Spurs given tricky opener

Tottenham will begin life without Harry Redknapp with a trip to face Newcastle on the opening day of the new Premier League season.

Alan Pardew was named manager of the year for his exploits at the Sports Direct Arena last term, and the Magpies will provide a stern examination for Spurs and their new boss on August 18. Spurs finished four points above Newcastle last season to claim fourth position, although they ultimately missed out on qualification for the Champions League, and both sides will be gunning for Europe once again come August. After their visit to Tyneside, Spurs face the more straightforward task of meeting West Brom, Norwich, newly-promoted Reading and Queens Park Rangers in consecutive fixtures.
September will end with a far more difficult proposition as Manchester United meet Spurs at Old Trafford on the 29th of the month, before Tottenham host Aston Villa in their first match of November. Spurs will then have the opportunity to exact revenge of sorts against Chelsea, with the Blues having prevented Redknapp's side from claiming a spot in the Champions League.

Encounters with Southampton and Wigan follow before a potentially defining run of fixtures in which Spurs meet Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool in the space of three weeks, with a derby against West Ham sandwiched between.
The Christmas period includes two tough away games against Aston Villa and Sunderland, while Spurs will host Reading at White Hart Lane on January 1.
Spurs will meet Manchester United again before the end of January, but will not face another of the Premier League's elite again until meeting Arsenal for the north London derby in early March. Liverpool will be the opposition a week later, while Fulham and Swansea complete Spurs' fixtures for the month. Potentially defining games against Chelsea and Manchester City, the former away and the latter at home, come for Spurs in April, while they will finish the season facing Sunderland at the Lane.

Source: GMF

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