Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur: 5 Questions Spurs Must Answer to Win

Tottenham heads to St. James' Park on Sunday to face unbeaten Newcastle United in what will be one of the best fixtures of the weekend.

The Spurs have failed to come away from Newcastle with a win on their last five trips, and Newcastle is one of three teams in the Premiership that have not faced defeat thus far in the campaign.  

That said, Tottenham has won their last four league games and their last two away from home, dating back to last season.

Tottenham and Harry Redknapp face formation issues and injury woes as they look to continue their recent run of form.  

Can they solve their problems in time to stop a red hot Newcastle United squad at St. James' Park? 

Will Emmanuel Adebayor Be Fit to Play?

The biggest unknown for Spurs is the status of striker Emmanuel Adebayor, as he suffered a hamstring injury against Arsenal, but played on.  

Adebayor will undergo a fitness test prior to Sunday's match to determine if he will play. 

Manager Harry Redknapp will hope his star striker is available in such an important match, but does he risk him?  

If Adebayor were to play and damage his hamstring further, he could be out for much longer than one match.

A healthy Adebayor would be a huge boost, as the big Togolese forward leads the Spurs with three goals and two assists in four games, but will he be cleared to play?

Who Will Spurs Play Up Front?

Even if Emmanuel Adebayor is declared fit to play, Harry Redknapp still faces a problem: Does he play Jermain Defoe, who has formed a fine partnership with Adebayor?  

Or does he start Rafael van der Vaart in a role a little deeper than the striker?

If Redknapp decides to give Defoe the start, he relegates van der Vaart to the right side of midfield, where he is less comfortable.  

If the Dutchman is given the nod, Redknapp risks slowing a flourishing pair who have accounted for five goals in league play.

Newcastle has allowed a Premier League low four goals this season, so it will take real quality from Spurs strikers to break through at Tyneside on Sunday.

Spurs have yet to find a perfect forward pairing, but the outcome of the match against Newcastle will have implications for the future of Tottenham's forwards.

Can Ledley King Stay Healthy?

Ledley King is one of the first names on the team sheet for Tottenham when healthy.  

However, staying healthy has been a struggle throughout King's career. He managed only nine games due to knee problems last season.

At the start of this season, Harry Redknapp told his captain that he has to play at least half of Tottenham's games in order to be offered a new contract. So far, King has played in four games—all wins.  

According to Sports Illustrated, under Redknapp's tenure, Spurs have won 75 percent of their games when King starts—as opposed to 33 percent without him.

Whatever his future holds, one thing is clear: the Spurs are a better team with King on the pitch.  

Can Spurs Survive Their Lack of Midfield Depth?

Currently, Tottenham is in short supply of midfielders. They will be without Niko Kranjcar, Aaron Lennon, Tom Huddlestone and Sandro.  

With the exception of Aaron Lennon, each of those players would be fortunate to start an important Premier League match, but they all offer experience off the bench.  

Experience wins games away from home in a tough environment, experience can come back from a goal down, and experience is what Tottenham will be without as bench options on Sunday versus Newcastle.

Can Tottenham Continue Their Current Form?

No one can question that Tottenham have been in great form over the past four games in the Premier League.

Four games, four wins. Over that period, Spurs have outscored their opponents 10-2, while keeping two clean sheets.  

Since the arrivals of Scott Parker and Emmanuel Adebayor, and the reintroduction of Ledley King, Tottenham have won every game.

However, Newcastle hasn't lost this season and boast the best defensive statistics of any team in the league.  

The match will likely be close, with the team that can show the most quality at the end gaining a well deserved three points.

The question is: Can the Spurs continue their play over the past four games, or will Newcastle remind everyone why they have yet to lose this season?