The roller coaster ride that comes with supporting Spurs was summed up in 90 minutes at Anfield last Sunday. Another unacceptable defensive display early on was belatedly addressed, and it seemed as if the side had snatched a point in the dying moments.
It’s the hope that kills you – so they say. At least there were some positives from that 4-3 loss, but Tottenham simply cannot allow teams to establish big leads so early on.
Having faced three tough fixtures in just over a week, things begin to look easier on paper, but this is where the squad will be tested. Is there enough quality and belief to claim the points in more winnable games, or will this frustrating run continue?
We’ll soon find out as Crystal Palace make the short trip across London for Saturday’s 3pm fixture.
Team News
After assaulting Diogo Jota’s boot with his head last weekend, Oliver Skipp is a minor doubt for the Palace game. Our defensive midfielder required stitches, but the medical team are hopeful that he will make the matchday squad.
It’s also suggested that Hugo Lloris may be fit to return following his hip injury.
Otherwise, the injury news is largely unchanged. Rodrigo Bentancur is out for the rest of the season, while Yves Bissouma, Emerson Royal and Ryan Sessegnon will also be absent on Saturday. In all three cases, a return date is now listed as ‘unknown’, but it’s still suggested that Bissouma, Emerson and Sessegnon will be available before the end of the campaign.
Yves Bissouma #38 of Tottenham Hotspur during the Carabao Cup Third Round match Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur at City Ground, Nottingham, United Kingdom, 9th November 2022
(Photo by Gareth Evans/News Images)
Match Odds
Spurs will start as favourites for the three points and the best industry odds on the home win currently stand at 6/7 with 10Bet and VBet. The draw is the next available option at a top price of 3/1 with BetFred, while victory for Crystal Palace completes this section at a best of 13/4 with Coral.
The appointment of Roy Hodgson has led to improved results for Palace and the team has edged clear of the relegation zone. Over their last six league games, the Eagles have claimed 13 points and that’s the fourth best record in the division over that period of time.
Palace have also started scoring and, after a barren run, the team put four past West Ham last weekend. They could certainly be dangerous opponents on Saturday, but who are the players who can decide the destiny of this fixture?
Side Markets
Harry Kane was on target again last weekend, and our main striker is unchallenged at the top of the first goalscorer market. Kane struck his 27th goal of the season at Anfield and he’s on offer at 3/1 with 888Sport to find the net first on Saturday.
Son Heung-Min follows at 6/1 with Coral and Ladbrokes, while Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha breaks the Spurs monopoly at 38/5 with VBet.
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 31, 2019: Wilfried Zaha of Palace pictured during the 2019/20 Premier League game between Crystal Palace FC and Aston Villa FC at Selhurst Park.
Other first goalscorer options for Tottenham backers include Richarlison at 13/2 with Ladbrokes, Arnaut Danjuma at 13/2 with Coral, Lucas Moura at 11/1 with 888Sport, Dejan Kulusevski at 13/1 with Unibet and Ivan Perisic at 18/1 with BetFred.
Moving away from the players, Both Teams to Score is quoted for Saturday’s game at best industry odds of 3/4 with Unibet. Those looking to get behind the no option on BTTS will find a figure of 23/20 with Ladbrokes and Coral.
Next, we’ll cross to the Total Combined Goals betting where a stake Above the 2.5 line will currently be paid at a top price of 10/13 with 10Bet and VBet. If we push that up one step, betting Over the 3.5 line will attract a best of 2/1 with BetFred.
If you’re expecting a much quieter 90 minutes in this match, Under 2.5 Goals is on offer at best odds of 19/17 with VBet.
That leaves us to sign off with some Correct Score options. The match result betting hints at a relatively narrow home win, so you could consider Spurs 2 Crystal Palace 1 at best odds of 8/1 with Unibet, while the same scoreline in favour of the away side is quoted at 13/1 with Unibet again. The 1-1 draw might attract interest among the neutrals at 13/2 with Quinnbet and Betway.
Last Season
Last season’s corresponding fixture took place on Boxing Day 2021 and it finished with a positive result for the home side. Spurs won by a 3-0 scoreline with goals coming from Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-Min.
Palace’s cause wasn’t helped by the fact that they had Wilfried Zaha sent off for a second yellow card on 37 minutes but, by that stage, they were already 2-0 down. Spurs couldn’t quite punish 10-man Palace, but the result on that occasion wasn’t really in doubt.
Lucas Moura claimed the player of the match award with two assists to go with his goal. It’s tough to see him being so effectively involved this time, but a repeat of that 3-0 scoreline would be nice.
Verdict
We’ve said it before in recent weeks, but how can we possibly know what to expect on Saturday? In the last three games, Spurs have largely been poor, but there have been signs of some fight among the squad, especially since Ryan Mason was given sole caretaker charge.
We also have to remember that we have played three very strong teams in that period. Newcastle, Manchester United and Liverpool all sit in the top five, although that still doesn’t excuse the fact that Tottenham have conceded 12 goals in those fixtures.
The defence is the obvious concern, but will we see an improvement at home to one of the perceived, weaker sides?
It may be a case of needing to score one more goal than the opposition and, for that reason, we’ll start our selection of tips with a stake Over the 3.5 goal line. Although Palace’s problems in front of goal were a contributory factor in the removal of Patrick Vieira, the fact that the Eagles scored four last weekend suggests that they will enjoy playing against Spurs’ defence.
We’ll also add Both Teams to Score, and we’ll leave it at that for this week. With the exception of Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, the odds on Spurs’ individual goal scorers are just too short in relation to what they’ve actually delivered.
Those are the two selections, so let’s just hope that the majority of those goals end up in the Crystal Palace net.
Best Bets
- Over 3.5 Goals at 2/1 with BetFred
- Both Teams to Score at 3/4 with Unibet