Spurs aim to outline Champions League credentials as Magpies visit Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur will aim to put pressure on North London rivals Arsenal in the race for the Champions League places when facing Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta’s side face former Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace team on Monday night, presenting an opportunity for Spurs to draw on level points with the Gunners, albeit with a game more played.

The combination of this and Manchester United’s failure to beat Leicester on Saturday evening allow Antonio Conte’s Spurs team to stake their claim for the coveted fourth spot in the Premier League.

In the reverse fixture, Tottenham travelled to a noisy St James’ Park which had been buoyed by the fresh arrival of new ownership. After an early Callum Wilson goal set Newcastle’s fresh start off perfectly, Tanguy Ndombele, Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son all netted in the first half to flip the script.

A late Jonjo Shelvey red card didn’t help matters and although Eric Dier’s own goal provided a glimmer of hope, Spurs held onto a 3-2 win to slightly dampen celebrations inside the ground.

Son will aim to add to an impressive record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season, netting eight goals in his last eight Premier League appearances at home.

Conte’s side arrive into the fixture on an impressive run of form in the league, having won four of their last five and scoring at least two in each of those fixtures. An impressive victory over West Ham United prior to the international break has also raised spirits amongst the Tottenham fanbase but with Arsenal’s performances continuing to go from strength to strength there is no room for slip-ups.

The positive run has been in large part to the form of striker Harry Kane, who collected the Premier League Player of the Month award for March.

Despite being fresh off back-to-back 1-0 defeats to Chelsea and Everton, Newcastle’s resurgence under Eddie Howe has been notable, with the Magpies’ relegation fears eased significantly.

The former Bournemouth boss has tightened up the backline considerably, with his team not conceding more than once in their last 11 Premier League outings. They do have a poor record against Spurs since promotion back to the top flight in 2017, Joelinton’s goal in a 1-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in August 2019 remaining their only victory.

An away victory would lift Newcastle back above Brentford and really allow Howe to begin to plan for next season. Spurs, however, will be out to continue their assault towards their main target of Champions League qualification, with a huge summer around the corner for the North London side.

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