Two London clubs still striving for end-of-season silverware do battle in a Premier League derby on Sunday afternoon, as Tottenham Hotspur welcome Crystal Palace to their headquarters.
With the Lilywhites prioritising Europa League glory and Palace having one eye on the imminent FA Cup final, this all-capital clash may not be the most feisty affair of the season.
Match preview
A brave man once said he always wins things in his second year – a claim that was no doubt met with scepticism and ridicule at the time – but Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is just 90 minutes away from fulfilling that prophecy in Europe’s secondary competition.
Weathering a literal storm in the Arctic Circle against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night, Spurs went about their business professionally and punched their ticket to the showpiece match with a 5-1 aggregate semi-final win, setting up an intriguing finale with fellow Premier League strugglers Manchester United.
As all roads lead to Bilbao for the Lilywhites, the hosts should simply be going through the motions in the Premier League between now and the end of the season, where the overriding goal for 16th-placed Spurs should simply be avoiding a 17th-placed finish.
Last weekend’s forgettable 1-1 stalemate with West Ham United stretched Tottenham’s winless sequence in the top flight to four matches, while only one of their last nine in the division has ended in success, and even that came at home to a doomed Southampton last month.
Postecoglou’s men have failed to get the better of West Ham, Fulham and Chelsea in that time, contributing to the hosts only picking up a measly 11 points from 11 Premier League London derbies this season; no capital outfit has collected fewer in such matches.
While Tottenham can only secure European football for 2025-26 via a Europa League triumph, Crystal Palace remain in with the slimmest possibility of sneaking into the Premier League’s top eight, which may provide a pathway into the Conference League for next season.
However, given that Oliver Glasner‘s men are seven points below Bournemouth with just three games remaining, the Eagles’ best chance of cracking the continent will arguably come at Wembley, as anticipation grows for a fascinating FA Cup final against Manchester City in two weekends’ time.
Sunday’s trip to Spurs therefore represents Palace’s final chance to regain some momentum, which Glasner’s men have lost rather alarmingly in recent weeks; after winning five in a row in all competitions between February 22 and March 29, they have now triumphed in just two of their last eight.
A 1-1 stalemate with Nottingham Forest in Monday night’s affair left Crystal Palace winless in five successive top-flight matches, although the Eagles only require one win to match their club record of 49 Premier League points; never before have they hit a half-century in the competition.
History suggests that Palace will not be equalling their Premier League best at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, though, as the Eagles have been beaten in each of their last nine top-flight games away to Spurs, although a Jean-Philippe Mateta-inspired 1-0 home win in October means that the visitors are on course for a first-ever league double over their London rivals.
Team News
The one slightly sour note of Spurs’ victory over Bodo/Glimt in midweek was Brennan Johnson coming off with a knock midway through the second half, but there is no serious concern over the Welshman, who will surely be one of several rested either way.
However, James Maddison has joined Lucas Bergvall (ankle) and Radu Dragusin (knee) in the season-ending injuries club with the knee problem he suffered in the semi-final first leg, while it remains to be seen if foot victim Son Heung-min will be back in the squad as he manages a troublesome issue.
The Spurs captain’s nine Premier League goals against Palace is his second-most against a single opponent in the competition after Southampton (11), but Mathys Tel and the now seldom-seen Mikey Moore are capable deputies.
Glasner and Postecoglou can empathise when it comes to key midfielders picking up ankle problems, as Adam Wharton sustained a twist in the draw with Nottingham Forest, which forced him off on the 61-minute mark.
The Palace boss expressed hope at the time that Wharton’s issue was only minor, but the ex-Blackburn Rovers man will not be available on Sunday as the Eagles desperately try to recover him in time for the FA Cup final.
Wharton joins knee victims Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure on the sidelines, and either Will Hughes or Jefferson Lerma will deputise for the Englishman alongside Daichi Kamada, who has unexpectedly forced his way into the visitors’ XI in recent weeks.
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Vicario; Gray, Danso, Davies, Spence; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Sarr; Odobert, Tel, Moore
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Hughes, Kamada, Mitchell; Eze, Sarr; Mateta
We say: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Crystal Palace
Ferocity and flair can normally be expected in London derbies, but surely not this one, as Postecoglou and Glasner’s chief priorities will no doubt be avoiding any more fitness concerns ahead of their respective cup finals.
As a result, another underwhelming affair should be expected at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where both bottom-half clubs will be content with a point.
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