Tottenham Hotspur kick off a difficult run of fixtures with a trip to Newcastle United on Saturday.
Ange Postecoglou’s men moved into the top four with a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest last time out.
It was hardly plain-sailing for Tottenham though and Postecoglou turned to his bench at halftime with the game on level terms at 1-1.
The Aussie opted to hook both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg replacing the duo.
Postecoglou’s halftime changes had the desired effect as Spurs scored twice at the start of the second half to secure a crucial win.
With Tottenham not quite clicking in midfield at the moment, we expect to see Postecoglou switch things up in the middle of the park at Newcastle.
Tottenham predicted XI vs Newcastle
Postecoglou has rarely rotated his backline this season when his first-choice defenders have been available.
It would be a surprise to see any changes in this department on Saturday, particularly after Micky Van de Ven marked his return to the side with a goal.
The Dutchman looks set to start alongside Cristian Romero at centre-back, with Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro on either side.
As for the midfield, Postecoglou clearly wasn’t impressed with what he saw in the opening 45 minutes against Forest.
Hojbjerg has played a bit-part role under the Aussie this term but the Dane once again impressed off the bench last weekend.
The £15 million provided a cool head in the middle of the park, alongside Bentancur, which ultimately helped Spurs pick up a crucial three points.
According to WhoScored, the Dane completed 52 of his 59 passes in the second half while also winning one aerial duel.
Despite a bright start to the game, Bissouma was hooked at halftime and the Mali international hasn’t exactly been at his best of late.
This could lead to Hojbjerg starting at the base of midfield for the first time since the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park in February.
With Dejan Kulusevski struggling in recent weeks, it’s difficult to see any changes to Postecoglou’s front three.
Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson seem to have moved ahead of the Swede in the pecking order for the time being.
Heung-min Son also last weekend but looks set to lead the line, particularly with Richarlison working his way back to full fitness following a knee injury.
Here is our Tottenham predicted XI for the clash at St James’ Park in full.
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