Newcastle United have been exceptional in recent weeks, tearing through their opponents to restore their reputation as challengers for Champions League qualification.
The grand plan on Tyneside is to bestride Europe with an iron fist, but Eddie Howe will ensure that the process is broken down into bite-sized chunks, with Saturday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur the sole focus.
Spurs have been in poor form recently and are missing a host of key personnel due to injuries, but Newcastle aren’t free from fitness problems themselves.
Newcastle team news
Newcastle have been dealt a blow at the back, with Fabian Schar suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
However, Sven Botman could make the matchday squad for the first time since March 2024 after recovering from an ACL injury, though it is highly unlikely that Howe would play him from the outset.
Emil Krafth, Jamal Lascelles, Callum Wilson and Nick Pope all remain long-term absentees, though Kieran Trippier is fit to take on the Lilywhites.
Howe won’t want to disrupt a winning formula, but he will need to be wary of the threat of Dejan Kulusevski, Spurs’ best player this season, and might find the answer to his troubles in Joe Willock.
Willock could be Newcastle's answer to Kulusevski
In Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton, Newcastle have a midfield trio of balance and dynamism, capable of hitting great heights, controlling matches and keeping hungry opposing forwards at bay.
But Willock, hailed for his “electric” properties by Toon writer Thomas Hammond, offers another degree, something indefinable in a way, for he is smart and sharp and adept at linking play together and progressing the ball.
It’s also worth noting that Newcastle are approaching a critical juncture in their campaign, with a defining stretch of January fixtures lying ahead.
01/04/24
Premier League
Tottenham (A)
07/01/24
Carabao Cup
Arsenal (A)
12/01/24
FA Cup
Bromley (H)
15/01/24
Premier League
Wolves (H)
18/01/24
Premier League
Bournemouth (H)
25/01/24
Premier League
Southampton (A)
As per FBref, Willock ranks among the top 12% of midfielders in the Premier League this season for progressive carries, the top 14% for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 14% for blocks per 90.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
This ball-carrying style has seen FBref record Kulusevski as a similar player to the £80k-per-week star among those in the Premier League, given that the Sweden midfielder has been described as “world-class” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
The English dynamo’s Newcastle career has been disrupted in recent years, only starting nine matches during the 2023/24 Premier League season, but he’s made progress this year and indeed could work in fluidity with the likes of Joelinton to overwhelm the Tottenham midfield, not exactly on its a-game right now.
Howe has praised Willock’s “infectious” energy, and that is indeed what Newcastle need right now to secure a brilliant victory. Kulusevski might be able to damage the Magpies, but with Willock adding the electricity alongside the bull-like presence of Joelinton and the elegance of Guimaraes, it might be a winning formula.
Perhaps that would mean that Tonali would need to sit on the bench for this one, but the Italian’s controlled quality would make for the perfect addition after the break.
Kulusevski is bound to be a danger for the hosts, but Newcastle could unleash their own bouncing and energetic version in Willock, who, to be sure, could provide Ange Postecoglou with a taste of his own medicine and condemn Tottenham to further misery.
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