A NEW DAWN
Good afternoon and welcome to St James’ Park for live coverage of the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.
There hasn’t been much for the Toon Army to celebrate in recent years, but the Saudi Arabian-backed takeover of the club – and the buyout of Mike Ashley – has had most of them dancing in the streets for the past ten days.
Now those fans hope to continue the party inside the stadium with a first league win of the season.
While Steve Bruce’s days look numbered, the humble Newcastle boss will at least be in charge to oversee his 1000th match as a manager – and that too is an achievement to be acknowledged.
There are further reasons for the hosts to be cheerful too, not least the return of Callum Wilson. The striker has missed the last four games with a thigh injury, and will fancy his chances of getting back among the goals against a side short of confidence.
Mind you, after their shambolic September, Spurs were much better in last weekend’s win over Aston Villa.
However, their preparations for this afternoon’s fixture have been by rocked by the news that two players have tested positive for Covid-19. The Londoners have kept their identities hidden for now, but social media rumours suggest one to be of the upmost importance to any Tottenham success.
It’s better news for those returning from international duty in South America such as Giovani Lo Celso, Cristian Romero, Davinson Sanchez and Emerson Royal. For once, the Premier League broadcasters may have helped out by providing an extra 24 hours for those players to recuperate.
Kick-off in the north-east is set for 4.30pm, and we’ll soon have confirmation of the two teams as part of our pre-match build-up.
