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There were no fireworks on the pitch to kickstart the year as Brentford held Tottenham Hotspur to a 0-0 draw on New Year’s Day.

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank will hope that he has not started 2026 as he means to go on with a display devoid of character in a 0-0 draw with former club Brentford.

On a day which has seen newly available former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca linked with the Spurs position, according to Ben Jacobs, Frank did little to silence critics with his side having to wait until the 93rd minute for their only shot on target at the Gtech Community Stadium.

It is the hosts who will feel they deserved the three points in west London with Spurs handed the chance to improve when hosting Sunderland on Sunday. Here’s how the Tottenham Hotspur players rated.

Tottenham Hotspur Player Ratings

GK - Guglielmo Vicario, 7

Lucky to see the Brentford goal chalked off for offside in the first half as the keeper batted the ball right into danger from a save prior. Made an impressive stop in the second half, leaping well and getting good contact on a punch that time.

LB - Djed Spence, 4

A lazy performance. The full-back’s body language echoed the character of the Spurs side tonight. Keane Lewis-Potter was far more sprightly than Spence and looked a constant threat on that flank.

CB - Micky Van de Ven, 7

A little sluggish early on with Igor Thiago always looking the more likely to win balls over the top. Did grow into the game and was alert late on as Brentford pressure grew.

CB - Cristian Romero, 7

Overcommitted at times and struggled to make up the ground to recover from his mistake. Nonetheless, helped his side to another clean sheet and criticism will continue to be focused on the other end of the pitch.

RB - Pedro Porro, 5

Better than Spence at full-back but his set plays were decidedly average. Targeted on that flank by Brentford after the break and another Spurs star guilty of giving the ball away without need.

CM - Rodrigo Bentancur, 8

The best of a pretty underwhelming bunch out there tonight. Did see plenty of the ball in a vocal performance that saw the midfielder trying to marshal the side and make something happen. Should avoid the criticism that will come thanks to that Spurs performance.

CM - Joao Palhinha, 5

Kept the Brentford midfield in check but needs to offer so much more in the centre of the park. Spurs lack character and creativity, and Palhinha is not proving the solution to that. Looked leggy as the game went on.

LW - Wilson Odobert, 5

Started brightly with a clever turn under pressure in his own half in the opening 10 minutes but, as has become usual, lacked conviction after that. Outpaced by Brentford’s stocky centre-backs at times.

CAM - Archie Gray, 6

Clearly buoyed by the goal against Crystal Palace with moments of confidence on the ball. Ultimately lacked the physicality needed against a physically strong Brentford side. Found himself in some good offensive positions, meeting a decent headed opportunity in the first half.

RW - Mohammed Kudus, 3

Nothing happening for him today. A pretty dire performance with possession lost far too regularly and simple passes missed. The winger has a long way to go to look worth the £55 million Spurs forked out for him in the summer.

ST - Richarlison, 5

Couldn’t get much to stick to him up front and struggled for any clear cut chances - not helped by the Spurs wingers. Practically picked up and moved off the ball by Kristoffer Ajer in the first half and needs to be much stronger - lessons to be learned from impressive Brentford striker Igor Thiago. Did place a plum of a ball on Archie Gray’s head in his best moment but a feeble cross in added time was not a good luck.

SUBS - Randal Kolo Muani (6), Mathys Tel (5).

In other news, Tottenham recall 'quality' midfielder from loan ahead of Brentford clash.

Stoke City had signed Jamie Donley on loan last summer but the temporary Championship stay has not worked out for the player.

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Tottenham Hotspur prepare to take on Brentford in Premier League action on New Year’s Day but footballing attention remains off the field with the transfer window now open.

Thomas Frank is expected to be backed by the Spurs board to invest in new signings after an inconsistent start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Marquee arrivals may be confirmed in the coming weeks but the club’s first piece of business is a loan recall.

Spurs confirmed on Thursday that midfielder Jamie Donley had been brought back from his loan spell at Championship side Stoke City. The 20-year-old had joined the club in August following a successful loan at Leyton Orient last season.

