Eddie Howe Would Resign If He Felt He Could No Longer Take Newcastle Forward

Tottenham and Newcastle meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with both sides under pressure and European qualification on the line, as Newcastle arrive after three defeats in seven days and Spurs seek to stop a seven-match Premier League winless run that has stalled progress.

Eddie Howe stressed personal accountability after the 3-2 loss to Brentford at St James' Park, accepting the need to review methods during a sequence of four league matches without victory, yet the Newcastle head coach also called for a stronger response from the squad in London.

Howe insisted there is no internal doubt about suitability for the role before the trip to Spurs, explaining that the position comes second to club progress, and clearly stating a willingness to walk

away if that judgement ever changes, despite current pressure on results.

That's why I'm sitting here, he told reporters. If there was doubt, I wouldn't bebecause the club is the most important thing. I've never put myself before the club. If I didn't think I was the correct man to take the team forward, and I couldn't give the players what they need, then I would step aside and let someone else do it.

Howe pointed to previous difficult spells in management as useful experience now, stressing that unity and defiance across the squad can quickly change the mood, especially with fixtures coming rapidly and momentum currently moving against Newcastle in both domestic and European competitions.

Those experiences I have been through countless times before stand me in good stead for this moment, he added. The collective spirit is what we're after. We're after the collective fight from all the players and if you have that resolve within the group, you can do amazing things again, so it can turn very quickly. The momentum is against us at the moment. We have to swing it back and then the world can look a very different place within a couple of games.

Newcastle enter a demanding February programme, featuring a Champions League play-off against Qarabag over two legs, an FA Cup tie versus Aston Villa and league games against Manchester City and Everton, increasing the importance of gaining confidence and points when facing Spurs away.

Spurs also seek to correct home form after winning only four of their last 26 Premier League fixtures at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a run that includes seven draws and 15 defeats, and contrasts sharply with their strong start of four wins from the first five home league matches in 2024-25.

Newcastle have now dropped more points from winning positions than any other side in the Premier League this season (19). pic.twitter.com/9MKxg8rr23Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) February 7, 2026

Tottenham vs Newcastle attacking threats and players to watch

Dominic Solanke is a central attacking threat for Spurs, with 13 goals across the last 19 Premier League home starts, combining spells at Bournemouth and Tottenham, and scoring in each of the previous three league meetings with Newcastle, totalling four goals in those appearances.

Solanke had limited chances in the recent defeat at Manchester United but hopes to mirror his previous home outing for Tottenham, when the forward struck twice against Manchester City, underlining why Newcastle must track movement closely inside the penalty area on Saturday.

Anthony Gordon has enjoyed productive performances against Spurs, contributing to five Premier League goals in total, with three goals and two assists, all recorded during the last four league games versus Tottenham, giving Newcastle a key attacking outlet on the counter and in transitions.

Tottenham vs Newcastle historical record, trends and prediction

Newcastle have won only two of the last 15 Premier League away matches, drawing five and losing eight, and have suffered three successive defeats in London since a 1-0 victory at West Ham in March last season, which places added focus on resilience during this visit to Spurs.

Historically, the Magpies have enjoyed this fixture more than most, having recorded 27 Premier League wins over Spurs overall, a figure matched only against Aston Villa, while 12 of those victories came away from home, equalling Newcastle's best Premier League away record alongside West Ham.

Spurs, however, have usually found Newcastle a difficult opponent in recent seasons, losing five of the last seven league meetings, drawing one and winning one, which is just one defeat fewer than across the previous 23 Premier League clashes between the sides, when Tottenham won 13 times.

Goals are typically expected when these clubs meet, with Tottenham v Newcastle the most-played Premier League fixture that has never produced a 0-0 result across 61 matches, and the pairing also ranking as the competition's fourth highest scoring fixture with 196 goals shared.

The high-scoring pattern continued during the reverse fixture in December, when Cristian Romero, who is suspended for this upcoming match, scored twice late on in a 2-2 draw, underlining again how quickly momentum and scorelines can shift between these two open attacking teams.

Pre-match models suggest a balanced contest, with Spurs given a 40.7% chance of victory, Newcastle rated at 32.6%, and the draw assessed at 26.7%, figures that align with the prediction of a tight encounter where neither side is viewed as clear favourite.

Overall, Tottenham and Newcastle approach this meeting needing points for European ambitions while trying to halt poor recent runs, with Howe trusting experience, collective spirit and the threat of Gordon to counter Solanke's form, in a fixture that usually delivers goals and decisive moments.