The Premier League midweek concludes on Thursday night in North London as a reeling Tottenham Hotspur side welcomes Crystal Palace, with interim boss Igor Tudor desperate to end an alarming winless streak.
Spurs enter this third consecutive London derby in a precarious state, currently sitting 16th in the table and just four points above the relegation zone. Following a bruising 2–1 defeat at Fulham on Sunday, Tottenham are now the only side in the Premier League without a victory in 2026, equalling a club-record winless run of 10 matches last seen in 1994. Igor Tudor has been vocal about his side’s lack of “brains” and “personality,” and he faces a mounting challenge to steer the Europa League winners away from an unthinkable drop to the Championship.
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 14th place, six points ahead of their hosts. Oliver Glasner’s men were unfortunate to see a winning streak snapped at Old Trafford on Sunday, where they led early before a “harsh” red card saw them fall to a 2–1 defeat against Manchester United. Despite that setback, the Eagles have won three of their last six matches in all competitions and boast an exceptional recent record in away London derbies, losing just one of their last nine.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 5 March 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
- Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
- Referee: Andy Madley
- VAR: Nick Hopton
- Last Meeting: Crystal Palace 0–1 Tottenham Hotspur (28 Dec 2025), Premier League
Team News
Tottenham Hotspur
Igor Tudor is managing a depleted squad with several long-term absentees, including James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Mohammed Kudus. Captain Cristian Romero remains suspended, while Destiny Udogie is out for at least another fortnight. Djed Spence is a major doubt after missing the Fulham game with a calf injury, but Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso are available to continue their returns from layoff.
Crystal Palace
The Eagles will be without key defender Maxence Lacroix, who serves a one-match ban following his red card against Manchester United. Chadi Riad is expected to deputise in the back three. Palace also remain without Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eddie Nketiah, Jefferson Lerma, and Cheick Doucouré. However, Jørgen Strand Larsen is expected to lead the line despite being withdrawn early at the weekend.
Form
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs are in the midst of their toughest spell in recent memory, having lost four consecutive Premier League games. Notably, Tottenham have won just one of their last 13 home league matches—a run that matches their worst-ever home form from the 1993-94 season. Their defensive struggles in London derbies are also evident, with the club suffering four home derby losses this season, a new club record for a single campaign.
Crystal Palace
The Eagles have found stability under Glasner, picking up twice as many points (6) in their last three games as they did in their previous nine combined. Notably, this is Palace’s third consecutive meeting with Spurs while sitting above them in the table. While they have lost 16 of their last 21 against Tottenham, they won this exact fixture 2–0 last season and have lost just one away London derby since October.
Predicted Lineups
Tottenham Hotspur Predicted XI (3-4-1-2): Vicario; Danso, Van de Ven, Dragusin; Porro, Sarr, Palhinha, Gray; Simons; Tel, Richarlison
Crystal Palace Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Canvot, Richards, Riad; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Johnson; Strand Larsen
How to Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace?
The match will be televised live in the UK on TNT Sports 1. Coverage begins at 19:00 GMT ahead of the 20:00 kick-off.
Read more- Spurs boss Tudor: Relegation fight not real pressure like ‘doctors and nurses’
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