Tottenham Hotspur will host Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, looking to build momentum towards the UEFA Europa League final.
Tottenham Hotspur are without a win in the last four Premier League matches, and they are 16th in the table ahead of the game vs Crystal Palace. The Lilywhites will look to bounce back strongly and finish the season on a high.
Spurs are 16th in the Premier League standings, and a club of their stature should be pushing for a place in the top four. It remains to be seen whether they can give the fans something to cheer about.
On the other hand, Crystal Palace are without a win in their last five Premier League matches, and they are 12th in the table. The Eagles will look to finish the season strongly and push for a place in the top half.
Oliver Glasner’s men are up against a vulnerable Tottenham side, and it remains to be seen whether they can pull off an upset away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Radu Dragusin and Lucas Bergvall will miss out with knee injuries. James Maddison also picked up a knee injury recently, and Son Heung-min is sidelined as well.
Tottenham Hotspur will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Crystal Palace, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal. Pedro Porro and Djed Spence will start as the full-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Cristian Romero will pair up alongside Micky van de Ven at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Pape Matar Sarr will start alongside Yves Bissouma in the double pivot, and they will look to break down the opposition’s attacking moves.
Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel will start on the flanks, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. Dejan Kulusevski will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates. Finally, Dominic Solanke will spearhead the Tottenham attack vs Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bissouma, Sarr; Johnson Kulusevski, Tel; Solanke
Crystal Palace
Oliver Glasner will be without Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure due to long-term knee injuries. Crystal Palace will shape up in a 3-4-1-2 formation vs Tottenham Hotspur, with Dean Henderson in goal.
Chris Richards will start alongside Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi in the back three. They will look to keep things compact at the back. Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell will start as the wing-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch.
As for the midfield unit, Will Hughes and Adam Wharton will add creativity and defensive cover to the side. Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr will start in the attacking midfield roles, and they will look to link up with striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Guehi, Lacroix; Munoz, Hughes, Wharton, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta
Key Stats
- Tottenham have scored at least two goals in five of their last six home matches against Crystal Palace in all competitions.
- Crystal Palace have drawn their last three matches in the Premier League.
- Tottenham have won their last eight home matches against Crystal Palace across all competitions.
- 16 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Eberechi Eze is vying to score in three straight Premier League games for the first time in what would be his 268th league appearance
Player to Watch
Dejan Kulusevski
The Swedish international has done quite well in the Premier League for Tottenham, and he is our key player to watch out for. They will need him to step up and deliver in the final third. With some of their key players out with injury, Kulusevski will need to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net as well.
There is no doubt that the Swede has the technical attributes and the vision to open up the Crystal Palace defence, and it remains to be seen whether he can help his side grind out all three points at home.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Crystal Palace
Tottenham are certainly the better team on paper, and they will be expected to grind out of victory here. Both teams are in similar form right now, and they have been quite disappointing in recent weeks. This is likely to be a contest, but Tottenham have more depth on the side.
Spurs have an impressive record against the Eagles as well. They have picked up five wins from the last six matches against Crystal Palace. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, but Tottenham have the quality to edge this one. A narrow victory for the home team is on the cards.
