‘It’s what Spurs do’: BBC Sport pundit predicts Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United

Mark Lawrenson is backing Tottenham Hotspur to beat Newcastle United 2-0 in Sunday’s home Premier League clash – but he is still doubtful that the Lilywhites will finish in the top four this season.

Spurs are currently three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal having played one game more than their north London rivals as the race for Champions League qualification hots up.

After a patchy start under new manager Antonio Conte, the Lilywhites have begun to find some good form, having won four of their last five games in the Premier League – including an impressive 3-2 win over league leaders Manchester City last month.

Spurs head into this game looking to win their third successive game for the first time since October, a statistic which highlights the north London club’s inconsistent form this season.

Indeed, Spurs have notched up nine wins and eight defeats in 17 matches in all competitions in 2022, with the north Londoners struggling to find consistent form in all competitions.

Despite their stuttering form throughout the campaign though, former Liverpool FC and England star Lawrenson is convinced that the home side will simply have too much for the Magpies on Sunday afternoon.

However, the ex-defender also freely admits that he is still not convinced that Spurs have what it takes to finish in the top four this season.

Writing in his column for BBC Sport and predicting a 2-0 home win, Lawrenson said: “I just have a feeling Newcastle could have an indifferent run now.

“The Magpies have lost their last two games and it worries me a bit that one or two of their players might think the job is done and they are safe.

“It probably is, but they still need to maintain their form and show manager Eddie Howe they can be relied upon, on a regular basis and not just in a short burst.

“So these next few games will be interesting and might tell us something about the characters in the Newcastle squad.

“As for Tottenham, well I think they will win this game, but I still wouldn’t be confident about their chances of making the top four.

“There always seems to be poor performance around the corner, when they look like a team who have just met for the first time. It’s what Spurs do.”

Newcastle’s defence has been in good form in recent games – they haven’t conceded more than once in any of their last 11 Premier League games, letting in eight goals in total.

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