Tottenham host Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 31 October 2026 in a Gameweek 9 fixture that means very different things to the two sides. Spurs sit 14th with nine points from eight games and are chasing a third successive league win for the first time since early 2025, whereas Palace languish 17th with seven points and the worst defensive record in the division after conceding 19 goals. Roberto De Zerbi, appointed on 31 March 2026 after replacing Igor Tudor, has stabilised results since arriving, with a summer transfer outlay exceeding £300m giving him the personnel for possession dominant football. For Pierre Sage, in charge since June 2026, the situation is more urgent: Palace sit one point above the relegation zone and a third straight defeat on Saturday could drop them into it.
Spurs arrive with momentum after back to back wins, having beaten Chelsea 2-0 on 24 October and Coventry City 3-1 around 19 October, lifting them from a grim opening that had yielded just three points from five games. Palace's last five reads L D W L L and those two losses tell the story: a 0-2 defeat at Newcastle on 25 October and a 5-0 thrashing at Brighton on 19 October that exposed everything wrong with their defensive shape in transition.
Spurs go into this with a threadbare squad, with Rodrigo Bentancur serving the last of a three match ban, James Maddison a major doubt with a groin problem, Savinho out with a muscle injury, Wilson Odobert sidelined with a knee problem and Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall and Tosin Adarabioyo all carrying concerns of their own. De Zerbi will likely lean on Mathys Tel, who scored in the Chelsea win, with Micky van de Ven anchoring the defence.
Palace are without Ismaila Sarr until after the November break, Takehiro Tomiyasu with a calf injury and Chadi Riad long term with an ACL injury, while Jorgen Strand Larsen is a doubt with an ankle issue. That leaves Jean-Philippe Mateta to lead the line alone, likely without a natural wide partner given Strand Larsen's doubt and Adam Wharton to screen the back line and win the ball back in the press.
De Zerbi typically sets Spurs up in a 4-2-3-1, pushing the full backs high while the double pivot holds shape behind them. Without Maddison, the creative burden falls to Tel and the remaining midfielders, who need to exploit the space behind Palace's high defensive line. Sage's side usually sit in a 3-4-2-1 that has conceded 19 goals already, which tells you how poorly they have handled pressure on the flanks and in transition.
The central duel between Spurs' midfield and Wharton matters here. If Tottenham can bypass him through quick combinations, they open the space behind Palace's high line that De Zerbi's system is designed to exploit. Van de Ven's recovery pace should allow him to track Mateta's runs in behind, where Palace tend to target, though Tyrick Mitchell's attacking runs from left back could test Tottenham's right side if Udogie doesn't make it. The absences of Bentancur and the doubts over Bergvall reduce Spurs' physicality in midfield, so De Zerbi may rely more on positional discipline than pressing intensity. Brighton ripped Palace apart by targeting the gaps that open during their transitions and Spurs' double pivot switching play quickly could force Palace's wing backs to slide and open the same channels.
Spurs have won 38 of 69 meetings between the sides, with Palace winning just 16, though Palace took the last two Premier League fixtures at this ground and there have been no draws in the last 11 meetings.
Palace are dangerous from set pieces, with Mateta's aerial ability a genuine threat from corners, particularly as Spurs' depleted squad means fewer bodies to contest second balls. Going the other way, Tottenham's sustained possession tends to generate their own dead ball opportunities, though losing Maddison reduces the quality of their delivery.
The combinations between Tel and Spurs' overlapping full backs, which carved Chelsea open a week ago, give De Zerbi's side the clearest route through a Palace defence that has conceded 19 in eight games and is missing Riad's presence at the back. Mateta's aerial threat from set pieces and his ability to run in behind make him dangerous if Spurs' back line switches off and Palace's inability to defend transitions over the last three weeks is ultimately the deciding factor. Spurs' growing control under De Zerbi makes 2-1 the likeliest outcome.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