Tottenham Hotspur confirm Jamie Donley loan recall

Donley has not featured for the Potters in the Championship since the end of October. The midfielder has made four appearances for the Spurs first team, all cameos during the 2023/24 campaign.

A club statement read: “Tottenham have recalled midfielder Jamie Donley from his loan spell at Championship side Stoke City. The 20-year-old joined the Potters on 6 August and made an immediate impact, registering an assist on his debut in their 3-1 opening-day win over Derby County three days later.

“Donley departs Stoke having made six substitute appearances – four in the league and two in the Carabao Cup. He made his Northern Ireland debut in March and scored his first international goal in November's win over Luxembourg in World Cup qualifying.”

Donley had scored eight goals and picked up 11 assists for Leyton Orient last season as the League One outfit made it to the play-off final but has struggled to make an impact in the Championship. During pre-season, it had been touted that Donley could make an impression in the first team under Frank.

Prior to his loan at Stoke City, transfer specialist Graeme Bailey said: “There are a few youngsters who I think they will look at. The one youngster I am hearing at Tottenham to keep an eye on is Jamie Donley.

“Although he was on late, I think there is a real feeling amongst some at Spurs that he could really make a step up next season. Do not rule out him being involved in Frank’s first-team squad next season. Everyone thinks he is going out on loan, and he probably will, but I am being told do not rule out Donley getting a look, especially in pre-season. If he does well, there might be an opportunity for him.”

Donley hailed as ‘quality’ by Northern Ireland boss

Despite Tottenham Hotspur recalling the player, it’s not expected that Donley is a player who Frank will reintegrate back into the first team. Football League World claim that League One side Bolton Wanderers could look at making a loan move for the midfielder.

After scoring for Northern Ireland in the win over Luxembourg in November, manager Michael O’Neill praised the Spurs star. He said: “Jamie’s a real player, real quality. I wanted to see him as a nine. There’s no secret the nine is a problem position for us and I think Jamie has different attributes from some of the other strikers.

“I thought he did really well in the game. He’s clever, his link-up play is good. He took the penalty well and you saw the finish for the goal that was disallowed. Ethan was offside, but you saw the quality that Jamie displayed in that moment.”

In other news, Medical booked: Tottenham agree club-record deal with Crystal Palace for first January signing.

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed their first exit of the January window with Brennan Johnson poised to join Crystal Palace

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Crystal Palace have agreed a club-record £35m deal with Tottenham Hotspur to sign Brennan Johnson with the latest reports indicating a medical has been booked for the Wales international.

The forward was Spurs’ top goal-scorer last season and netted the winner in the Europa League final as the North London club lifted the trophy with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in Bilbao.

However, Johnson has become a more fringe figure under Thomas Frank with summer signing Mohammed Kudus preferred as the right-wing option by the Danish boss. If the sale is finalised, Johnson will be the fourth most expensive exit from Spurs, with only Kyle Walker, Harry Kane and Gareth Bale costing more.

For Palace, he will be their record signing - surpassing the fee they paid for Christian Benteke back in 2016 when the Belgian striker joined the Eagles from Premier League rivals Liverpool.

Spurs signed Johnson in the summer of 2023 for £47.5m, as they are not set to make a £12.5m loss on the player.

The Telegraph reported on Wednesday afternoon that a medical was due to take place within in the next 24 hours with the transfer moving closer to completion.

Other Premier League clubs had been interested in Johnson, with Sunderland and Everton reportedly putting in late calls while Bournemouth were ready to pay the fee. Aston Villa were another side linked.

The move will be a boost for Palace’s attacking ranks, with Oliver Glasner currently without Ismaïla Sarr and now Eddie Nketiah.

Speaking ahead of Tottenham’s clash with Brentford on Thursday, Frank was questioned on Johnson’s future but refused to say too much. He said: “Again, this is the third time I think I've got this question. There's rumours out there, in general I'll not comment on that, no matter if we want to sign or sell a player, or get a staff member in or out. I've no interest in commenting either way.”

He added: “He contributed to a very good and important win against Crystal Palace. He trained very well today. I expect him fully to be available and able to play against Brentford.”

