Tottenham Hotspur head into a Premier League clash looking for a victory as they make the trip to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Pressure has continued to mount on Thomas Frank at Tottenham in recent weeks due to a run of disappointing results and performances. A significant portion of the supporters have turned against the Dane and are calling for his dismissal, with the Lilywhites slipping into the lower half of the standings.
Spurs were lacklustre in their 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, and Thomas Frank demanded a reaction from his players against Liverpool last weekend. However, that response never came, as a nine-man Tottenham side fell to a 2-1 home defeat against Liverpool. As a result, the north London outfit will cross the capital low on confidence.
Paul Merson delivers his Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham prediction:
Captain Cristian Romero and creative midfielder Xavi Simons are both suspended for Tottenham after receiving red cards against Liverpool. On top of that, Frank is without key figures Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke and James Maddison due to injury, while Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma are away on international duty with Senegal and Mali respectively at the African Cup of Nations.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are without a win in their last four matches across all competitions. They have suffered consecutive league defeats to Manchester City and Leeds United, and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Arsenal in midweek. Even so, the Eagles possess players capable of troubling Tottenham and compounding Frank’s woes.
Paul Merson has now revealed his prediction for the contest. He believes the Carabao Cup loss to Arsenal would have “hurt” Crystal Palace and suggests Oliver Glasner’s side appear fatigued due to their involvement in the Europa League. However, the Sky Sports pundit also admits he cannot see Tottenham claiming victory either, forecasting a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park.
“That loss to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup would have hurt Crystal Palace. Every time I see Palace play, they give me the impression of a team that looks tired. These many games have surely stretched them a bit too much. Palace could leapfrog Manchester United if they win this game though,” Paul Merson made his prediction on Sportskeeda.
“Tottenham were poor against Liverpool. I can’t see them winning this game either. Is this a do-or-die game for Thomas Frank? Well, Spurs have had many other top managers who have failed at the club. So, there is a clear problem at the club that no one has been able to fix.”
Tottenham must bring energy and intensity to match Crystal Palace:
Palace are consistently competitive on home soil and will present a tough test for a Tottenham side lacking belief. While the Eagles have seen their momentum stall with three straight defeats in all competitions, a passionate Selhurst Park crowd will spur them on to battle for every ball.
The onus will be on Tottenham to grind out a result. They must control the contest intelligently, recognising when to speed things up or slow them down. Matching Palace’s physical approach and remaining competitive throughout will be crucial. Another flat performance and defeat, similar to their last away loss at Forest, could place serious pressure on the man in the dugout.