Tottenham vs Newcastle: De Zerbi Seeks Bounce-Back After Tough Start
Tottenham Hotspur walk back into Premier League duty on Saturday with a bruise still throbbing from the opening weekend – and a spark of midweek hope flickering in the background.
Beaten 3-0 at Brentford to start their league campaign, Spurs looked miles off it. Disjointed, soft, second-best in every important area. Then came Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup, a 5-1 win that didn’t erase the damage but did at least restore some rhythm and belief.
Now Newcastle United arrive in north London, and Roberto De Zerbi needs that midweek surge to carry into a far harsher examination.
Injuries bite, but competition grows
The treatment room is still too busy for De Zerbi’s liking.
- Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odebert all remain sidelined with knee injuries.
- Mohammed Kudus is out with a thigh problem.
- James Maddison, a key creative fulcrum, is expected to miss a couple of weeks after fracturing his shoulder.
- Pape Sarr is a doubt, also nursing a thigh issue.
That’s a lot of ingenuity and drive missing from the middle and final third.
Even so, the squad is beginning to show depth in key areas. Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro, both used off the bench in the win over Charlton, are now pushing hard to reclaim starting spots. New loan signing Omar Marmoush, whose switch from Manchester City was confirmed on Thursday, is likely to start among the substitutes as he beds into De Zerbi’s system.
Between the posts, Antonin Kinsky is expected to keep his place after midweek. Ahead of him, Porro is poised to come in at right-back for Archie Gray, with Van de Ven in line to partner compatriot Jan Paul van Hecke in central defence. On the left, Andrew Robertson is currently preferred to Destiny Udogie, his experience and delivery offering balance to the back four.
Tonali reunion and a front three with bite
Midfield carries its own storyline. Sandro Tonali is set to start against his former club, adding a sharp emotional edge to the contest. He is likely to anchor a trio alongside Mateus Fernandes and Conor Gallagher, a blend of control, energy and pressing.
Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall wait in reserve, ready to change the tempo if required, but De Zerbi’s first choice for now looks clear: Tonali to dictate, Fernandes to knit play, Gallagher to harry and surge.
Up front, the Charlton game may have shifted the pecking order. Savio came off the bench on his debut, scored one and set up another, and has done more than enough to push for a start on the right of a front three. If rewarded, he will likely flank Richarlison through the middle and Mathys Tel from the left.
It’s an attacking line that carries pace, directness and unpredictability – exactly what Spurs lacked in that flat Brentford defeat.
Predicted Tottenham XI vs Newcastle
De Zerbi is expected to line his side up in a 4-3-3:
Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson; Fernandes, Tonali, Gallagher; Savio, Richarlison, Tel.
Kick-off is set for 17:30 on Saturday, 29 August 2026, with live coverage in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
Spurs have their first league points of the season to chase, a wounded heavyweight in their path, and a manager demanding that the promise of midweek turns into something more concrete. Newcastle will test just how quickly this new-look Tottenham can grow up.
