Tottenham vs Crystal Palace: Ten Without a Win. This Is Getting Ugly

Let’s not sugarcoat it. Tottenham Hotspur are in freefall.

Sixteenth in the Premier League. Twenty-nine points from twenty-eight games. Ten consecutive league matches without a win — their worst run since the dark days of the early 2000s. Thomas Frank was sacked. Igor Tudor was parachuted in as interim. Nothing has changed.

The numbers paint the picture of a team that’s forgotten how to win: Spurs have never once come from behind to win a league game this season. Not once in 28 attempts. They’ve conceded first in 16 of those matches and their response has been to fold. The home record is genuinely alarming — four wins, three draws, eight defeats at a ground that’s supposed to be one of the most intimidating in English football.

Crystal Palace (13th, 35 points) arrive in north London with six more points than their hosts and a quiet confidence built on Oliver Glasner’s defensive organisation. This is a London derby with relegation undertones for Spurs and mid-table safety for Palace. Thursday, 20:00 GMT, TNT Sports.

Spurs: The Anatomy of a Collapse

Where do you even start? This was supposed to be the season Tottenham pushed for Europe. Instead they’re four points above the relegation zone, watching clubs like Burnley and Wolves in the mirror.

The managerial change from Frank to Tudor in February was supposed to be the jolt. Tudor — the man who turned Marseille into a counter-pressing machine — was meant to bring intensity and structure. Instead, he’s overseen two more defeats and a squad that looks mentally broken. The body language against Fulham at the weekend told the story: heads dropping at 1-0 down, no fight, no belief.

Richarlison leads the scoring charts with 8 Premier League goals, but the Brazilian has looked increasingly isolated. Dominic Solanke has contributed moments — two goals in his last few outings — but the creative supply line is running dry. The expected goal differential tells a brutal story: -5 actual GD against a -10 xGD. They’re actually overperforming their underlying numbers. Which means it could get worse.

The defensive issues are chronic. Cristian Romero is suspended. Destiny Udogie, Djed Spence, Wilson Odobert, and Ben Davies are all injured. Tudor is working with a depleted squad and a broken mentality. That’s a toxic combination.

📊 The Number: 6 points from 30 available in their last 10 home league games. That’s relegation form, plain and simple.

Palace: The Quiet Competence of Glasner

Crystal Palace won’t make many highlight reels this season, but Oliver Glasner has built something solid. Thirteenth with 35 points, comfortably clear of danger, competitive in most matches.

The key stat that should worry Spurs? Palace’s expected goal differential is +4 — meaning they’ve actually been unlucky this season. Their actual GD of -4 suggests results haven’t matched the underlying quality. Positive regression is coming, and it could start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Jean-Philippe Mateta leads the line with 8 goals, though he’s a doubt for Thursday with an injury. Ismaila Sarr (5 goals) and Jørgen Strand Larsen (3) provide alternatives. Brennan Johnson has been a useful addition since arriving from Spurs’ north London rivals. The midfield of Adam Wharton and Will Hughes has been quietly excellent — press-resistant, intelligent, capable of controlling tempo.

The main absence is Maxence Lacroix, suspended after his red card at Old Trafford. But the defensive record away from home has been decent — only twice have Palace conceded under 1.5 goals and failed to pick up points, and one of those was at Arsenal.

The head-to-head favours Spurs historically (18 wins to Palace’s 6 in 27 meetings), but recent form tells a different story. Palace won 2-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last May, with Eberechi Eze scoring twice. Spurs took the reverse fixture 1-0 in December — but that feels like a different era.

Tactical Breakdown

Tudor will likely persist with his preferred 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 formation, though personnel issues may force a back four. Solanke and Richarlison as a front pair, with Kulusevski and Son providing width from deeper positions. The question is whether Spurs can sustain any press — they’ve been the easiest team in the league to play through in transition.

Glasner’s Palace will set up in their familiar 3-4-2-1, compact and disciplined. The wingbacks — Daniel Muñoz on the right, Tyrick Mitchell on the left — will be crucial in nullifying Spurs’ wide play. The key is what happens in transition: Palace’s counter-attacking has been sharp, and Spurs’ makeshift defence is vulnerable to pace.

The Odds

Market	Odds	Implied Prob
Spurs Win	2.46	~41%
Draw	3.30	~30%
Palace Win	2.90	~34%
Over 2.5 Goals	1.80	~56%
Under 2.5 Goals	2.00	~50%
BTTS Yes	1.65	~61%
Palace Double Chance	1.57	~64%

Palace at 2.90 away from home against a team on a 10-match winless run feels like outstanding value. The Double Chance at 1.57 is the safer play.

Projected Lineups

Tottenham (3-4-3): Vicario / Dragusin, van de Ven, Gray / Porro, Sarr, Bentancur, Bergvall / Kulusevski, Solanke, Son OUT: Romero (suspended), Udogie (injury), Spence (injury), Odobert (injury), Davies (injury).

Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Henderson / Richards, Riad, Mitchell / Muñoz, Wharton, Hughes, Sosa / Eze, Sarr / Strand Larsen (or Guessand) OUT: Lacroix (suspended), Doucouré (injury), Nketiah (injury). DOUBTFUL: Mateta (injury).

Our Best Bets

Main Pick: Crystal Palace Win @ 2.90 Palace have the better underlying numbers (+4 xGD vs Spurs’ -10), the better recent form, and the better mentality. Spurs haven’t won in 10. Romero is out. The crowd will turn nervous. Palace won 2-0 here last May and have nothing to fear.

Value Play: Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Palace’s away record: 14 of their last 15 PL away games saw fewer than 3.5 goals. Their last 3 away games were all under 2.5. This is a tight, nervy London derby — not a goalfest.

Punt: Solanke Anytime Scorer @ 3.00 He’s got two goals in recent outings and is Spurs’ most reliable outlet. If they score, it’ll likely come through him. At 3/1 there’s value even in a losing cause.

Our Call: Crystal Palace 1–0 Tottenham. Eze’s quality proves the difference, slotting home from a counter-attack in the second half. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium empties early. Tudor’s reign looks increasingly short-lived.

What’s At Stake

For Spurs, this is about survival — not in the literal relegation sense (probably), but in terms of managerial credibility and season direction. Tudor needs a result. Any result. Eleven without a win would be catastrophic.

For Palace, it’s a chance to climb towards the top half and bank points while they’re available. Glasner knows his team can compete with anyone when the defence is set. A win in north London would be a statement.