Tottenham are a team in transition, and you can feel it. Roberto De Zerbi has spent £237 million since walking through the door in March, and the message is clear: he wants his squad, his way. The problem? Fitness. Pedro Porro, Mohammed Kudus, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie all finished pre-season without a single minute. That is a nightmare for a manager who demands his full-backs push up and his centre-backs step into midfield. The recent opener at Brentford ended in a draw — a point that felt like a warning shot. The talent is there, but the engine isn't fully tuned yet.

Newcastle, meanwhile, are licking their wounds. They opened the season at home against Liverpool and came up short, and the brief tells us they were missing Joelinton and Burn, with Livramento and Osula doubtful. That is a chunk of spine ripped out. But here's the thing: Andoni Iraola is in charge now, and he doesn't do timid. His Bournemouth sides pressed like demons, and he'll have Newcastle hunting in packs. The problem is the front line. Willock and Elanga are the likely options, but the German Woltemade is struggling, and the pairing of Osula and Wissa looked lively but raw. This is a team searching for rhythm, not a team in flow.

Tottenham have the sharper individual quality, even if the collective is still gelling. De Zerbi's football is chaos with a plan — high risks, high rewards. At home, with the crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium behind them, that counts for something. Newcastle will be compact, organised, and dangerous on the break, but they're missing the bodies to sustain a full 90-minute press. This is a home side with more upside, and we're backing them to find it.