He now looks unlikely to face Brentford but looks set to join Palace in time for their clash with Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.

Tottenham chief Fabio Paratici continues to be linked with a move away from the club.

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At this time of year speculation usually surrounds the futures of players, given the proximity to the January transfer window, but in Tottenham’s case, their biggest future question mark involves a senior staff member.

Spurs chief Fabio Paratici seems to be facing an uncertain future, with Fiorentina said to be pushing to recruit the Italian ahead of the second half of the season.

Paratici is only months removed from being reinstated at Spurs following a two-year ban issued by Italian authorities relating to financial irregularities from his time at Juventus. But it seems that faith won’t be repaid by Paratici, who is reportedly set to return to Italy to take the Fiorentina post.

According to Firenze Viola via SportWitness, Paratici is getting ever-closer to making the move despite being present in London for Tottenham’s win over Crystal Palace on Sunday. It’s claimed Paratici has been in Italy for talks and that he flew back for the Palace game.

A report from La Nazione goes on to claim Paratici will ultimately agree to terminate his current contract and that he wants his exit to be ‘soft, without rift or repercussions’. They speculate that further developments could come this weekend or after, with details needing to be worked out before then.

In the meantime, Paratici is said to be continuing talks with Fiorentina over their January transfer strategy in preparation for the move.

Frank on Paratici peculation

Frank has been coy over the speculation surrounding Paratici and a possible move to Fiorentina. In his latest press conference, after the Palace game, Frank was asked about Paratici being in attendance at Selhurst Park.

"I didn't know that Vinai and Fabio were here today, but I expected them to be,” said the Spurs boss. “As I said the whole time, there's a lot of rumours with a lot of things. Players, staff members, directors, whatever it is, I don't comment on them."

Spurs winger Brennan Johnson has been linked with a move away from North London ahead of the January transfer window.

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank confronted speculation over the future of winger Brennan Johnson at the club amid rife transfer links with Premier League rivals.

The 24-year-old was only handed a cameo off the bench against Crystal Palace on Sunday evening and has now started just one of the side’s last seven league fixtures. Johnson had looked to be an important part of Frank’s Spurs reign with two goals in the opening two Premier League outings but has since struggled for starts.

The arrival of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham this summer has added competition to the right wing position. Johnson has had more regular outings in the Champions League and Carabao Cup, with four goals across all competitions so far this term.

Thomas Frank confronts Brennan Johnson future at Tottenham Hotspur

Crystal Palace are one of the Premier League clubs credited with transfer interest in Johnson ahead of January. Oliver Glasner has readily bemoaned a lack of creativity with the club failing to replace what was lost when Eberechi Eze made the switch to Arsenal.

The Athletic have labelled Johnson as the ‘main target’ for Crystal Palace. Football Insider claim that Brentford and Championship side Ipswich Town are also potential suitors, while Aston Villa and AFC Bournemouth have also been linked with the forward.

Speaking in his post match press conference following the win over Crystal Palace, Frank was asked directly about the transfer talk surrounding Johnson. He replied: “ I think Brennan is very important for us. Maybe he didn’t get many minutes but unfortunately we can only play 11 players. We spoke about it before with Mo [Kudus] coming in and put his stamp on the right winger position. On the left, we tried different solutions, still started quite a few games. I think Brennan is an important player for us.”

Brennan Johnson reflects on 2025 at Spurs

The Spurs forward recently reflected on his 2025 when speaking on the Chris Cowlin podcast this month. He said: “It’s been a real mixture of everything. I think it’s been a bit like a rollercoaster. Some really good highs, but then also some tough times where we’ve had to stick together.

“Obviously, we’ve had a change of manager over the summer, so I think the back end of the year was always going to be a bit up and down. I think overall, the win in the Europa League definitely makes it a successful year, but there’s a lot that we want to improve on going into next year.”

In other news, Tottenham Player Ratings: 8/10 'full of beans' and 'physical' 7 as Crystal Palace beaten.

Thomas Frank saw his side bounce back from two consecutive defeats to edge past Crystal Palace.

