Tottenham vs Crystal Palace Premier League preview: Team news and predicted lineups
A relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur side host Crystal Palace on Thursday, hoping to win in the Premier League for the first time in 2026.
After tasting two consecutive London derby defeats in his first two games in charge, Igor Tudor will be desperate to avoid a third in front of a home crowd that has already endured far too much this season.
The 2-1 defeat to Fulham on Sunday would have dragged Spurs even closer to the relegation zone had 17th-placed Nottingham Forest not slipped up themselves. As it stands, Tottenham remain just four points clear of the drop and are the only side in the division yet to win a league match in 2026.
Crystal Palace aren’t exactly having a good season either. They currently occupy 14th place in the Premier League table, a position not helped by letting a one-goal lead slip against Manchester United in their last outing.
However, the Eagles may not be entirely losing sleep over their league standing, with much of their focus shifting toward a meaningful run in the Conference League.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 14 | Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 28 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 30 | 34 | -4 | 35 |
| 15 | LeedsLeeds | 29 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 37 | 48 | -11 | 31 |
| 16 | TottenhamTottenham | 28 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 38 | 43 | -5 | 29 |
| 17 | Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest | 28 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 26 | 41 | -15 | 27 |
| 18 | West HamWest Ham | 28 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 34 | 54 | -20 | 25 |
What time does Tottenham vs Crystal Palace kick off?
Location: London, England
Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Date: Thursday, 5 March 2026
Kick-off Time: 8 pm BST
Referee: Andy Madley
VAR: Nick Hopton
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Tottenham vs Crystal Palace: Head-to-head record
In the reverse fixture earlier this season, Tottenham managed to edge out a 1-0 win thanks to Archie Gray’s first-ever Premier League goal. Despite the result, Palace were arguably the better side on the day and will feel they owe Spurs one.
Historically, the North London side has dominated this fixture, winning 16 of the last 21 league meetings. However, the tide has become less predictable recently, with Palace claiming victory in two of the last three encounters.
Tottenham team news
Djed Spence missed out against Fulham with a minor calf issue and remains a doubt heading into this one.
There was better news elsewhere. Pedro Porro returned to the starting XI at the weekend, while Kevin Danso was fit enough for a place on the bench.
Cristian Romero sits out the final game of his suspension, while a massive injury list includes Destiny Udogie, Ben Davies, James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, and Wilson Odobert.
Crystal Palace team news
Maxence Lacroix, who scored Palace’s only goal against Manchester United, was later sent off and will be suspended for this trip to north London.
Jefferson Lerma, Edward Nketiah, and Jean-Philippe Mateta are all sidelined and aren’t expected back until next month at the earliest.
Predicted line-ups
TOTTENHAM: Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Souza; Gray, Gallagher, Simons; Tel, Solanke, Richarlison
CRYSTAL PALACE: Henderson; Richards, Riad, Canvot; Munoz, Wharton, Pino, Hughes, Sarr; Strand Larsen, Johnson
Our prediction
Injuries are the easy excuse for Tottenham’s freefall, but the issues run deeper than just missing personnel.
On rewatching the defeat to Fulham, there were far too many moments where players such as Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke failed to track back or close gaps quickly enough. Whether that comes from fatigue, uncertainty or a belief that their place is secure, Tudor has to address it.
At this point, fans wouldn’t mind seeing the likes of Antonin Kinsky, Junai Byfield, or Souza get more minutes to prove their hunger.
Mathys Tel was an instant spark off the bench on Sunday and deserves the start here. Alongside him, Richarlison remains the one to watch; both should fancy their chances against a Palace defence missing the quality of Lacroix and Marc Guehi.
For the visitors, all eyes will be on former Spurs man Brennan Johnson. Many in the Tottenham fanbase -and reportedly the dressing room – are still scratching their heads over his January departure. He will almost certainly be motivated to make a point against his old club.
Spurs are at rock bottom in terms of confidence, but there has to be a turning point somewhere. We’re backing them to finally find it here.
Predicted score: Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace
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