Tottenham Hotspur return to action in the Premier League tomorrow afternoon with the knowledge that failure to defeat Newcastle United in London would result in a six-match winless run – having scored first in each fixture.
Ange Postecoglou had triumphed in rekindling the cohesion at the club after his summer appointment, but despite blitzing into the ascendancy with eight victories from the opening ten fixtures of the campaign, injuries and suspensions have been at the epicentre of the recent, ongoing demise.
But form is only temporary and Spurs have displayed their brilliance this season with some exemplary early showings, and their Australian manager will feel that a positive result against the Magpies could turn the tide on their faltering campaign.
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Interestingly, Postecoglou may well opt to keep the faith in the lion's share of the players that lost 2-1 to West Ham United on Thursday, with Football FanCast predicting that he will make just one alteration to the starting line-up.
1 GK – Guglielmo Vicario
Guglielmo Vicario signed for Tottenham from Italian side Empoli for an initial £17m in the summer and has been a veritable wall between the sticks.
While Spurs have endured some testing times over the past weeks, the 27-year-old has remained a confident and commanding figure, and he boasts the quality to ensure that Spurs defeat Newcastle tomorrow afternoon.
2 RB – Pedro Porro
Incredible. The best way to sum up Pedro Porro's performances over the opening months of the campaign, having provided four assists from 14 matches in the Premier League and earned praise for his "titanic" efforts by The Athleti's Charlie Eccleshare.
As per Sofascore, the Spaniard has completed 82% of his passes and averages 1.6 key passes, 3.1 tackles, 5.3 ball recoveries and 2.1 clearances per game – very much the all-encompassing force.
In fact, Porro's 43 tackles made in the English top-flight this season is bettered only by Fulham's Joao Palhinha (64) and Sheffield United's Vinicius Souza (46) – with the latter having played a match more.
3 CB – Cristian Romero
Cristian Romero returned to action in midweek after serving a three-match suspension, and while he galvanised his side into action after heading home to open the scoring against the Hammers, Spurs still withered as the game dragged on.
Nonetheless, he's a titan of a centre-back and his return comes at the perfect time; against Newcastle, his bold and tough-tacking presence will facilitate security for his teammates.
4 CB – Ben Davies
With £43m summer signing Micky van de Ven still out injured, Welshman, Ben Davies has performed well in central defence over the past several league matches.
He's not the perfect option, but alongside Romero a dynamic and unlikely partnership could take shape over the winter period.
5 LB – Destiny Udogie
Destiny Udogie's "disaster" – as was said by Eccleshare – of a backpass against West Ham allowed James Ward-Prowse to capitalise in the second half and give the away side an unlikely lead, which they held onto.
However, the young Italian has been immense this season and looks set for a prominent and successful Premier League career, and he will be eager to right his wrongs with a standout showing against the Toon.
6 CM – Yves Bissouma
Yves Bissouma enjoyed a resounding start to the campaign but took his foot off the gas across recent matches, though he did return to his best against West Ham despite defeat.
Taking a staggering 130 touches in that match, the Malian midfielder completed 94% of his passes and will be the combative and industrious figure in the centre to assert control in the crucial midfield battle.
7 CM – Giovani Lo Celso
Giovani Lo Celso has stepped up big time in the absence of James Maddison, who is sidelined until after the new year and has been unavailable for the past four fixtures.
A brilliant passer of the ball, Lo Celso ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, passes attempted and progressive passes, and the top 6% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.
Such qualities will be important against Newcastle, who will pounce on any opening and will need to be nullified and worn out.
8 RW – Richarlison
The one predicted change to the starting line-up, Richarlison may well find a place on the right wing to accommodate a tactical tweak in seeing Dejan Kulusevski move back to the central attacking midfield role and seeing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg return to the bench.
While he has largely flattered to deceive since signing for Tottenham from Everton for £60m in 2022, Richarlison's creativity has been a valuable asset this term and he has racked up three assists from just seven starts in the Premier League, described as a "nuisance" for defenders by Postecoglou.
9 AM – Dejan Kulusevski
As stated, Richarlison might be fielded on the right and, therefore, Spurs supporters could find Kulusevski serving as the "engine" – as was said by Sky Sports' Jamie Weir – in the middle, where he was so effective against Manchester City last weekend.
Posting a goal and an assist against the Treble winners in the thrilling 3-3 draw, the Swede also completed a key pass and took 48 touches, and against Newcastle, where the hosts will strive to dominate possession and the flow of the contest, he could be vital in pulling the strings.
10 LW – Brennan Johnson
Brennan Johnson has started to solidify a starring role in Postecoglou's Spurs side after fluctuating from a starting role over the opening months of the campaign, signing from Nottingham Forest for £47.5m in the summer.
Hailed as a player who can "cause so many problems" for the opposition by journalist Josh Bunting, Johnson's electric pace should mean he starts on the left, where he can compound Magpies star Kieran Trippier's woes after the 33-year-old's horror show against Everton in midweek, making two mistakes in a 3-0 defeat.