magpies, and will be looking to impose their attractive style of fast paced football on the hosts.

Given the defensive vulnerabilities of both sides, this game is bound to have some goals, and could well end up being a draw.

Prediction: Newcastle 2-2 Spurs