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How crucial could the Tottenham - Newcastle result be in the dog fight for fourth place?
Tottenham vs Newcastle: What would Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool hope for the result to be? Goal.com's Sarthak Dubey takes a few wild guesses...
08-Feb-2012 3:30:00 PM
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COMMENT
By Sarthak Dubey
Statistically it should be the perfect match. Tottenham vs Newcastle United: The Premier League's fifth best offensive side at home (24 goals) going head-to-head against the Premiership's fifth best offensive side away from home (18 goals).
The Spurs proudly possess the league's highest scoring midfielder (Gareth Bale with 10 goals) while the Toons boast off the BPL's 2nd highest goal scorer (Demba Ba with 16 goals). In the reverse fixture earlier this season, the teams played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with a thrilling 86th minute strike from Shola Ameobi.
Newcastle United remained unbeaten for 11 matches at the start of the season with the Taylor's weaving their magic until reality stepped in at the Sports Direct Arena. A slight setback from the 3-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium saw the Magpies slip away but Alan Pardew's team are back among the big guns to fight it out for a Champions League spot, which looks realistic.
The 'big four' will have to agree, with brutal honesty, that Tottenham and Newcastle have displaced their glamour and given them a run for the money this season (keeping aside Manchester City, who not only displaced their glamourous reign, but easily overpowered it).
The result at White Hart Lane this weekend could have a strong bearing on a number of factors physiologically, mentally and confidence-wise for Arsenal, Liverpool and even Chelsea. Allthough Spurs played out a not-so-interesting 0-0 draw at Anfield, the tables can turn on home turf with the backing of the extremely loud fans and a return to the dugout for Harry Redknapp.
Scott Parker and Luka Modric would certainly enjoy their partnership and look to form a duopoly in midfield, with the former being in fantastic form. 'Stabilization' is something Gareth Bale will not provide to the Newcastle defenders with his daunting runs and haunting crosses.
The Toons enjoyed 56% possession in the reverse fixture, but that would look unlikely this time round as the home side would grasp the initiative. New signing Papiss Cissé would inject a new hope and fresh approach to the play coming in from the land of Bundesliga, where the word 'defending' does not exist! Red hot Demba Ba could be crucial on the counter attack.
Now how would the result pan out for the other teams in the dog fight for fourth place, let's have a look.
Arsenal: The king returns, but his state continues to shiver
Henry Is Back But Arsenal Continue To Be Inconsistent
The return of Thierry Henry provided much needed confidence at Arsenal but Wenger's men continue to stutter, destruct and again stutter. The Londoners lie in sixth position with 40 points, 2 points behind Newcastle. They face the other high-flying team from Tyneside - Sunderland. A draw or victory for arch rivals Tottenham would please the Gunners and give them a ray of hope to climb up the table. They need to fight for the fourth place, before it becomes a lost cause. God save the king...
Liverpool: Not just hands, the entire team needs to be shaken up
The Cat's Intervention: Bad Luck At Anfield
It would benefit Dalglish's Liverpool, if more attention is given to the Tottenham-Newcastle result rather than Evra shaking Suarez's hand. Out of the 24 matches played this season in the Premier League, the Reds have won only 4 at Anfield - it would be an understatement if we called this stat 'bizarre' ! Slow passing, slow distribution and a slow Andy Carroll have combined to deny Liverpool 40 points even at the start of matchday 25 of the Premiership (39 points from 24 games). The Merseyside club would look to hit the 40 point mark at Old Trafford and move out of 7th place, but can they? Again, a result favouring the Spurs would favour the Reds as well to enable themselves amongst the mix of things near the fourth position.
Chelsea: Can they survive without the Champions League?
Desperate Times For Villas-Boas
AVB may suggest, in his extra deep and extra beastly voice, that it completely depends on Chelsea to keep themselves up among the top four and that other results do not matter, but secretly, deep down under, the Blues boss would pray for a draw at White Hart Lane. With a tough trip away to face Chelsea's bogey team at Everton, the Stamford Bridge outfit would be pleased if Newcastle don't come any closer, and at the same time, Tottenham don't move too far away.
