Richarlison returns in four Thomas Frank changes – Tottenham predicted XI vs Newcastle
Thomas Frank will be desperate for victory when Tottenham travel to St. James’ Park on Wednesday.
Tottenham triumphed in a 3-0 win over Everton on 26 October thanks to a brace from Micky van de Ven, taking them to third in the Premier League.
However, rest will be hard to come by, given that the Lilywhites will face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup fourth round on 29 October.
Luca Williams-Barnett made his debut for Spurs in their previous Carabao Cup win, but this will not be the kind of game to give rising stars another chance.
Richarlison starts as Xavi Simons is demoted
Randal Kolo Muani started for Tottenham against Everton, and while he showed promising signs, he failed to net his first goal for the Lilywhites.
The French international did not take a single shot against the Toffees, according to Sofascore.
- He completed 100 per cent of his passes against Everton
- Kolo Muani lost possession five times
- All his dribble attempts were unsuccessful
In fact, most of his positive actions were defensive. Indeed, Kolo Muani won 100 per cent of his tackles, made four recoveries and one clearance.
These stats are reflective of his own and Spurs’ performance, and it is clear his teammates need to work harder to bring him into the game.
Nevertheless, Richarlison assisted and missed a big chance worth 0.36 expected goals once he was subbed on. Making such an impact in 28 minutes played speaks volumes, and he’ll likely start for Frank with Wilson Odobert beside him.
Meanwhile, Xavi Simons had another anonymous game for Spurs, which could see him replaced by Pape Matar Sarr.
- Simons registered just 0.02 expected assists against Everton
- He lost possession nine times
- Sarr netted his only shot of the game as a substitute
It has been suggested that injuries are the reason Sarr has failed to start for Frank as of late. That reasoning seems to have placated fans for now, but there will be further questions if he is benched against Newcastle.
Lucas Bergvall is expected to join him in the midfield, replacing Rodrigo Bentancur, who could do with some rest after his impressive display against the Toffees.
Guglielmo Vicario should retain his starting spot, and Spurs’ backline is set to remain unchanged.
Tottenham’s away record will give fans hope
St. James’ Park is never a nice destination to travel to, but Spurs’ away form has been stellar this season.
The Lilywhites are unbeaten away from home in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, having only been defeated once by PSG in the UEFA Super Cup on penalties.
Meanwhile, Newcastle have lost three times at home this season and Tottenham will no doubt be looking to make it four on Wednesday.
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