Tottenham Hotspur's Bold XI Against Newcastle United
Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi has rolled the dice with a bold starting XI to face Newcastle United on Saturday, as he looks to stretch his unbeaten home run in charge.
Spurs have not lost at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under the Italian, a sequence that now stands at five matches when you include the summer friendly win over Hoffenheim. They arrive off the back of a thumping 5-1 victory against Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, a result that finally gave De Zerbi his first competitive home win of the season.
Now he’s gone aggressive again.
Marmoush goes straight in, Savio ruled out
New signing Omar Marmoush, brought in on an initial loan from Manchester City, is thrown straight into the side to lead the line. The forward wastes no time waiting for his chance; De Zerbi has trusted him from the first whistle.
One notable absentee is Savio. He doesn’t even make the squad. De Zerbi revealed to Sky Sports that the winger suffered muscle fatigue on the eve of the game and the medical team stepped in.
"There was bad news yesterday, before training in the afternoon. He suffered muscle fatigue and the medical staff didn’t want to take a risk. I agree with them," De Zerbi said, adding that Savio is expected to be available to face Forest next week.
Porro and Van de Ven handed first starts
World Cup winner Pedro Porro finally gets his first start of the season and is set to operate on the right flank, likely pushed on as a right winger ahead of Archie Gray. On the opposite side, Destiny Udogie, who impressed in midweek, is managed carefully and drops to the bench, with Andy Robertson coming in at left-back to provide experience and balance.
At the heart of defence, captain Micky van de Ven is also handed his first start of the campaign. His pace will be crucial against the threat of Anthony Elanga, with De Zerbi clearly planning for Newcastle’s speed in transition.
Tonali–Bentancur axis in midfield
In midfield, De Zerbi turns to pedigree and control. Sandro Tonali and Rodrigo Bentancur line up together, a technically gifted pairing designed to dictate the tempo and squeeze the game in central areas. Ahead of them, Mateus Fernandes is expected to operate as the advanced midfielder, linking play and pressing high.
That selection leaves Conor Gallagher and Lucas Bergvall among the substitutes, giving De Zerbi options to change the energy and shape of the midfield later on.
Big names left out as Kudus returns
Mohammed Kudus is fit enough for the bench after returning to full training, a timely boost to the attacking options. His presence gives Spurs a serious weapon to unleash if the game opens up.
But there are some eye-catching omissions. There is no place in the squad for Richarlison, Kevin Danso, or Pape Matar Sarr, with all three players currently linked with moves away from the north London club. Their absence underlines how quickly this squad is evolving under De Zerbi – and how ruthless the Italian is prepared to be as he shapes Spurs in his own image.
The selection is brave, front-foot, and loaded with technical quality. Now it has to deliver against a Newcastle side that rarely grants second chances.
