Important Facts
- Tottenham is only 16th with 29 points, two behind Leeds and two ahead of Forest; against Palace (14th/35) points are suddenly existential in the relegation battle.
- In their last five league games, Spurs have always conceded a goal before the break, forcing risky comebacks and often leaving Vicario and the center backs exposed.
- With eight regulars missing, including Maddison, Kudus, Kulusevski, and Bergvall, as well as Romero’s suspension, creativity and defensive leadership are lacking; Udogie’s absence and Davies’ surgery exacerbate Tottenham’s personnel problems.
- Palace may have mixed results, but they have scored in five consecutive games and showed resilience at Old Trafford despite taking the lead and being a man down, while Henderson provides stability.
- The last five head-to-head matches have not ended in a draw; all started in a controlled manner with under 1.5 goals at halftime, but both teams scored in four consecutive games against each other.
- The goal trends favor betting: Tottenham has conceded goals in each of its last five games, with over 2.5 goals scored in 80% of them, while Palace has also scored five times in a row.
The relegation battle was hardly part of Tottenham’s plans this season, but that’s exactly where Igor Tudor suddenly finds himself in the glaring spotlight. On Thursday evening, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host Crystal Palace: The Spurs are only 16th with 29 points, two behind Leeds above them and two ahead of Forest below them, while Oliver Glasner’s Palace are 14th with 35 points. In December 2025, Gray’s goal at Selhurst Park stole a 1-0 win, but this time Spurs arrive with injury chaos and transfer rumors surrounding Van de Ven.
- Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
- Date and time: March 5, 2026, 9:00 p.m.
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 29)
The bookmakers see the Spurs as slight favorites at home, even though their league form has been pretty ugly lately and Romero’s suspension leaves the defense without its leader. Palace’s argument is simple: they have scored in five consecutive games, while Tottenham has conceded in each of its last five games – often early on.
Tottenham form & record check
Tottenham’s last five league appearances read like a creeping collapse, first the 2-2 draw against Manchester City, then the 2-0 defeat at Manchester United, followed by home defeats against Newcastle (1-2) and Arsenal (1-4), before Sunday’s 2-1 win at Fulham, where Richarlison briefly pulled them back into contention. Even when the score is close, Tottenham often seem a step too slow in midfield and too easy to play against overall. A recurring problem is their start to the game, with Spurs conceding a goal in the first half of each of these five games, forcing them into risky comebacks that leave Vicario and the center backs exposed. The injury list remains long, with Maddison, Kudus, and Bentancur missing, creativity and control are lacking, Udogie is still out, and there are question marks over Spence. The club’s letter to PGMOL also suggests that explanations are currently being sought in the dressing room.
Tudor is likely to stick with the expected 4-4-2, with Vicario behind Porro, Danso, van de Ven, and Gray. Gray at left-back seems like the most obvious consequence of Udogie’s hamstring problems and Davies’ ankle surgery. If Romero’s league suspension remains in place, the center-back pairing is likely to be Danso and van de Ven again. In midfield, Gallagher and Bissouma are expected to be the hard-working runners on the right and left of Palhinha, while Simons is likely to be the key link to the strike duo of Kolo Muani and Solanke. With Maddison, Bentancur, Bergvall, Kulusevski, Kudus, and Odobert all missing, creativity is in short supply, so Tel or Richarlison could be the first attacking substitutes. Spence is doubtful with a minor calf injury.
Crystal Palace Form & Record Check
Palace come into the game with a mixed but overall more stable set of results. In the league, they beat Wolverhampton 1-0, then lost 2-1 at Manchester United, despite taking an early lead and playing most of the second half with ten men. In between, they took care of Zrinjski in the Conference League, drawing 1-1 away and then winning 2-0 at Selhurst Park, and the common thread remains that Palace has scored in each of its last five games. Glasner’s team manages games in phases rather than with constant pressure, and some second halves have been close recently, which makes Lacroix’s suspension uncomfortable. Mateta is still out, Doucouré is out, and Lerma is unlikely to feature, which means the midfield cover sometimes looks thin. Nevertheless, Henderson brings calm, and runners like Sarr and Pino can hurt teams that offer space, especially when Spurs are chasing the game.
Glasner is likely to stick with his familiar 3-4-2-1 formation, with Henderson behind a back three of Richards, Riad, and Canvot. Muñoz and Mitchell look set to start as wingbacks, while Wharton and Kamada could form a duo in the center. Up front, Johnson and Pino are the likely creative forces behind Strand Larsen. The big question mark is availability, with Lacroix suspended after his red card at Old Trafford and Mateta still out with knee problems, so Strand Larsen is likely to be the target man, with Guessand the most likely substitute as Nketiah remains sidelined. Doucouré’s knee surgery also rules him out, and Lerma is not yet expected to return, so Palace could rely heavily on Wharton’s passing, while Kamada’s runs should help link up the pressing.
Tottenham – Crystal Palace Head-to-Head & Statistics
There have been no draws in the last five encounters, and most recently it has almost always been a close affair. Tottenham won 1-0 away in December 2025, but Palace won 2-0 in May 2025 after already winning 1-0 at home in 2024. Tottenham’s last truly convincing performance in this fixture was also in 2024, when they won 3-1 at home, and in 2023 they won 2-1 at Selhurst Park. It is also striking that all five games started in a rather controlled manner, with under 1.5 goals in the first half across the entire series, and four out of five remained under 3.5 overall. At the same time, Tottenham have conceded goals in four consecutive games against Palace, and Palace have scored in four consecutive games against Tottenham, so a clean sheet has rarely been achieved in this fixture.
