Tottenham vs Newcastle: De Zerbi Aims for First League Points

Tottenham Hotspur walk back into Premier League action on Saturday with a bruise and a warning already delivered. A 3-0 defeat at Brentford on the opening weekend left Roberto De Zerbi’s side playing catch-up before the season has even settled. The response in midweek was emphatic: a 5-1 Carabao Cup demolition of Charlton Athletic that at least reminded everyone of their attacking threat.

Now comes the real test. Newcastle United, under the lights, with the league table already glaring.

De Zerbi wants that midweek swagger to survive contact with Premier League intensity. Spurs still have no points on the board. That has to change quickly.

Injury problems bite, but options return

The mood at Hotspur Way is mixed. The performance curve is heading up, the medical bulletin very much isn’t.

Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odebert are all still out with knee injuries, stripping De Zerbi of creativity and width. Mohammed Kudus joins them on the sidelines with a thigh problem, another high-impact attacker unavailable.

James Maddison, so often the team’s creative compass, is expected to miss a couple of weeks after fracturing his shoulder. Pape Sarr is a doubt with a thigh issue, leaving the manager to juggle his midfield combinations again.

There is better news at the back. Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro, eased in from the bench against Charlton, are both pushing hard to reclaim starting roles. New loan signing Omar Marmoush, whose switch from Manchester City was confirmed on Thursday, should be involved but is likely to begin among the substitutes.

Defensive reshuffle on the cards

Antonin Kinsky did enough in midweek to keep the gloves. The expectation is that he stays in goal.

Porro is poised to come in at right-back, with youngster Archie Gray making way. In central defence, Van de Ven is in line to partner fellow Dutchman Jan Paul van Hecke, a pairing that promises aggression and recovery pace if De Zerbi commits to it from the start.

On the left, Andrew Robertson is currently favoured over Destiny Udogie. The Scot’s experience and delivery down that flank could be crucial against a Newcastle side that relish transitions and set pieces.

Tonali faces former club

Midfield carries its own storyline. Sandro Tonali is set to start against his former club, adding a sharp emotional edge to the contest. He is expected to line up alongside Mateus Fernandes and Conor Gallagher, a trio that blends bite, energy and forward thrust.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall provide alternative profiles if De Zerbi wants more control or a different pressing shape, but the current plan points towards Tonali, Fernandes and Gallagher from the off.

Savio stakes his claim

Up front, one midweek cameo changed the conversation. Savio came off the bench against Charlton, scored, assisted, and played like a man determined to skip the queue. That impact should be rewarded with a start on the right of a front three.

Through the middle, Richarlison leads the line again, desperate to turn his work rate into a decisive league performance. On the left, Mathys Tel offers direct running and goalscoring instinct, giving Spurs a front line that can stretch Newcastle both centrally and out wide.

Tottenham Hotspur predicted XI

De Zerbi is expected to stick with a 4-3-3:

Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson; Fernandes, Tonali, Gallagher; Savio, Richarlison, Tel.

Tottenham’s season won’t be defined in late August, but the tone of it might. First league points, or a deeper early-season hole? At 17:30 on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League in the UK, we start to find out.