Paul Merson has given his thoughts on the upcoming clash between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, and it makes for interesting reading. The Eagles make the short trip to North London on Thursday (March 5th) and face a Spurs side in crisis.
Palace may have lost 2-1 to Manchester United on Sunday, but there were plenty of positives to take from the game. Oliver Glasner’s men were in control throughout the first half, and Maxence Lacroix’s controversial sending off changed the game.
The Lilywhites’ season went from bad to worse when they suffered a 2-1 loss away to Fulham. Their caretaker manager, Igor Tudor, is already under pressure, and his team is still without a win in 2026.
Merson says
Spurs are just four points above the drop zone with 10 games remaining. This is a must-win game for Thursday’s opponents, whose status as a Premier League club is in serious jeopardy.
Palace were beaten 1-0 at home in the reverse fixture in December and will be eager to avenge that defeat. The defeat to United means Glasner’s side sit 14th, six points above the North Londoners.
Merson thinks the Eagles will bounce back from their loss at Old Trafford. He wrote in his Sportskeeda column:
“I would have said Tottenham, but I saw Crystal Palace’s last few games and I think if they start well and get a goal early in this game, that will be it!”
Merson added:
“I just cannot put my name against Tottenham. I do not see how they can win this football match. Spurs will not get relegated because they have decent fixtures coming up. But I am not sure they can start winning games straightaway.”
Spurs find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle with Nottingham Forest and West Ham United. Merson feels Tudor’s men aren’t set up for the situation they find themselves in:
“Forest and West Ham can sit back and try to get draws in their games. But because Tottenham are Tottenham, they are a big club and they have to go for the win in games. I have a feeling that this could play into Palace’s hands here.”
He concluded:
“Palace went to Old Trafford and took the lead in that game. Ismaila Sarr and Brennan Johnson can hurt Spurs down the wings. It will be unbelievable if Tottenham lost this game. And it feels like we might just witness it!”
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Crystal Palace
Tottenham’s injury troubles
While Spurs have undoubtedly been one of the Premier League’s worst performers this season, they have been without key players due to injury. Ahead of the game against Palace, there are 10 first-team stars sidelined, including Mohammed Kudus and James Maddison.
Maddison isn’t expected to play again this season due to a knee injury, while Kudus could be back in early April as he recovers from a thigh problem. Their captain, Cristian Romero, won’t feature due to suspension.
Wilson Odobert, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie, and Djed Spence are also injured. It’s a hugely problematic situation they find themselves in because most of these players make the starting lineup.