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Tottenham Hotspur had a dominant win last weekend over Chelsea, 2-0, and made a statement that they are indeed back under Roberto De Zerbi, but veteran left back Andy Robertson had a pretty quiet day going forward and had some nervy moments defensively that neither Cole Palmer nor Pedro Neto were sharp enough to take advantage of against a game Antonin Kinsky in goal.

In total, Robertson has been a bit of a disappointment this season, because for every game he has played well and generated chances for Spurs, he's had a couple where he has looked slow and like a liability defensively, which was why Liverpool let their club legend go in the first place.

But looking at this latest performance against Crystal Palace, Robertson was in his element and starting again while Destiny Udogie made an appearance off the bench in recovery from his latest nagging injury.

Andy Robertson is the right choice against the right opponent

Robertson created three chances for his teammates, won two tackles, and even popped off a couple of shots on target. He provided a great outlet on the left side in conjunction with Mathys Tel, completing 96 percent of his 89 pass attempts with four accurate crosses on seven attempts, which is a marked improvement from where he was at against Chelsea.

This performance against Crystal Palace is reassuring, because it shows that Robertson does have a role to play for Tottenham Hotspur this season in conjunction with Udogie as a left back. As you would expect, at this stage of his career, Andy Robertson is not a world class left back, but he is still a decent Premier Leaguer who is good enough to help dominate weaker sides like Palace and hold his own against the middle of the table.

Against a bigger club with athletic superstars like Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto, it is going to be more difficult for Robertson to play well, and he can get exposed just because he does not have the same pace - and then he can't do much going forward. But even against Chelsea, Robertson wasn't costly; Tottenham still one that game.

One week later, Robbo was one of the better players on the pitch, and he exceeded expectations. The technical quality and mental sharpness never go away with age, and you could see that with his quality of passing and crossing against Crystal Palace. Tottenham will want to see more of this from Robbo, and hopefully, Udogie can be healthy enough for the biggest games, but in the meantime, they should rotate Robbo heavily against these sorts of teams to keep Udogie freshest for what matters most.

Today's best reads

Andy Robertson is still not doing what Tottenham paid him to do

Roberto De Zerbi provides injury updates on two key players for Crystal Palace clash

Tottenham have a better way to replace Destiny Udogie than Andy Robertson

Tottenham Hotspur Are Finally Giving Fans Reasons to Believe Again

Mathys Tel made sure he isn't losing his starting 11 spot anytime soon

Tottenham Hotspur took full advantage of Crystal Palace going down to 10 men less than 15 minutes into the match after a terrible red card tackle from striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, beating the rival Eagles at home 2-0 to make it three on the trot after a winless start to the season.

There were so many brilliant individual performances for Spurs on Saturday afternoon in front of their home fans, but one of the best was definitely right winger Mohammed Kudus. The job on the right side of the attack is his after the injury to Savio, who is still out after starting the season as the team's best attacking player, and there's a real chance one of Roberto De Zerbi's favorites does not relinquish his starting job.

Because in this form, Kudus is hard to bench, and he is back to the best football he was playing at the beginning of last season when he was the one player not even Thomas Frank could take the shine off of. In fact, before burnout set in after starting week after week and carrying the team before a season ending hamstring injury, Kudus was by far the best player on the team.

Mohammed Kudus is taking on all comers

Against Crystal Palace, Kudus had a world class corner for the opening goal, finding a wide open Archie Gray just beyond the six yard box. Throughout the game, he had Crystal Palace on strings, as expected, with five dribbles completed and four fouls drawn, leading Tottenham Hotspur in terms of combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn.

He made that output count, of course, with his assist and three total key passes. While Kudus failed to register a shot on target in three efforts and had a particularly embarrassing effort in which he essentially cleared the ball off the line instead of scoring on an open net after a generational assist attempt from youngster Luca Williams-Barnett off the bench, those ills can be forgiven when everything else was perfect.

