Crystal Palace hosts Tottenham Hotspur in weekend clash.
Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham Hotspur kicks off at 16:30 [GMT] on Sunday, December 28, at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace [LWWLL] welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Selhurst Park looking to reassert control over a fixture that swung decisively in their favor last season. The Eagles completed a rare Premier League double over Spurs, winning both meetings without conceding, as many victories as they had managed in their previous 22 league encounters combined. One of those wins came in this exact fixture last term, when Jean-Philippe Mateta’s solitary goal sealed a 1–0 victory, handing Tottenham a result they had never previously suffered at Selhurst Park in consecutive seasons. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, enters this contest with mixed momentum. Back-to-back defeats against Manchester City (0–3) and Leeds United (1–4) have stalled their progress, and another loss would equal their longest Premier League losing run under Oliver Glasner. However, Selhurst Park has often been a place of resurgence, particularly late in the year. Palace have won their final league match in each of the last four calendar years, a sharp contrast to the nine-year spell before that in which they failed to do so even once. Mateta remains central to Palace’s hopes. The French forward has been prolific at home, scoring 23 goals in his last 31 Premier League starts at Selhurst Park, and he has already shown he can decide this fixture. In midfield, Adam Wharton could also reach a notable milestone. If selected, he will become the Palace player with the most Premier League starts aged 21 or under, surpassing Michael Olise, a testament to his growing importance in Glasner’s system. A 4—2—3—1 with Mateta in attack is expected against Spurs.
Historically, Tottenham [LDWLL] tend to finish calendar years strongly, having lost their final league game in just one of the last 16 years. However, their record in away London derbies against teams starting above them is far less convincing. They have won just one of their last 19 such matches, underlining a recurring struggle in hostile capital environments. For Tottenham, creativity from deep areas has been a key feature of their season. Pedro Porro leads all Spurs players for both line-breaking passes and passes breaking the opposition’s defensive line, while only Mohammed Kudus has created more chances for the club. His influence will be crucial in trying to unlock a Palace side that is typically compact and aggressive at home. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Richarlison in attack is expected against Palace. Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons are both suspended for this fixture.