TEAM NEWS
Tottenham have reported no fresh injury or Covid-19 concerns ahead of the Boxing Day visit of Crystal Palace.
Cristian Romero and Ryan Sessegnon both remain sidelined with respective hamstring and thigh muscle problems.
Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira said on Friday that the Eagles have “had a couple of cases” of Covid-19 in the last few days.
Midfielder James MacArthur will be absent again because of a hamstring injury.
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
It is so far, so good for Tottenham manager Antonio Conte, who is still unbeaten in the Premier League after five games in charge and is starting to mould the squad into his own team.
Palace outplayed Spurs at Selhurst Park in September, which was the beginning of the end of Nuno Espirito Santo’s short reign as Tottenham boss.
The Eagles will still pose a threat but this is a very different Spurs team, and it is interesting to see Conte giving chances to players who were on the periphery under his predecessor. His team selections are working out pretty well.
Prediction: 2-0
Lawro’s full predictions v 1980s pop legends Tears for Fears
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Tottenham have won the past six Premier League home meetings by an aggregate score of 13-1.
- Crystal Palace are vying to win back-to-back league games against Spurs for the first time.
Tottenham Hotspur
- Tottenham are unbeaten in their last 14 league fixtures on Boxing Day – the longest ongoing run in England’s top four divisions.
- This is their fifth Premier League home game in a row.
- Spurs have scored nine goals in their past four league matches, as many as in their first 11 fixtures this season.
- They have lost five of their last six Premier League London derbies.
- Harry Kane’s tally of eight Premier League goals on Boxing Day is one shy of the record held by Robbie Fowler.
- Kane has scored in all five of his top-flight Boxing Day appearances.
Crystal Palace
- Crystal Palace’s solitary away league victory in eight attempts this season came at Manchester City in October.
- Their only Premier League away win on Boxing Day was against Aston Villa in 2013.
- Palace have scored seven goals in their past three Premier League London derbies, as many as in their previous 10.
- The Eagles are one short of 100 top-flight away victories.
- Palace are 11th, their second highest Premier League position on Christmas Day. They were sixth under Alan Pardew in 2015-16.
- Conor Gallagher has been directly involved in nine Premier League goals this season, scoring six and setting up three.
Choose your Tottenham Hotspur formation and starting line-up. It’s up to you how to approach it – you could go for the team you WANT the boss to pick or the one you THINK he will.
Choose your Crystal Palace starting formation and line-up. It’s up to you how to approach it – you could go for the team you WANT the boss to pick or the one you THINK he will.
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