These past three weeks, Kudus has succesfully leveled up his game, and after starting the season with fitness issues, the Ghanaian international is back in top form. Adding more scoring to his ledger will be key to both Roberto De Zerbi and Tottenham as the competition for attacking minutes continues to evolve, but Kudus showed on Saturday vs. Palace that he is back in his element and in top form for the Lilywhites.

Today's best reads

The moment that got Tottenham supporters most excited in Crystal Palace win

An early predicted starting 11 for Tottenham vs. Leeds

Mohammed Kudus raises an interesting Savio question for Roberto De Zerbi

It's time for Mohammed Kudus to take the next step in his evolution for Tottenham vs. Crystal Palace

Archie Gray is teasing what Tottenham actually want to see

OK, there are a fair amount of caveats to this match — early red card, bunkered opponent, whatever — but Spurs rolled to a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday. Sure, the early sending off of Jean-Philippe Mateta helped a LOT, but Tottenham got goals from Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke en route to an utter dominant performance. Spurs also got cameos from Dejan Kulusevski, and 18-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett as they jumped up to 8th in the table. It's the first three-match winning streak since February 2025 under Ange Postecoglou. Spurs also set a club record for number of corners in a match with 20, to Palace's 0.

Chat, is this good?

It's time to rate the players.

Rate the players from 1⁄2 to 5 stars. If the player doesn't deserve a rating due to minutes played, DO NOT RANK. I will round the stars up/down to the nearest half-star for the player ratings later this week.

Tottenham Hotspur have won three straight games for the first time since February 2025 — more than 18 months — and vibes could not be higher in north London after Roberto De Zerbi's side beat 10-man Crystal Palace 2-0 on Saturday.

SPURS 2-0 PALACE — Highlights & recap

Below is the latest De Zerbi reaction, speaking after Jean-Philippe Mateta's 13th-minute red card and goals scored by a pair of defenders, Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke. Spurs out-shot Palace by a margin of 34-2, out-passed them 758-149 and came up just shy of 80 percent possession in the game.

Roberto De Zerbi reaction: What did Spurs boss say after 2-0 victory vs Crystal Palace?

We'll have De Zerbi's post-match interviews and press conference as soon as they start, here.

Tottenham continued their revival under Roberto De Zerbi with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, piling further pressure on manager Pierre Sage after his side were reduced to 10 men early on.

Palace's hopes suffered a major blow in the 13th minute when Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Micky van de Ven. Referee Michael Oliver initially showed a yellow card, but changed his decision to red after reviewing the incident.

Spurs made their numerical advantage count in the 25th minute. Mohammed Kudus delivered a corner into the box and Archie Gray rose above the Palace defence to head the hosts in front.

Despite being a man down, Palace remained competitive, with Dwight McNeil coming close to an equaliser after the break. However, Dominic Solanke produced a vital block to keep Tottenham ahead.

The hosts eventually secured the points in the 73rd minute. Jan Paul van Hecke saw his first header saved by Dean Henderson, but reacted quickly to turn the rebound over the line.

The victory gives Spurs a third consecutive league win, while Palace remain in the relegation zone after another damaging defeat.

Incidents: The story of the match

Tottenham Official Line-ups:

Antonín Kinsky, Archie Gray, Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson, Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Mohammed Kudus, Omar Marmoush, Dominic Solanke, Mathys Tel

Crystal Palace Official Line-ups:

Dean Henderson, Óscar Mingueza, Axel Disasi, Chris Richards, Jaydee Canvot, Tyrick Mitchell, Daichi Kamada, Adam Wharton, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Dwight McNeil, Yéremy Pino

The match begins

Red Card for Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace)

Jean-Philippe Mateta has now picked up 0 red in the competition (4 matches)

Tottenham Hotspur lead Crystal Palace 1-0. Archie Gray scores with a header from the left side of the six-yard box into the bottom right corner, assisted by Mohammed Kudus' cross after a corner.

GOAL Tottenham: Archie Gray (Tottenham) scores!

Archie Gray scores goal number 1 in the competition (8 matches)

Tottenham Hotspur lead Crystal Palace 2-0. Jan Paul van Hecke scores for Tottenham Hotspur with a header from close range after a corner.

