Overview
Just after the first 2 matches leading Tottenham, Igor Tudor had an emotional explosion moment at the press conference after the defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The Croatian coach expressed extreme frustration with the situation where Raul Jimenez pushed Radu Dragusin but was not penalized. He said this decision was unfair, especially when just a week before that Randal Kolo Muani was penalized for a similar situation in the match against Arsenal.
Not stopping there, Tudor also frankly criticized Tottenham's performance, saying that his team was "lacking in all three areas on the field".
These harsh comments are not without basis. Tottenham is currently the only team in the Premier League that has not won any matches in 2026. The defeat to Fulham also caused Spurs to equalize the longest winless streak in club history in the league, a record that has existed since 1994.
However, Tottenham's situation has not become worse when Nottingham Forest and West Ham also stumbled in the past round. The North London team is currently ranked 16th in the standings, 4 points ahead of the relegation group.
However, after four consecutive defeats in the Premier League, Tottenham is the team with the worst form in the league.
In the next round, Spurs will face Crystal Palace in the London derby. This could be a confrontation between two coaches who are likely to leave their teams at the end of the season, as the future of Tudor at Tottenham and Oliver Glasner at Palace are both being questioned.
Crystal Palace once went through a 12-match winless streak from December to February, but their form has recently improved significantly. "The Eagles" have won 3 of their last 6 matches in all competitions.
Glasner's team also almost caused a surprise against Manchester United at Old Trafford when Maxence Lacroix opened the score in the 4th minute. However, the red card of the French center-back and the penalty afterwards caused Palace to lose 1-2.
Currently Palace is ranked 14th and almost has no worries about the relegation battle. This team has also only lost one of the last 9 London derbies away from home in the Premier League. The only defeat was against Arsenal in October.
However, in the most recent confrontation between the two teams, Tottenham won 1-0 at Selhurst Park. However, Palace once defeated Spurs 2-0 right at Tottenham Hotspur stadium in the final stage of last season.
Personnel situation
Tottenham finally received some positive signs about the force after the match against Fulham when Kevin Danso and Pedro Porro recovered and returned to the squad. However, defender Djed Spence had to withdraw right before the match due to a minor calf injury.
Spence's ability to play in the match against Crystal Palace is still uncertain. Meanwhile, Tottenham still lacks a series of key players due to injury or suspension including Destiny Udogie (leg), Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Ben Davies (ankle), Mohammed Kudus (leg), Rodrigo Bentancur (leg), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), James Maddison (knee), Wilson Odobert (knee) and Cristian Romero (suspended).
In the context of a force shortage, Spurs fans are expecting Mathys Tel to be given a starting spot after an active performance when coming on as a substitute in the match against Fulham. Richarlison is also a bright spot when scoring his eighth goal in the Premier League this season.
On Crystal Palace's side, Oliver Glasner also faced difficulties when center-back Maxence Lacroix was suspended for one match after a red card in the match against Man United at Old Trafford. Chadi Riad is likely to be used in the 3-center-back system to replace him.
In addition to Lacroix, Palace is also short of Cheick Doucoure (knee), Eddie Nketiah (shorts), Jean-Philippe Mateta (knee) and Jefferson Lerma (shorts) due to injuries.
Expected lineup:
Vicario, Danso, Van de Ven, Dragusin, Porro, Sarr, Palhinha, Gray, Simons, Tel, Richarlison.
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Canvot, Richards, Riad, Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell, Sarr, Johnson, Strand Larsen.
The match between Tottenham and Crystal Palace takes place at 3:00 AM on March 6th (Vietnam time).
