Today’s glitzy World Cup draw in Qatar has ensured questions about sportswashing are front and centre again this week.
In that context, it is still surreal to look back on the last meeting between Tottenham and Newcastle, who go head to head in north London on Sunday.
There have been few better visual representations of sportswashing in our game than 50,000 Newcastle fans, some donning tea towels on their heads, turning in unison to welcome the club’s new Saudi owners to St James’ Park ahead of Spurs’ visit in October.
Newcastle began their new era with a performance that very much belonged to the old, going down 3-2 to Nuno Espirito Santo’s Spurs in a game which said more about the shortcomings of Steve Bruce’s side than the visitors’ quality.
Nearly six months on, both clubs are in very different shape. Spurs are genuinely improving into an impressive team under Antonio Conte and gearing up for a run-in which should see them in direct competition with rivals Arsenal for fourth place.
The international break came at a poor time for Conte’s side and after finally putting together back-to-back wins over Brighton and West Ham, Spurs need to continue where they left.
Spurs’ victory on Tyneside left Newcastle winless from their opening eight games and stuck in the bottom three but, backed by their new owners, they have surged clear of relegation, thanks largely to a number of new signings in January and good work from Bruce’s successor, Eddie Howe.
For Spurs, Newcastle’s uplift under their controversial new owners is just another reason why finishing fourth feels so crucial. The race for Champions League football already has the makings of a pivotal juncture for Spurs. If Arsenal maintain their hold on fourth place, their progress under Mikel Arteta should accelerate and have the added benefit of potentially derailing Spurs’ rebuild under Conte.
In that scenario, there is a danger Conte could walk away, leaving Spurs facing a second consecutive summer of a manager search and an unsettled Harry Kane seeking a way out.
By contrast, if Spurs overhaul Arsenal, they will consign Arteta’s side to another season out of the Champions League and be better placed to convince Conte and Kane that they can return to the top. On top of this tense, zero-sum game, Newcastle’s wealth is another concern and consideration.
The Toon have quickly and emphatically proved the correlation between spending power and results, climbing to mid-table safety after spending nearly £120million in January.
Chris Wood, Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes would all have improved Conte’s squad, suggesting the two clubs are set to operate in similar markets, and if Newcastle get their spending right in the summer they could easily be among the top-six challengers next season.
For Spurs, securing fourth and safeguarding Conte’s project may be the difference between staying ahead of not just Arsenal but Newcastle, too. But stumble in the run-in, and Spurs could find the Toon as direct rivals next season.
Newcastle are something of a bogey team for Spurs, who have not beaten them at home since February 2019, when Trippier lined up for the hosts in a 1-0 win at Wembley. The England wing-back remains sidelined, which will avoid him showing up Spurs’ less impressive options in his position.
Conte’s optimism that Oliver Skipp could return from injury over the international break has proved unfounded, with the midfielder still working individually following his groin injury.
