Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Prediction & Match Preview
The upcoming London derby scheduled for Friday features Crystal Palace taking on Tottenham, marking the commencement of the tenth round in the current Premier League season.
Crystal Palace, known as the Eagles, are determined to bounce back following a heavy 4-0 defeat to Newcastle United. However, their path to recovery presents another formidable challenge as they face Tottenham.
It’s worth noting that Crystal Palace will be without the services of several key players due to injuries. Tomkins, Ayew, Eze, Schlupp, and Olise are sidelined, but there are no suspended players on the home team’s side.
Conversely, the capital club, Tottenham, is in pursuit of their fourth consecutive victory in the league. Ange Postecoglou’s squad faced minimal obstacles during their recent 2-0 triumph over Fulham.
Taking into account Palace’s defensive struggles in their defeat at St. James’ Park, Tottenham appears to be a tempting choice for our bet.
There is uncertainty regarding Ben Davies’ fitness for the local derby, as he races against the clock to recover. On a positive note for Tottenham, the influential midfielder, Yves Bissouma, is set to return to the starting lineup after serving a one-game suspension against the Cottagers.
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Crystal Palace continues to grapple with numerous injury concerns, particularly in their attacking department. Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze remain sidelined, along with defenders Nathan Ferguson and James Tomkins, and goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Jeffrey Schlupp is also unlikely to make an appearance as he approaches his return from an injury layoff.
In the absence of Olise and Eze, the front three against Newcastle featured Jordan Ayew, Odsonne Edouard, and Jean-Philippe Mateta. However, there is a possibility that summer signing Matheus Franca may find a place in the attacking lineup, striving to secure a starting role after making his debut for the club as a substitute in the 4-0 defeat.
Manager Hodgson is expected to maintain a consistent midfield trio of Will Hughes, Cheick Doucoure, and Jefferson Lerma in their 4-3-3 formation.
At the heart of the defense, Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi will aim to regain their solidity after the defeat against Newcastle disrupted their streak of consecutive clean sheets. They will provide protection in front of goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
On the Tottenham side, Ange Postecoglou is likely to field a starting XI similar to their recent victory over Fulham, despite the quick turnaround. However, one change is anticipated, with Yves Bissouma set to return to the midfield in place of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who served a suspension in the last match.
Pape Sarr is expected to start from the beginning, even though he was substituted in the second half against Fulham. The back four remains unchanged with Pedro Porro, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, and Destiny Udogie.
In their 4-2-3-1 formation, Son Heung-min is set to lead the forward line once again, having already scored seven Premier League goals this season. James Maddison, with three goals and five assists, will continue to play a pivotal role. This leaves Brennan Johnson, Richarlison, and Dejan Kulusevski vying for the two wide positions.
