Newcastle United Seek First Premier League Win Against Tottenham
Newcastle United head to North London on Saturday still waiting for their first Premier League win of the season, but they travel with a sense of defiance rather than doubt.
Twice they went ahead against Liverpool at St James’ Park, twice they were pegged back, and a stoppage-time penalty ripped two points from their grasp. Any fear that the late gut-punch might linger was answered in midweek, when Matthias Jaissle’s side edged a wild 3-2 Carabao Cup tie against West Bromwich Albion.
The performance wasn’t perfect. The attitude was.
Now comes Tottenham Hotspur away, a 17:30 kick-off on Saturday, 29 August 2026, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League in the UK. A bigger stage, and a clearer measure of where this reshaped Newcastle side really stands.
Injuries bite, but new faces step forward
Jaissle still has to juggle a stretched squad.
New captain Dan Burn remains out with ankle ligament damage, a significant absence both for his leadership and his presence in the back line. Joelinton (groin) and Tino Livramento (calf) are also sidelined, stripping Newcastle of energy in midfield and thrust from full-back.
William Osula, still nursing a foot injury, is unavailable again, limiting Jaissle’s options at centre-forward.
The encouraging news comes from Bazoumana Toure. The new signing scored in the cup win over West Brom, admitting he had been “feeling a bit of pain” during the game, but he is expected to be fit and in contention for Saturday. His sharpness on the left has already given Newcastle a different edge in the final third.
Then there is Nico Gonzalez. Unveiled to supporters as a £50 million arrival from Manchester City before the West Brom tie, the midfielder could make his Newcastle debut in North London. If Jaissle throws him straight in, it likely forces a reshuffle in the double pivot, with either youngster Lewis Miley or fellow new arrival Sean Steur making way.
That decision will say plenty about how quickly Jaissle wants to accelerate this rebuild.
Elanga, Barnes and the wide battle
Out wide, the pecking order is starting to take shape.
Anthony Elanga, who struck first against Liverpool, is expected to keep his place on the right flank ahead of Jacob Murphy. His direct running and willingness to attack space have quickly made him a key outlet in transition.
On the opposite side, Harvey Barnes has kicked the door down. Two goals against West Brom underlined his knack for arriving in the right place at the right time, and he now goes head-to-head with Toure for the left-wing berth. It’s the kind of selection headache managers enjoy: two in-form options, both capable of winning a game in a single burst.
With Osula still out, Nick Woltemade is set to continue up front. The tall forward will again work in tandem with Yoane Wissa, who operates between the lines and drifts into pockets as the central creative presence in the 4-2-3-1.
Behind them, the defensive structure is at least settled. Amar Dedic, Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman and Lewis Hall are expected to form the back four, shielding Lukas Horníček. The goalkeeper has taken over the gloves “for the time being”, but every outing in a Newcastle shirt is a chance to turn that into something more permanent.
Predicted Newcastle XI
Jaissle is unlikely to stray far from the template that pushed Liverpool to the brink and carried them past West Brom. A possible Newcastle United starting XI in a 4-2-3-1 shape:
Horníček; Dedic, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Gonzalez, Miley; Elanga, Wissa, Barnes; Woltemade.
The names are new, the captain is injured, and the league table still shows zero in the wins column. But after the chaos of Liverpool and the fight shown in the cup, Newcastle arrive in North London with something just as important as points.
Momentum.
