Probable Lineups

4-3-3
Newcastle United
4-2-3-1
Tottenham
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Probable Lineups Statistical Comparision

(43) 29 Goals 45 (62)
(24) 11 Assists 31 (45)
(6.6) 6.8 Average Ratings 7 (6.7)
26.5 Average Age 27.1
183.2 Average Height (cm) 180.8
(1.1) 1.3 Shots pg 1.6 (1.1)
(49%) 45% Aerial Duel Success 44% (46%)
(0.6) 0.8 Dribbles pg 0.6 (0.7)
(1.5) 1.3 Tackles pg 1.4 (1.6)
* Values in brackets (x) are overall player statistics in Premier League.

Missing Players

Player Reason Status Rating
Fabricio Coloccini Doubtful 6.75
Hatem Ben Arfa Doubtful 7.01
Yohan Cabaye Doubtful 7.15
Demba Ba Doubtful 7.11
Papiss Demba Cissé Doubtful 6.57
Cheik Tioté Doubtful 6.8
Player Reason Status Rating
Heurelho Gomes Out N/A
Scott Parker Out 6.78
Danny Rose Out N/A

Team News

Newcastle United
  • Alan Pardew has fitness worries throughout his squad ahead of his side's opening fixture of the 2012/13 Premier League season. Of the 6 Newcastle players that are doubtful for this game, Hatem Ben Arfa is least likely to feature, due to a knee injury.
  • Coloccini sustained a minor injury in the friendly against Cardiff last week but is likely to play nonetheless. Cisse, Ba and Tiote each have knocks as well but remain likely to start, while Yohan Cabaye is lacking match fitness.
  • New signing Romain Amalfitano could feature for the first time in a Newcastle shirt, while new signing Vurnon Anita is also likely to start from the bench.
Tottenham
  • Spurs are only without Scott Parker for Andre Villas-Boas' first game in charge, although their real problems are not injury-based.
  • The north London club have struggled in the transfer market this summer since signing Jan Vertonghen and Gylfi Sigurdsson early on, and in particular, are extremely threadbare up front, where Jermain Defoe remains their only senior player. Harry Kane could make the step up from the youth team but he lacks experience, while another option could be to play Rafael van der Vaart up front.
  • Vertonghen and Kaboul will likely form a regular partnership at the back this season.

Prediction

  • The teams that finished 4th and 5th in the Premier League last season meet at the earliest opportunity, and neither team will be best pleased about having such a tough opening fixture. If Newcastle manage to get all of their players fit in time to play, however, they will surely be favourites to come away with all three points.
  • Spurs began last season with 2 defeats, having failed to complete their transfer dealings before the opening fixtures, and this season they are in a similar position, so things could well turn out in a similar vein. However, with Andre Villas-Boas at the helm, they will be even more unpredictable than this time last year.
  • St James' Park is always a tough place to go and with Spurs being so thin in attack they may struggle to settle and play the football that many have now come to expect of them, while the home crowd alone will be enough to get the Magpies playing.
Prediction:
Newcastle United
2
1
Tottenham
© WhoScored.com

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Head to Head Stats

R Team W D L Pts Form
5 Tottenham 21 9 8 72 wdwdww
16 N. United 11 8 19 41 ldldwl

Top Players

Newcastle United
Tottenham
M. Williamson 7.3
Y. Cabaye 7.15
D. Ba 7.11
G. Bale 7.89
J. Vertonghen 7.59
Sandro 7.33
D. Ba 13
P. D. Cissé 8
Y. Cabaye 6
G. Bale 21
J. Defoe 11
C. Dempsey 7
S. Marveaux 4
H. B. Arfa 2
Y. Cabaye 2
A. Lennon 7
T. Huddlestone 4
G. Bale 4

Match Forecast

Tottenham will score from a setpiece situation  
Tottenham will score from a direct freekick  
Tottenham will score as a result of individual skill  
Tottenham will score as a result of an opposition error  
* Match forecast is generated from clashes in team characters.

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Data sources: Data Sources