Tottenham Hotspur do not have fond memories of St. James' Park, having been clubbed 6-1 at the ground in the Premier League last season, but will be confident that they can defeat Newcastle United this afternoon.
Ange Postecoglou's side reclaimed a place in the top four last weekend at Aston Villa's expense after winning at home against Nottingham Forest.
And while Unai Emery's side face Arsenal away on Sunday afternoon, Tottenham will be determined not to slip up and create some nice space heading into the final phase of the campaign.
Spurs team news
Postecoglou will have to compete without Richarlison's services once again this weekend, with the Brazilian centre-forward ruled out for the second match running after feeling discomfort in his knee – he returned from a three-match layoff from a knee injury last month and appears to have aggravated his problem.
Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon, and Fraser Forster all remain long-term absentees but, that aside, Spurs have a wealth of options available to compete against Eddie Howe's injury-hit squad.
With Richarlison out, Heung-min Son will lead from the front once again, and while Brennan Johnson has been one of the club's most in-form outlets over the recent period, he might find himself benched on Tyneside.
Why Ange could drop Brennan Johnson
Johnson signed for Tottenham from Nottingham Forest in a £47.5m package on transfer deadline day last summer and has enjoyed comparative success in London so far, lifting his level over recent games, posting five goals and seven assists from 17 top-flight starts under Postecoglou.
And while he has been a real threat of late, praised for being his side's "game-changer" by The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare, it is actually for this reason that he should be benched.
Dejan Kulusevski has not started either of the past two matches and will be eager for a recall, while Timo Werner was emphatic in his performance against Forest, remarking "I love it here" as he continues to go from strength to strength after his loan arrival in January.
Luton Town (H)
2-1 win
45'
1
0
Crystal Palace (H)
3-1 win
27'
0
2
Wolves (H)
2-1 loss
19'
0
0
Brighton (H)
2-1 win
28'
1
0
Brentford (A)
3-2 win
45'
1
0
Looking at the table above, it's clear that Johnson is an extremely effective substitute, with blistering speed and deft dribbling skills that make him a menace against tired opposition.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and blocks per 90, showcasing his rounded ability, but he's also an incredibly difficult winger to contain, and is sharpening his goalscoring instinct down N17.
Johnson hardly struggled to make his mark when not featuring from the outset, and his penetrative, multi-functioning style does appear suited for second-half football, with Kulusevski's cultured feet enriching the balance and chemistry that will be needed to quiet the Newcastle faithful.
Not the only star who must be dropped, however, Johnson could sit alongside Yves Bissouma on the sidelines today, with the Malian midfielder guilty of a poor performance last time out.
Yves Bissouma must now be ditched
While Johnson's possible shift to the bench could be made with a positive view of the Welshman's danger off the bench, Bissouma has been ebbing and flowing from form for too long now and must be axed to enhance and aid Tottenham's fluency.
Last time out, despite starting strongly, the 27-year-old was withdrawn at the break as Postecoglou sought to enforce a different kind of steel to his midfield, struggling to contain and control Nuno Espirito Santo's Tricky Trees, and put in a flat showing.
Writing of his performance, football.london's Alasdair Gold branded Bissouma with a 6/10 match rating and said: 'Started the game brightly with a couple of shots and it was his dribble that was key in the build-up to the opening goal. However, he faded at the end of the half, did not track back for Forest's goal and did not reappear for the second period.'
A bright start he might have made but the Mali international is failing to produce the same quality of performance that had cemented him as one of the division's finest performers in the early stage of the campaign.
Nottingham Forest (H)
3-1 win
6/10
West Ham United (A)
1-1 draw
7/10
Luton Town (H)
2-1 win
5/10
Fulham (A)
3-0 loss
3/10
Aston Villa (A)
4-0 win
7/10
His patchy form has been going on for too long now and Tottenham's second-half success against Forest on Sunday will have served Postecoglou a clear message that his side is capable of thriving without Bissouma, who was once dubbed a "monster" by journalist Aaron Stokes, on the field.
Of course, when he's at his best he's a clear starter, ranking among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 5% for tackles, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 7% for interceptions and the top 135 for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
But stats can be misleading and he is suffering from a prolonged dip. Introduced at half-time in a brazen reshuffle of Postecoglou's engine room, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur both received 8/10 match ratings by Gold for their controlled and formidable performances.
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Command and composure were present, allowing Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro to bag goals and clinch three points to lift Tottenham back into the top four.
Bissouma will play a big role in the closing period of the campaign but Newcastle will throw fire at their visitors tomorrow afternoon and the industriousness and balance that last weekend's substitutes appear to provide will have given Postecoglou more than a little food for thought.
This is why the Australian head coach must brutally ditch the Mali international from the starting XI alongside the Welsh whiz Johnson for this match.