'A real test': Paul Merson now predicts who will win on Sunday Newcastle or Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur come to St James' Park to face Newcastle United in the 1:30pm kick-off on Sunday live on Sky Sports.

The Magpies have enjoyed Spurs' visits to the Cathedral on the Hill of late and fans will be hoping to put the woes of the transfer window behind them by watching a positive performance from the lads at home.

Spurs had a break in midweek as clubs competing in Europe don't enter the Carabao Cup until the third round so they have the potential to be more fresh than Newcastle.

However, with it being early season and players are still working on match sharpness, you could argue that the midweek game gives Newcastle the advantage.

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Paul Merson is backing a Newcastle win on Sunday

It could go either way which makes this game a difficult one to call but call it Paul Merson has, writing for Sportskeeda, and he has gone with a Newcastle win.

"Tottenham had a brilliant result when they beat Everton 4-0 last weekend. But I'm backing Newcastle to win this one. This is a real test for Spurs, especially considering they're playing away from home. In the past, I've seen Tottenham getting destroyed on the road in this particular fixture, so it's a big test for them psychologically as well.

"The fans at St James' Park will definitely be up for this game. It'll be a different atmosphere there on Sunday. Tottenham have a lot to lose here and if they come out of this test unscathed, it'll be a huge positive for them.

"That second half performance against Leicester did not really impress me and that is exactly why I feel Newcastle could beat them in this clash.

"Prediction: Newcastle United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur"

Chris Sutton and Paul Merson disagree on the winner

Chris Sutton and Paul Merson often tend to agree and are often quite close with their predictions, so it's good to see a bit of diversity this season with Sutton backing a Spurs win in his BBC prediction.

This is so often a fixture that suits Newcastle, but that big dark cloud looming over the club right now could change everything.

The performances on the pitch are huge, but this is one where the 50,000 Geordies could play a bigger part than the players.