Goal-shy Tottenham Hotspur host in-form Newcastle United at White Hart Lane on Saturday 9 February.

Where to Watch Live

Kick-off is set for 12.45pm GMT, with Sky Sports 2, Sky Sports HD 2, Sky Sports 3D and Sky Go providing live coverage in the UK. Live radio commentary is available on BBC 5 Live.

Gareth Bale and Lewis Holtby
Reuters

Overview

Spurs have had three draws in their last four Premier League matches, but finally managed a victory against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns last week. Andre Villas-Boas' men are fourth in the table with 46 points, just one behind third-placed Chelsea.

The north London outfit have struggled to find the back of the net of late, with just four goals in their last five outings. However, the return of Emmanuel Adebayor will be a massive boost to Villas-Boas as the Portuguese tactician continues his efforts to guide the club to a Champions League berth.

Newcastle, on the other hand, have just recorded their first back-to-back wins of the season, with last week's 3-2 victory over Chelsea at St James' Park. January signing Moussa Sissoko was the standout performer of that match, the midfielder scoring twice to give the Magpies a crucial three points.

The successive victories have helped Alan Pardew's side build momentum and move away from the relegation zone. They are now 15th in the league table with 27 points, six above the drop zone.

The reverse fixture at St James' Park in August saw Newcastle beat Spurs 2-1, thanks to goals from former talisman Demba Ba and the currently sidelined Hatem Ben Arfa. Meanwhile, the same fixture last season saw Tottenham hammer the Magpies 5-0 at the Lane.

Team Form

Tottenham Hotspur

  • Last Five Games (all competitions, most recent first): W D L D D
  • Last Match: West Bromwich Albion 0 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur

Newcastle United

  • Last Five Games (all competitions, most recent first): W W L D L
  • Last Match: Newcastle United 3 - 2 Chelsea
Moussa Sissoko celebrates his winner against Chelsea
Reuters

Team News

Tottenham Hotspur: Jermain Defoe, who picked up an ankle injury in the 1-0 win against West Brom last week, has been ruled out for this clash. Spurs will evaluate Adebayor's fitness before deciding whether to start him. The Togo international has just returned from the Africa Cup of Nations but he is the only recognised senior striker available for Villas-Boas at the moment. Meanwhile, Sandro and Younes Kaboul (both knee) remain sidelined, though the latter is set to start training sessions later this week as he looks to regain fitness and make himself available before the end of the month.

Probable Line-up (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto; Parker, Dembele; Lennon, Dempsey; Bale; Adebayor

Newcastle United: Cheick Tiote could feature for the Magpies in this clash, following Ivory Coast's quarter-final exit from the Africa Cup of Nation's last weekend. Ben Arfa's return from a hamstring injury has been delayed by a virus and the Frenchman is unlikely to be available for first team action before the end of the month. Ryan Taylor (knee) and Ryan Gosling (ankle) remain sidelined.

Probable Line-up (4-2-3-1): Krul; Debuchy, S Taylor, Colocinni, Santon; Tiote, Cabaye; Gutierrez, Sissoko, Gouffran; Cisse

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