Newcastle United kick off their Premier League campaign under Rafa Benitez by welcoming Tottenham Hotspur to St. James’ Park.
Indeed, so much has changed on Tyneside since Spurs’ last visit little over a year ago, when the home side ran out 5-1 winners in a game that went a long way to convincing Rafa Benitez to stay on in charge of the Toon Army.
While off the field issues continue to rear their ugly heads, mixing back with the English elite has been what the Magpies have been aiming for since that fateful day in May 2016, so it’s a huge day for the black and white faithful.
Newcastle have a good record against Spurs in recent years, losing only six of the last 25 meetings and, while few would doubt the quality flowing through their ranks, there are reasons to be optimistic.
Mauricio Pochettino has been unable to strengthen over the course of the summer and recent comments from Danny Rose hint at a few problems behind the scenes in north London.
With all this mind, here’s a look at Rafa Benitez’s first eleven of the Premier League season.
This is how Newcastle United will line up against @SpursOfficial in the @premierleague this afternoon… #NUFC #125YearsUnited pic.twitter.com/9XykxBRZ8Z
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) August 13, 2017
HWTL!
