Two in-form teams meet at St James’s Park on Sunday where Newcastle host Tottenham and it should be an entertaining clash.
Following the summer departures of Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan, quickly on the back of Andy Carroll’s January transfer, it looked like it would prove a tough season for the Magpies and manager Alan Pardew.
Newcastle have responded to those high profile absentees tremendously well however and Pardew, in particular, must take plenty of credit for seeing his team remain unbeaten in the Premier League.
With four wins and three draws from their opening seven English top flight matches, Newcastle currently sit in fourth spot and adding to their points haul on Sunday would consolidate their place in the Champions League places.
It’s unlikely that they’ll remain but there appears no fluke about Newcastle’s success to date and the visitors will have their work cut out to make it five Premier League wins in a row.
Spurs opened the new campaign with crushing defeats to both Manchester sides, the present top two, but their revival under Harry Redknapp has been impressive and the London club have won every game since.
Their most recent triumph, over Arsenal at White Hart Lane, was a shade fortuitous however and Spurs might just have to settle for a point in the north-east.
It is never easy to predict how teams will react following the international break but Pardew will have been pleased to see the majority of his squad remain at home, in contrast to the likes of Tottenham’s Gareth Bale who was in action this past weekend, and there should be no excuses for the hosts.
This looks a particularly tricky betting weekend in the Premier League but surely the prices on offer about this clash should be much tighter and I’m just about happy enough to oppose the away team.
Spurs are no bigger than 2.50 to prevail and, against a team yet to taste defeat, that is short enough.
1pt Lay Spurs (vs. Newcastle) @ 2.50 (Betfair)