TOTTENHAM Hotspur will be hard-pressed to leave St James Park still sitting in fourth place.
Newcastle are themselves trying to sneak into the top four and qualify for the Champions League next season. But they face a tough task themselves if they are to somehow achieve it. The Magpies are 13 points off Spurs’ 60 and are in eighth place.
But the sheer desire to win and finish the season as high as possible is what makes the difference at this stage of the campaign.
This clash should be played with much venom in the blood of both sides.
Spurs, though, should hold a slight edge over Newcastle, despite being away from home.
They appear to be more determined than their hosts, who, as should be mentioned, do have a long injury list.
The clubs have both won two and drawn the other of their last three matches. But Spurs’ 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest looked a shade more comfortable than the Magpies’ 1-0 victory against Fulham.
Bruno Guimaraes, who got the winner in his 100th Newcastle appearance, will be expected to put in another good shift and keep the Magpies in the hunt for an outside shot at playing in the Champions League again next season – more so if five teams go through from England.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou will not want to rely on a “maybe” but rather nail down fourth place and secure their place at Europe’s top table in his first season in charge.
The Australian, under the circumstances, has done well thus far. And when one considers that it comes after Harry Kane moved to Germany in the off-season, Postecoglou’s stock rises even further.
Of course, if he can put paid to Newcastle’s efforts today, he will probably be thinking fourth place is there for the taking.
For Liverpool, who are at home to Crystal Palace, it will be a case of going all out for the win.
They were held to a draw by Manchester United last out in the league and were due to clash with Italian outfit Atalanta in the Europa League on Thursday.
