Tottenham's ideal response to Newcastle defeat hinges on two players

Tottenham will be hoping for two players to stand up and be counted as they seek an immediate response to their defeat at Newcastle last weekend. The north Londoners were made to pay for their wastefulness as Harvey Barnes and Alexander Isak fired the hosts to victory.

Spurs drew level after Barnes' opener when Dan Burn turned the ball into his own net to give the visitors a lifeline. However, they failed to find the elusive breakthrough before Isak struck late to claim all three points for the Magpies.

It was a frustrating display from Tottenham, who huffed and puffed in the closing stages without any end product and were made to suffer the consequences. They will be desperate to redeem themselves at the next opportunity by putting Arsenal to the sword in the north London derby.

Tottenham will have the benefit of home advantage but will need two players to shine in order to stand the best chance of victory. Dominic Solanke would provide an extra cutting edge in attack if he recovers from the ankle injury which has seen him miss Tottenham's last two games.

The former Bournemouth striker arrived during the summer and certainly knows where the net is, having scored 19 league goals for the Cherries last season. His proficiency in front of goal could hold the key to a derby day triumph over Arsenal if he is deemed fit enough to play.

Ange Postecoglou revealed after Tottenham's victory over Everton that Solanke's injury was a minor one but warned that he might not return until after the international break. It leaves him in a race against time to recover before Spurs host their fiercest rivals next weekend.

Micky van de Ven will also be hoping to return to fitness for the visit of Arsenal, having missed the game against Newcastle with a knee problem. He appeared to suffer the injury against Everton and was not risked over the weekend with Postecoglou taking a cautious approach.

Van de Ven recently withdrew from the Netherlands squad over the international break to focus on his recovery. He is expected to be ready to face Arsenal and will be a hugely important asset for Spurs when it comes to stopping the likes of Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz.

It remains to be seen if Tottenham will be able to claim the local bragging rights next weekend, with Arsenal clearly the better side as things stand. However, having Solanke and Van de Ven back in the team will increase their chances of securing a morale-boosting victory.