After emerging from Manchester with a draw against the Premier League champions one week ago, Ange Postecoglou would've stressed that Tottenham Hotspur now need to build on the spirited display and return to winning ways.
Despite the galvanising return of Cristian Romero, who headed Spurs into the lead against West Ham United on Thursday night, Tottenham wilted in the second half as David Moyes' men capitalised on luck and poor defending to steal victory.
Now, the daunting task of defeating Newcastle United, who travel to London off the back of a damaging 3-0 victory against Everton at Goodison Park, and despite yielding injury problems to mirror Spurs' ravaged squad, have clinched victories over many top outfits both domestically and in Europe.
Frankly, Tottenham have to win. Postecoglou's side have lost three home matches in a row and are now in danger of falling six points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, should the champions defeat Luton Town later today.
Tottenham team news vs Newcastle
Heung-min Son may miss the clash against Newcastle after receiving a blow to his back against West Ham, though he will be assessed and may find a place in the matchday squad.
Pape Matar Sarr is in contention to return to the starting line-up after returning from the bench last time out; the 21-year-old midfielder last started one month ago during the defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
The likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ivan Perisic, Manor Solomon and Ryan Sessegnon all remain long-term absentees and are all expected to remain out until after the new year.
Dejan Kulusevski's season in numbers
One player who will undoubtedly be on the starting teamsheet is Dejan Kulusevski, who has been fielded from the outset across all 15 Premier League fixtures this season, scoring four goals and supplying one assist.
However, it might be wise for Postecoglou to utilise Tottenham's attacking strengths and deploy the Sweden international in a central attacking midfield role, where he recently shone against Manchester City.
Indeed, as per Sofascore, Kulusevski posted a goal and an assist as Tottenham fought hard in a thrilling 3-3 draw, completing 86% of his passes and making a key pass.
Player
Club
Bukayo Saka
Arsenal
Ousmane Dembele
Paris Saint-Germain
Hirving Lozano
PSV Eindhoven
Sadio Mane
Al-Nassr
*Sourced via Football Transfers
The £110k-per-week star also ranks among the top 18% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles and interceptions per 90, as per FBref, further highlighting his rounded arsenal that makes for a good fit in the centre, probing on the edge of the final third.
This effectiveness could be crucial to penetrate the Newcastle defensive line, allowing the likes of Brennan Johnson to wreak havoc out wide, with the in-form Giovani Lo Celso pulling the strings from deep.
The stats to show why Brennan Johnson must start vs Newcastle
Johnson had not cemented a regular starting spot in Postecoglou's team over the opening months of the campaign but he has crept into a starring role over recent weeks, having now started the past four matches in the English top-flight.
Signing from Nottingham Forest for £47.5m in the summer, the Welshman has posted one goal and two assists, having enjoyed an excellent 2022/23 season at the City Ground as his fine performances played a key part in preserving top-flight status after promotion.
Scoring ten goals and supplying three assists across all competitions, he has been described as a real “handful” by journalist and U23 scout Antonio Mango, and boasts all the right attributes to hurt Eddie Howe's side.
The former Tricky Trees star ranks among the top 22% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 4% for progressive carries and the top 10% for tackles made per 90, highlighting the range of skills that can both damage Newcastle and stifle their progress.
Summing up his array of abilities, content creator HLTCO was left in awe after one recent display, saying: "Brennan Johnson is such an exciting player to watch. He’s got frightening pace and directness; constantly looking to make something happen, it must be an absolute nightmare to defend against him."
While Johnson's positional versatility has been something of a virtue under Postecoglou's wing so far, enjoying success across both flanks, he should be unleashed on the left today, with his electricity the perfect fit to heap further misery on the usually dominant Kieran Trippier, who endured something of a howler against Everton on Thursday night.
Kieran Trippier's performance vs Everton
Richarlison tends to occupy the left channel but he has played on the right before on more than a few occasions, with the Brazilian perhaps unable to offer the same kind of ferocity in progressing the play into the danger area.
Trippier will be eager to rectify his midweek mistake at Goodison Park that allowed Dwight McNeil to steal possession late into the second half and unleash a powerful strike to put the hosts ahead, paving the way for two further strikes to complete a 3-0 victory – with Abdoulaye Doucoure's goal also coming from a mistake from the England international.
The succession of errors should not take away from the fact that the Magpies machine is an incredible player and will pose a big threat against Tottenham, currently joint-leading the Premier League's assist charts with seven.
But the £70k-per-week Johnson's aforementioned robustness and application from a defensive standpoint could be a good tool for Spurs to wield, with his lightning pace also making for a tough afternoon for the 33-year-old, who will have to be alert and commanding to try and stifle his bursting runs.
That could negate his creativity and set Tottenham on their way to finally dig themselves out of the pit they are embroiled in, returning to winning ways to revive Postecoglou's revolution down the N17.