GOAL Tottenham: Jan Paul van Hecke (Tottenham) scores!

Jan Paul van Hecke scores goal number 2 in the competition (9 matches)

The referee whistles for the end of the match

A really tough half for Palace. They started well, moved the ball quickly and defended well. And then Mateta gets himself sent off.

It's unfortunate, if Van De Ven isn't as quick as he is it never happens, but the contact is clear and the studs are raised, it's a red and it's completely killed the game for Palace.

Pierre Sage could well go as a result, and he'd be within his rights to point a finger at those in his playing squad.

HALF TIME: Spurs 1-0 Palace

KICK OFF! We're underway in North London!

Minutes silence being observed ahead of Rememberance next weekend.

LESS THAN TEN MINUTES TO GO!

Palace Aiming To Continue Strong Record vs Spurs

Palace will be aiming to continue their strong form against Spurs, having won on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Last season, Palace ran out 3-1 winners after going behind in the first half.

Spurs won the return fixture at Selhurst Park, and that trend of the away side coming out on top could continue if all goes well for Palace.

Spurs will be confident coming into the game off the back of a huge win at Stamford Bridge, and after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup earlier in the season, they've had an entire week off to prepare for this game, whilst Palace played just two days ago, winning 1-0 at Craven Cottage.

The game was billed as a huge one for Pierre Sage's future, so a result is needed, but how will Palace react?

Team News

The teams have been announced and there's a few notable changes to the Palace lineup. Óscar Mingueza starts at right wing back in place of Anan Khalaili who remains on the bench.

Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada come back into the starting eleven, whilst Pino and McNeil lineup alongside JP Mateta.

Both Sarr and Strand Larsen are absent from the squad, whilst Docuouré and Osorio feature on the bench.

Dean Henderson is back, and it appears Sage has settled on the trio of Canvot, Richards and Disasi as his preferred back three.

Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) on XThe Palace taking on Spurs 🦅Follow LIVE ➡️ https://t.co/r9P7Gp24nD

For Spurs, there's some huge additions to the side. James Maddison is in the squad but only makes the bench, Mo Kudus stays in the starting eleven after a strong performance at Chelsea, as Micky Van De Den continues to captain the side.

Spurs face Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, October 31, 2026, as Roberto De Zerbi's side look to extend their Premier League winning streak.

Tottenham head into the London derby after securing an impressive 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend. The result followed a 3-1 win over Coventry City after what has been a disappointing start to the 2026-27 campaign.

The North London side currently sit 14th in the Premier League table with nine points having managed two wins, three draws, and three defeats so far this season. However, their recent performances suggest they could be turning a corner.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, have endured a difficult run so far under Pierre Sage. The Eagles suffered a 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United in their previous Premier League fixture, following a heavy 5-0 loss to Brighton.

Palace currently sit 17th in the standings with seven points and have won just two games this season. However, they beat Fulham 1-0 midweek in the Carabao Cup fourth round thanks to a goal from Eddie Nketiah.

The visitors also boast a dominant record against Tottenham, having won three of the last four meetings.

Tottenham vs. Crystal Palace Team News

Tottenham will be without Rodrigo Bentancur, who is serving the final match of his three-game suspension after receiving a red card against Manchester United.

Lucas Bergvall, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are all still unavailable because of knee injuries, while Mykhaylo Mudryk and Savio too remain sidelined. Tosin Adarabioyo is another injury concern with a calf problem.

On a positive note, James Maddison is available for selection after concerns with a groin problem during the victory over Chelsea with De Zerbi confirming that the midfielder is fit to feature against Palace. Destiny Udogie is also expected to return after recovering from a knee issue.

Crystal Palace too have their own injury concerns heading into the London derby as Ismaila Sarr remains unavailable with a groin injury, while Takehiro Tomiyasu and Chadi Riad are also expected to miss the fixture.

Quinten Timber and Jorgen Strand Larsen could return to the squad after recovering from injuries.

