By Mauricio Pochettino's own admission, Tottenham Hotspur was lucky to escape the Etihad Stadium with a point last week.
Spurs were thoroughly outplayed by Manchester City and looked to have conceded a late winner when Gabriel Jesus scored for the defending Premier League champions in added time, only for VAR to rule the goal out.
While Tottenham ultimately had to thank the video referee, it showed remarkable resilience to twice come back against City, with Lucas Moura scoring his side's second goal less than a minute after coming on as a substitute.
With the draw, Spurs became the first team to prevent it from winning at home in the Premier League since Crystal Palace won at the Etihad on December 22 last year.
Their task on Sunday should be considerably easier, as they host a Newcastle side still looking for its first point of the season. Dating back to last season, Tottenham's home form has been impressive and it has won seven of its last 10 league games in front of its own fans.
There are more stats that make great reading for Pochettino and should worry Newcastle coach Steve Bruce, as Spurs have won the last four meetings against the Magpies, who have failed to score on three occasions.
It is hard to see that change, even though Spurs have already conceded three goals so far this season. Industrious but severely short of quality in the defeat against Arsenal, Newcastle was abysmal against Norwich City last weekend and was thrashed 4-1.
The season is only two games old but Bruce already looks to have a nigh-on impossible job on his hands. Newcastle's summer recruits need time to settle and the departure of Solomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez has left major gaps in the team.
Should Newcastle lose to Spurs, Bruce would become the first manager in the club's history to lose the first three games of a Premier League campaign. It is a record the former Sunderland boss will certainly be eager to avoid.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Sunday.
When and where is the game?
Tottenham Hotspur host Newcastle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, August 25, with kick-off scheduled for 4:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. ET).
Spurs have won the last four meetings against Newcastle, last losing to the Magpies on the final day of the 2015-16 season.
TV coverage
The game will be broadcast live on NBCSN.
Live stream
A live stream will be available via the NBC Sports website, NBC Sports Gold and the NBC Sports app. Live stream for selected games will also be available via fuboTV.
Form
Spurs' 2-2 draw against Manchester City came after a 3-1 win against Aston Villa on the opening weekend, when Tottenham needed a late comeback to avert what would have been a major upset.
Newcastle huffed and puffed but lost 1-0 to Arsenal in its first game of the season and looked hapless when losing 4-1 to Norwich City last week.
Team news
Spurs will be without new signing Ryan Sessegnon, who is still recovering from a thigh injury. Dele Alli also has a thigh injury and is unlikely to feature, while long-term absentee Juan Foyth remains out and Heung-Min Son is suspended.
Newcastle's issues are made even worse by a packed treatment room. Jack Colback, Andy Carroll, Florian Lejeune, Christian Atsu and DeAndre Yedlin are all out, while new signing Joelinton, Dwight Gayle and Allan Saint-Maximin will be assessed before the game.
Odds
According to Oddschecker, Spurs are a 29/100 favorite (-350 in moneyline terms), while the draw is at 27/5 and Newcastle is a 45/4 outsider.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he was a news and business reporter at International Business Times UK. Dan has also written for The Guardian and The Observer.
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