Tottenham confirmed lineups: away @ Newcastle

Mauricio Pochettino leads his team north on Sunday to open Tottenham’s season — and vanquish some bad memories.

Eighty-three days after Tottenham delivered a 7-1 walloping to end their best ever Premier League season, Pochettino will know that Sunday’s match against Newcastle is more than it seems.

A win against Rafa Benitez’s recently promoted side would not simply be three points. It would also mean stealing an early march from rivals who faltered in their own Premier League openers.

Perhaps more importantly, it would soothe the scars left over from the 5-1 win Newcastle stole from Spurs on the last day of the 2015/16 season. That result at St James’ Park capped a woeful end to the season where Spurs’ title hopes evaporated and Arsenal managed to sneak above them in the final results.

Exorcising that painful memory will fall to just about the strongest team Pochettino could muster on the day.

Last season’s Golden Boot winner Harry Kane will lead the line of a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Moussa Sissoko occupying the attacking midfield line directly behind him.

With Victor Wanyama evidently still recuperating from injury, Eric Dier reclaims his fabled defensive midfield spot alongside Mousa Dembélé. Prior to the match it was thought by many that that role would fall to Harry Winks, but evidently Pochettino wants a more natural player in such a vital position.

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Pre-match speculation also had it that Dier might lineup at right-back, a position that has caused no shortage of distress for Spurs this summer. First Kyle Walker left to join Manchester City for a kingly sum, then Kieran Trippier injured himself in the last friendly of the preseason.

Perhaps Dier would have been the presumptive pick had Tottenham Academy product Kyle Walker-Peters not impressed after coming on for Trippier against Juventus last weekend. Pochettino did mention him in his prematch press conference as a possibility to start — that he actually did it is a huge credit to the 20-year-old.

Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld form the core of the defense meanwhile, with Ben Davies in for the injured Danny Rose on the left flank. And, naturally, the whole side is anchored by the capable hands and feet of goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris.

Newcastle, meanwhile, are set to deploy a side that looked mighty good in the Championship last season, but remains to be proven at the highest level. It’s tempting to be dismissive of players who have tried and failed to make an impression in the Premier League — particularly Dwight Gayle, Matt Richie and Jonjo Shelvey — but do not underestimate the effect Benitez has on his teams.

He will wring the best out of these players, and Spurs might even be in for some surprises off the bench in the form of promising wingers Rolando Aarons and Jacob Murphy.

Next: Pochettino responds to thorny Rose situation

Enough with the speculating though. The 2017/18 season starts here, and it couldn’t have come soon enough.

Check back after the match for a full review of the goings-ons, including tactical analysis and player ratings.