Tottenham vs. Crystal Palace Predicted Lineups

Tottenham:

Goalkeeper: Kinský

Defenders: Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson

Midfielders: Fernandes, Tonali, Kudus, Maddison, Tel

Forward: Marmoush

Crystal Palace:

Goalkeeper: Henderson

Defenders: Canvot, Disasi, Richards

Midfielders: Khalaili, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Pino, Nketiah

Forward: Mateta

Tottenham vs. Crystal Palace Start Time Around the World

United States (Eastern / Central / Pacific): 1:30 PM / 12:30 PM / 10:30 AM EDT / CDT / PDT

United Kingdom (UK): 5:30 PM GMT

France / Netherlands: 6:30 PM CET / CEST

South Africa & Selected African Markets: 5:30 PM / 6:30 PM SAST / WAT

South America (Argentina / Brazil): 2:30 PM / 1:30 PM ART / BRT

Canada (Eastern Time): 1:30 PM EDT

Mexico (Central Time): 11:30 AM CST

India: 11:00 PM IST

Japan: 2:30 AM JST (Sunday)

Australia (Sydney / Melbourne): 4:30 AM AEDT (Sunday)

How to Watch Tottenham vs. Crystal Palace

United States: NBC / Fubo

United Kingdom: Sky Sports Premier League / Sky Sports Main Event

Canada: Fubo

Mexico: Max / Fox Sports

South America (Argentina / Brazil): Disney+ / ESPN

France: Canal+ / myCANAL

Netherlands: Viaplay

South Africa & Selected African Markets: SuperSport / DStv

India: JioHotstar / Star Sports

Japan: U-NEXT

Australia: Stan Sport

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Momentum.

It's a word that's felt almost foreign when discussing Tottenham Hotspur in recent times; but with seven points from three matches, Spurs have a real chance to build a run of form and make their way further up the table… and a win against Crystal Palace would do wonders to stoke the simmering embers of confidence that are threatening to burst into flame.

The departure of Oliver Glasner, continued squad turnover, and the challenge of balancing league play with European fixtures have seen Palace struggle so far this season, with the Eagles flirting with the relegation zone. This match therefore seems like one Spurs will feel like they can win… but we've said that before this season.

Will Spurs continue to build? Or are the recent results built on a house of cards, ready to tumble? I choose hope.

COYS!

Lineups

Lineups will be posted closer to kick-off.

Live Blog

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How to Watch

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Crystal Palace

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

Saturday, October 31, 2026

Time: 1:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. UK

TV: NBC, Sky Sports Main Event (UK). Check international listings at livesoccertv.com

Streaming: Peacock

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Tottenham vs Crystal Palace Preview: Team News and Score Prediction

Tottenham have stopped the slide, for now. Two straight Premier League wins have changed the mood, lifted them to 14th, and given Roberto De Zerbi a bit of oxygen. First came a 3-1 home win over Coventry City, then a more impressive 2-0 result away at Chelsea. Nothing has been fixed yet, but the table looks less ugly and the fixture list now offers a chance to build momentum.

Crystal Palace arrive in north London in a very different place. They are hovering just above the relegation scrap after a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United, and Pierre Sage is feeling the heat. Midweek brought a 1-0 Carabao Cup win over Fulham, which matters, but league form is what counts. Right now, Palace are short on goals, short on consistency, and short on margin for error.

Tottenham team news ahead of Crystal Palace clash

The biggest concern for Spurs is James Maddison. He was already a doubt before the Chelsea match and then went off early in the second half with a groin issue. At this stage, he looks a serious doubt for Saturday. If he misses out, Conor Gallagher is expected to start against his former club and could take on the attacking midfield brief.

Rodrigo Bentancur remains unavailable as he serves the last game of his three-match suspension following the red card in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United. There could be some depth restored elsewhere. Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall and Tosin Adarabioyo are all in contention to return to the matchday squad.

There is less good news around Mykhailo Mudryk and Savio, who remain sidelined, while Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are still absent longer term. Spurs are not fully stocked, but compared to where they were a few weeks ago, the picture is improving.

