Tottenham host Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 31 October at 17:30 GMT, and Roberto De Zerbi is expected to make three changes to the side that won 2-0 at Chelsea, with Dominic Solanke leading the line, Pedro Porro back at right-back and Mateus Fernandes pushed forward into the number 10 role because James Maddison is a doubt.
Tottenham predicted XI
Tottenham predicted XI (4-2-3-1)
Spurs go into the game chasing a third straight league win. They beat Coventry City 3-1 at home on Monday 19 October and then won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, when a Mike Penders own goal in the 77th minute and a Mathys Tel strike in the 87th gave them a first league win at Chelsea since 2018. De Zerbi has a full week to prepare because Spurs are out of the Carabao Cup, while Palace play at Fulham on Wednesday night before making the trip across London.
Team news: Maddison doubt, Bentancur still banned
Maddison is the main doubt. He started at Chelsea but went off injured early in the second half, with Conor Gallagher replacing him in the 51st minute, and De Zerbi said afterwards that the problem did not look serious but needed a check. With Maddison only recently back in the side, the sensible call is not to risk him from the start against Palace.
Rodrigo Bentancur serves the final game of his suspension, so he is not available to come back into midfield. Destiny Udogie is still out with a knee problem, which means Andy Robertson continues at left-back. Savio and Mykhailo Mudryk are also still sidelined, and Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert remain long-term absentees. Lucas Bergvall and Tosin Adarabioyo are both pushing to be involved again after knee and calf problems, but neither is expected to start.
The three changes explained
Porro for Archie Gray at right-back is a positional swap rather than a dropping. Gray played right-back at Chelsea and did his job well, but Porro got 26 minutes off the bench in that game after returning to the squad and offers more going forward at home, where Spurs will expect to have most of the ball. Gray does not leave the side. He moves into midfield next to Sandro Tonali, the pairing that gives De Zerbi a ball winner and a passer at the base of the 4-2-3-1.
That move frees Fernandes to play higher. Fernandes and Tonali were paired together in midfield for the first time at Chelsea and controlled the game for long spells. Fernandes also takes the set pieces that produced the opening goal at Stamford Bridge, his corner forcing the Penders own goal, so keeping him on the pitch in the Maddison role keeps that threat in the side.
Up front, Solanke replaces Omar Marmoush. Marmoush missed a clear chance in the first half at Chelsea and came off after 65 minutes, while Solanke gives Spurs a fixed point to play into against a Palace side that will sit in and defend its box. Mohammed Kudus keeps his place on the right and Tel, who scored the second goal at Chelsea with a run from his own half, stays on the left. Bergvall, if he makes the squad, is an option off the bench rather than from the start.
What Palace bring to north London
Palace arrive on seven points and under pressure. Pierre Sage’s side lost 2-0 at home to Newcastle United on Sunday, with Will Osula and Harvey Barnes scoring in the second half, and they have a Carabao Cup tie at Fulham on Wednesday to get through before Saturday. Spurs have the fresher squad and the home crowd, but Palace won on their last league visit to this ground in March, so De Zerbi’s players do not need reminding that a slow start gets punished.
The confirmed team news comes an hour before kick-off on Saturday. Spurs are next in action at Leeds United on Saturday 7 November.
The lineup in full
Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson; Tonali, Gray; Kudus, Fernandes, Tel; Solanke.