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Tottenham Hotspur moved just one point away from the top half of the Premier League table with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

Thomas Frank’s side continue to perform better on their league travels this season but did not dominate against an Eagles side who squandered good chances at Selhurst Park. Spurs themselves had the ball in the back of the net three times, but saw two Richarlison finishes ruled out for offside by VAR.

Spurs are now done for the calendar year before returning to action against Brentford on New Year’s Day. Here’s how the Tottenham Hotspur players rated.

Tottenham Player Ratings

GK - Guglielmo Vicario, 7

Had to stay alert, especially in the first half, with Crystal Palace getting shots away. Forced into a couple of saves but nothing that Thomas Frank would’ve expected his shot-stopper to have a problem with.

LB - Djed Spence, 7

Bit of a mixed bag this afternoon. Looked the Spurs player most likely to make something happen when running with the ball but also guilty of some misplaced passes in the first half.

CB - Micky Van de Ven, 7

Never quite looked to have the better of a physical Jean-Philippe Mateta but at the heart of a Spurs defence which picked up an important clean sheet in south London.

CB - Kevin Danso, 6

Booked early for a clip on Justin Devenny and that was a wake-up call to get up to pace. Better after that but was handed a fresh problem by an energetic Eddie Nketiah when Crystal Palace made that change.

RB - Pedro Porro, 6

Also struggled to deal with Nketiah once he came on and Tyrick Mitchell always looked a threat on that flank. Did put in the dangerous Spurs corner which led to the goal.

CM - Rodrigo Bentancur, 6

Looked increasingly leggy as the game went on. Crystal Palace controlled large parts of this game and easily picked balls through the centre of the Spurs midfield.

CM - Archie Gray, 8

In the thick of it from early on, being shown a yellow card in the 22nd minute for a tug on Adam Wharton. Full of beans but can sometimes look a little like a headless chicken chasing around in the centre of the pack. Nonetheless, you can’t question the teenager’s work rate and he deserved his goal. Gray was the most alert to a bouncing ball after a corner and headed home.

CM - Lucas Bergvall, 5

There’s certainly a player here. At moments, Bergvall is genius - a backheel to set Pedro Porro running before half time a joy to watch. However, the 19-year-old continues to drift in and out of fixtures and was lucky not to see some ball watching punished by Jean-Philippe Mateta in the first half.

LW - Randal Kolo Muani, 5

Didn’t bring much to the side on the flank. There looked to be a mistake in Jefferson Lerma today and it would have been good to see Kolo Muani run him ragged, but that didn’t happen. The forward’s most notable involvement was to collapse on the ball in the first half and frustrate Will Hughes.

ST - Richarlison, 7

As always, willing to get physical with the Crystal Palace defence. Soon found out he would lose that battle against Maxence Lacroix and wisely chose to pick on Lerma. Outleapt the makeshift centre-back to assist the Gray goal. Shouldn’t have allowed himself to be offside for the second half disallowed goal.

RW - Mohammed Kudus, 6

Very quiet today. Lacroix had Kudus’ number all afternoon.

SUBS - Joao Palhinha (6), Wilson Odobert (7), Brennan Johnson (N/A), Radu Dragusin (N/A).

In other news, 'In Talks': Tottenham linked with Champions League winning 'machine' ahead of Crystal Palace clash.

Thomas Frank could look to add experience to his young midfield in the January transfer window.

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Tottenham Hotspur are reported to be in contact with the agent of Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka ahead of a potential January transfer swoop.

Thomas Frank’s side take on Crystal Palace in Premier League action on Sunday afternoon but attention prior to kick-off has been grabbed by the head-turning transfer rumour. Goretzka has been with Bayern Munich since 2018, winning six Bundesliga titles, the Champions League in 2020 and the Club World Cup in 2020.

With 67 appearances for the German national side to his name, the 30-year-old is one of the most respected box-to-box midfielders in Europe. Goretzka remains an important fixture at Bayern Munich, featuring in all but one Bundesliga match this season, but has only managed 90 minutes on two occasions.

