In one corner, Tottenham Hotspur: a mere six points ahead of the relegation places, winless in the league during 2026, eliminated from both domestic cups, and generally without much hope in the short-
and medium-term future. In the other, Newcastle United: winless in its last nine across all competitions, losers of three straight in the league, and quite unlikely to return to Europe next season, let alone the Champions League.
A lot of season remains, but it does feel like Spurs are the team who needs a result more this week. For the visitors, relegation is not really a threat, and the climb up to fourth (but actually fifth) is pretty steep. Also, Newcastle has an FA Cup date on Saturday then a Knockout Round tie in the Champions League, which Tottenham comically does not need to worry about. Still, both managers really need to rescue the vibes, making Tuesday a high-stress affair.
Match Details
Date: Tuesday, February 10
Time: 2:30 pm ET, 7:30 pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: Peacock (US), TNT Sports 3 (UK)
Table: Spurs (t-15th, 29 pts), Newcastle (12th, 33 pts)
Spurs lost at St James’ Park in the Fourth Round of the League Cup in October, then returned for a Premier League fixture a few weeks later. The home side went up 1-0 in the 71st minute, but Cristian Romero equalized soon after. A late penalty appeared to earn Newcastle all three points, but Romero saved the day once again, submitting his entry into Tottenham’s array of incredible goals this season.
Two Things to Watch
Creativity by necessity
In addition to Romero’s stupid suspension, Destiny Udogie is also out of action, becoming the latest to join the long long long list of injured Spurs. Thankfully Djed Spence appears to be back, but it still leaves Thomas Frank without two traditional fullbacks. Meanwhile, the front four have essentially four options max, and even midfield is more or less pre-selected at this point.
All this adds up to an unideal XI, but given the current run of form, change might not be the worst thing in the world. Tottenham gets a week and a half before the North London Derby (gulp), so some of the starters may feel this is their chance to earn more playing time going forward. Surely Frank feels that urgency as well, and maybe the home crowd can provide some encouragement like in the second half against City.
In terms of actual creativity, that responsibility will fall on Xavi Simons. Newcastle has been outscored 3-9 in its past three league contests, and Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani really need to be sharp in front of net. Simons is the creative engine, but finishing is still what it comes down to; two of those three losses saw Eddie Howe’s group win the xG battle, so quality over quantity is the pathway.
A tale of two maangers
Speaking of Howe, like his counterpart, the supporters are growing restless with the current manager. Howe’s tenure has been an unequivocal success, with top-seven finishes in each of the past three seasons which included Champions League appearances in 2023/24 and this current iteration. However, those European campaigns show that there is another level needed to be reached, and it will be an uphill battle in the current Knockout Phase.
Additionally, the plummet domestically has caused some to question if Howe is the right man for the job. The manager seemed dejected after the fall to Burnley over the weekend and shared his willingness to supposedly move on if he felt incapable of providing what is necessary. Perhaps this is the wake-up call needed for Newcastle to really start turning things around.
The parallels to Tottenham’s situations are obvious, though Frank has none of the goodwill that Howe has amassed over the past few seasons. I am not expecting a managerial change this week, but this is the longest gap between matches for a while, so if there was a desire to do so after another limp showing in North London then maybe it could be in the cards.