Follow Sarthak Dubey on
By Sarthak Dubey
Statistically it should be the perfect match. Tottenham vs Newcastle United: The Premier League's fifth best offensive side at home (24 goals) going head-to-head against the Premiership's fifth best offensive side away from home (18 goals).
The Spurs proudly possess the league's highest scoring midfielder (Gareth Bale with 10 goals) while the Toons boast off the BPL's 2nd highest goal scorer (Demba Ba with 16 goals). In the reverse fixture earlier this season, the teams played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with a thrilling 86th minute strike from Shola Ameobi.
Newcastle United remained unbeaten for 11 matches at the start of the season with the Taylor's weaving their magic until reality stepped in at the Sports Direct Arena. A slight setback from the 3-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium saw the Magpies slip away but Alan Pardew's team are back among the big guns to fight it out for a Champions League spot, which looks realistic.
The 'big four' will have to agree, with brutal honesty, that Tottenham and Newcastle have displaced their glamour and given them a run for the money this season (keeping aside Manchester City, who not only displaced their glamourous reign, but easily overpowered it).
The result at White Hart Lane this weekend could have a strong bearing on a number of factors physiologically, mentally and confidence-wise for Arsenal, Liverpool and even Chelsea. Allthough Spurs played out a not-so-interesting 0-0 draw at Anfield, the tables can turn on home turf with the backing of the extremely loud fans and a return to the dugout for Harry Redknapp.
Scott Parker and Luka Modric would certainly enjoy their partnership and look to form a duopoly in midfield, with the former being in fantastic form. 'Stabilization' is something Gareth Bale will not provide to the Newcastle defenders with his daunting runs and haunting crosses.
The Toons enjoyed 56% possession in the reverse fixture, but that would look unlikely this time round as the home side would grasp the initiative. New signing Papiss Cissé would inject a new hope and fresh approach to the play coming in from the land of Bundesliga, where the word 'defending' does not exist! Red hot Demba Ba could be crucial on the counter attack.
Now how would the result pan out for the other teams in the dog fight for fourth place, let's have a look.
Arsenal: The king returns, but his state continues to shiver
Henry Is Back But Arsenal Continue To Be Inconsistent
The return of Thierry Henry provided much needed confidence at Arsenal but Wenger's men continue to stutter, destruct and again stutter. The Londoners lie in sixth position with 40 points, 2 points behind Newcastle. They face the other high-flying team from Tyneside - Sunderland. A draw or victory for arch rivals Tottenham would please the Gunners and give them a ray of hope to climb up the table. They need to fight for the fourth place, before it becomes a lost cause. God save the king...
Liverpool: Not just hands, the entire team needs to be shaken up
The Cat's Intervention: Bad Luck At Anfield
It would benefit Dalglish's Liverpool, if more attention is given to the Tottenham-Newcastle result rather than Evra shaking Suarez's hand. Out of the 24 matches played this season in the Premier League, the Reds have won only 4 at Anfield - it would be an understatement if we called this stat 'bizarre' ! Slow passing, slow distribution and a slow Andy Carroll have combined to deny Liverpool 40 points even at the start of matchday 25 of the Premiership (39 points from 24 games). The Merseyside club would look to hit the 40 point mark at Old Trafford and move out of 7th place, but can they? Again, a result favouring the Spurs would favour the Reds as well to enable themselves amongst the mix of things near the fourth position.
Chelsea: Can they survive without the Champions League?
Desperate Times For Villas-Boas
AVB may suggest, in his extra deep and extra beastly voice, that it completely depends on Chelsea to keep themselves up among the top four and that other results do not matter, but secretly, deep down under, the Blues boss would pray for a draw at White Hart Lane. With a tough trip away to face Chelsea's bogey team at Everton, the Stamford Bridge outfit would be pleased if Newcastle don't come any closer, and at the same time, Tottenham don't move too far away.
Follow Sarthak Dubey on
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