PREVIEW: Newcastle target fifth win in six against Tottenham in push for Europe

Newcastle visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium aiming to reignite their push for European football with a fifth win in six matches against Spurs in all competitions.

Tottenham have been notably poor at home, having only beaten Brentford and Burnley in league action at their North London home and sit 15th in the Premier League after a winless run of eight league outings.

The Magpies, on the other hand, have struggled to pick up points on their travels with just two Premier League wins away from St James’ Park but could go as high as 9th – three points off the qualification places – with victory.

But they are unbeaten in two matches against Frank’s side this season, winning 2-0 to reach the Carabao Cup quarters before Cristian Romeo’s brace twice fought back to earn a 2-2 draw in December at St. James’ Park.

Newcastle’s last defeat at the hands of their mid-week opponents came in 2023, enduring a 4-1 loss away from home, a run that will fill Eddie Howe with some level of confidence heading in to a must-win fixture for both managers.

Following Newcastle’s 3-2 loss to Brentford on Saturday, a chorus of boos reigned down from the stands of St James’ Park – quite the unusual sound in the post-takeover era.

Dango Outarra’s winner in the 85th minute further dampened spirits, as the man who replaced Newcastle’s Yoanne Wissa continues to shine while Wissa has struggled to make an impact in the North-East.

He is not the only one of Newcastle’s £277 million summer signings to underwhelm so far, with no start for striker Nick Woltemade since the goalless draw with Wolves in mid-January.

Malick Thiaw, Jacob Ramsey, Aaron Ramsdale, and Anthony Elanga have also been unable to make the desired impact on a regular basis in their Newcastle careers.

Eddie Howe was questioned following the Brentford defeat on whether he was the right man to take Newcastle United forward, maintaining that he is.

But, he also stressed that his side must start picking up results quickly if they are to reach the European places again.

Howe could be without Anthony Gordon and Lewis Miley, who were both absent from the Brentford match due to thigh issues and face a tight turnaround to return to fitness.

Fabian Schär, Tino Livramento, Emil Krafth, and Joelinton will not make the matchday squad.

With Spurs still searching for a first domestic win of 2026, manager Thomas Frank is under increasing scrutiny and must start proving that he is the right man to lead the club forward.

Although Frank’s side face an substantial list of absentees, a problem exacerbated by Romero’s red card on Saturday, they must give the home support something to be excited about against the Magpies.

Their previous home game seemed to be over by half-time as Manchester City cruised into a 2-0 lead, but a brace from Dominic Solanke – including a brilliant scorpion kick – gave the Tottenham supporters something to smile about.

Their visit to Manchester United on Saturday ended in a 2-0 defeat, their task having been made exceptionally more difficult on 29 minutes after Romero saw red for a poor tackle on Casemiro.

However, Spurs were in the game and looked bright leading up to the incident. Connor Gallagher had a chance to net his first goal in a Tottenham shirt and is proving to be a good piece of winter business.

Needless to say the hosts will be without the suspended Romero, while left-back Destiny Udogie has been ruled out for up to five weeks with a hamstring injury.

Richarlison, Djed Spence, and Pedro Porro are all unavailable, but set to return from their spells on the sideline later this month.

If they are to get a result against the Magpies and pull further away from a nigh-unthinkable relegation fight with Nottingham Forest and rivals West Ham, Spurs must repeat their second-half performance against City.