Photo IMAGO

Crystal Palace team news and selection issues

Palace got a boost in midweek with Dean Henderson back in goal after missing nine games with a foot injury. He kept a clean sheet against Fulham, which is about as straightforward a positive as Sage could ask for. Ben Chilwell and Cheick Doucoure also started, with Doucoure making his first competitive appearance for the club since January 2025.

Eddie Nketiah led the line and scored the winner in the cup tie. Jean-Philippe Mateta was left out of the squad, though that was down to workload management after his own recent return from injury. He is expected to come straight back into the starting line-up here.

Jorgen Strand Larsen and Quinten Timber have returned to training and should be involved in some capacity. Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ismaila Sarr are not expected back until after the November international break, while Chadi Riad remains out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Tottenham vs Crystal Palace prediction

This is where form, context and basic logic point in the same direction. Palace have won on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but past meetings do not carry much weight when the current version of one side is scoring confidence points and the other is struggling to produce anything reliable away from home.

Tottenham are chasing a third consecutive Premier League win for the first time since February 2025. More importantly, they are starting to look coherent. The Chelsea win was not a fluke, and the Coventry result did what it needed to do. Spurs look quicker in their play, more direct when required, and less fragile than they did during that six-game winless run at the start of the season.

Palace, meanwhile, have won just one of their last five Premier League matches. They have also failed to score in three of their four league away games this season. That is a bad combination when you are visiting a side whose confidence is finally moving in the right direction.

The straightforward call is a home win. The stronger angle is Tottenham to win without conceding. Palace have not shown enough cutting edge on the road to make a convincing case for anything else. A Spurs win by at least two goals also looks very plausible if they score first and force Palace to open up.

Kick-off is at 5.30pm GMT on Saturday, October 31, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The equation is simple. Spurs have a chance to turn recovery into momentum. Palace need a league response quickly. On current evidence, the safer bet is with the home side, and probably by a couple of goals.

Score prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Crystal Palace.

Tottenham Team News: James Maddison Ready for Crystal Palace Test

Tottenham have a lift ahead of the Crystal Palace game, James Maddison is fit and available. That matters, because when Spurs finally won away at Chelsea after eight years, he was central to it. He then went off early in the second half, and the immediate concern was obvious. Groin problems tend to raise alarms quickly. This one, clearly, has not developed into anything serious.

Roberto De Zerbi had already played down the issue after the match, and now the picture is straightforward. Maddison is in contention, and for Tottenham that sharpens everything in the final third. He gives them control, tempo and the ability to find passes others do not.

Roberto De Zerbi handed mixed injury news

There is more good news. Destiny Udogie is also fit to face Palace after missing Tottenham's last two matches with the knee injury he suffered in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United. Before the 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge, De Zerbi admitted Udogie was still feeling pain. That has now eased enough for him to return.

Beyond that, the situation is less encouraging. Lucas Bergvall, who picked up a knee injury against Manchester United, is expected to be out for around two weeks. This game comes too soon. Savio also misses out with a muscular problem, while Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert remain long-term absentees.

Photo IMAGO

Crystal Palace clash arrives with key absences

Tottenham are still without Mykhailo Mudryk, sidelined since September with an ankle injury. Tosin Adarabioyo also remains unavailable after missing the Chelsea win. Rodrigo Bentancur serves the final match of his three-game suspension following his red card for a headbutt on Luke Shaw.

So the headline is simple enough. Maddison is back in the frame, Udogie is available, and Spurs go into the Crystal Palace fixture in better shape than feared. Not perfect, far from it, but better. For a side trying to build momentum, that is enough to matter.

Predicted Tottenham XI

Kinsky, Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson, Fernandes, Tonali, Gallagher, Kudus, Solanke, Tel

Injured: Simons, Odobert, Savio, Mudryk, Tosin Adarabioyo, Bergvall

Suspended: Bentancur

Kick-off is at 5.30pm GMT on Saturday, October 31 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.