Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match Preview and Team News | OneFootball

South London serves as the stage for a critical Premier League encounter on Sunday afternoon as Crystal Palace welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Selhurst Park.

Oliver Glasner’s men are eager to move past their midweek Carabao Cup heartbreak, where they held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw before falling in a “gut-wrenching” penalty shootout. The Eagles are currently sitting 8th in the table and are desperate to arrest a worrying slide in league form.

They face a Tottenham side under intense scrutiny, with manager Thomas Frank seeking to steady the ship after four losses in their last six top-flight matches. Spurs were reduced to nine men in a damaging home defeat to Liverpool last weekend and currently sit 14th in the standings. Overcoming a dismal away record will be the priority for the visitors, who have conceded 18 goals in their last five road trips—an average of one every 25 minutes.

Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match Preview and Team News

Team News

Crystal Palace

The Eagles are navigating a new injury crisis following their midweek exploits. Chris Richards is a major doubt after sustaining a “freak foot injury” against Arsenal, while Eddie Nketiah is being monitored after picking up a knock in the same match. They join an absentee list that includes Daniel Muñoz, Daichi Kamada, Cheick Doucouré, and Chadi Riad. Additionally, Ismaïla Sarr is unavailable as he represents Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations. However, Jean-Philippe Mateta is expected to lead the line despite a persistent knee issue.

Tottenham Hotspur

Thomas Frank is forced into several alterations due to a flurry of suspensions. Xavi Simons begins a three-game ban following his red card against Liverpool, while Cristian Romero is also suspended. Consequently, Kevin Danso is expected to start in central defence. The visitors are also missing Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma due to AFCON duty, while Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Destiny Udogie remain sidelined with long-term injuries.

Form

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace enter this fixture aiming to uphold a proud year-end tradition, having won their final league game in each of the last four calendar years. While their recent league form has stuttered, the Eagles remain a formidable prospect at Selhurst Park, where Jean-Philippe Mateta has been lethal, scoring 23 goals across his last 31 Premier League starts. Palace will also draw confidence from last season’s results, having secured a historic league double over the Lilywhites without conceding a goal.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham, by contrast, must address a worrying trend in away London derbies, having won only one of their last 19 such fixtures when facing opponents starting the day above them in the table. Their defensive resilience will be tested following a run that saw them concede 18 goals in five away games. Despite these struggles, Spurs have historically performed well in their year-end finales, losing only once in the last 16 calendar years. Pedro Porro remains their primary creative outlet, leading the team in both line-breaking passes and chances created this season.

Predicted Lineups

Crystal Palace predicted XI: Henderson; Canvot, Lacroix, Guéhi; Clyne, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Pino, Devenny; Mateta

Tottenham Hotspur predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Gray, Bentancur; Kudus, Bergvall, Kolo Muani; Richarlison

How to watch Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur?

The match will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event. Coverage begins at 16:00 GMT, ahead of the 16:30 kick-off.

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