Tottenham Hotspur ‘in talks’ with Bayern Munich midfielder

Spurs confirmed a cash injection to the club earlier this season and are expected to be active in the January window in order to help Thomas Frank find consistency in North London after a shaky start to his tenure. Tottenham Hotspur brought in Joao Palhinha on loan f rom Bayern Munich this summer but have lacked bite in the centre of the park - Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Xavi Simons all need time to develop.

Now, respected Turkish journalist Yağız Sabuncuoğlu claims that Spurs are already in talks with Goretzka’s agent ahead of a potential January transfer. The news comes amid the latest on interest from Turkish side Fenerbahce.

Goretzka has never played in the Premier League and an offer to experience the division could tempt the experienced midfielder. Speaking about Fenerbahce’s interest in the Bayern Munich man, Sabuncuoğlu said: “Domenico Tedesco doesn’t want a low-profile number 8. He’s looking for a strong, powerful, dominant, and high-profile name he can hand the starting shirt to.

“The candidates are clear, but there’s no definitive situation with any name. In terms of playing style, a player in the Goretzka mould is wanted. Goretzka’s agent is in talks with Tottenham, if Bayern lets him go.”

Goretzka hailed as ‘machine’ after Bayern comeback

Goretzka would bring a versatility to Frank’s squad with the ability to operate in more advanced or defensive midfield roles. The midfielder had become somewhat of a fringe player at Bayern Munich a year ago but has since fought his way back into the side.

Speaking about his return, former German international Sami Khedira said: “Outstanding. It shows strength, maturity, but also incredible mentality and clarity of mind. He’s a machine, full respect to Leon.”

In other news, Thomas Frank could be forced to reconsider Tottenham star he exiled in the summer.

Tottenham may be forced to reconsider a player who has not convinced yet.

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Thomas Frank may have to reconsider one of the players he decided to temporarily axe during the summer transfer window. Spurs have had a disappointing season overall so far, despite starting very well, surging into the top four in the early weeks of the campaign.

Frank’s men should progress to the next round of the Champions League without too much sweat, but their league form has tailed off significantly, leaving them in the bottom half.

Spurs finished deep in the bottom half last season, and the threat of there being little to no progress has questions being asked of Frank just months into his time at the club. Tottenham are likely to stay patient with the Dane, with club chiefs likely aware that the project was going to take time to turn around.

A significant attacking signing could be made in January to help speed up progress, but that won’t be the only decision Spurs and Frank face. According to reports in Spain, Frank may find one of the players who wasn’t convinced by in the summer back on his doorstep.

That’s because Manor Solomon has been struggling for game time at loan club Villarreal, and talk of his returning to the club is ramping up. There was initial chatter last week that Solomon’s loan deal has a clause included that gives him the option to return to Tottenham this January, despite the loan deal running to the summer.

That clause remains an option as long as Solomon does not hit a certain number of appearances, and with the winger having only made 6 league outings, he has not yet hit that threshold. Diario AS now report that Solomon is one of the candidates to leave Villarreal this January, though the decision does solely belong to the player.

Unfortunately for the Israel international, he cannot argue with the decisions made by current head coach Marcelino, who has Villarreal well on course for a second successive Champions League berth. While they have had a European campaign to forget this season, they are fourth in La Liga and only seven points behind second placed Real Madrid with two games in-hand.

So far, it has been the best league campaign Villarreal have had in a number of years, and with the likes of Nicolas Pepe and Tajon Buchanan starting regularly, Solomon has struggled for appearances.

Solomon will now have to decide whether he wants to stay and battle for a spot or return to Spurs to either try to convince Frank that he is worth including in the Premier League squad or find another loan spell elsewhere.

Tottenham will be able to adjust their Premier League squad for the second half of the campaign, but if they are to sign another attacker, it may only get more difficult for Solomon to find a spot, and he may also struggle to find another loan club given the limited time he would have in the January window. A permanent move is likely out of the question in January given his lack of football.

Spurs and Crystal Palace have been credited with transfer interest in the Brazilian teenager.

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Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace have been credited with potential transfer interest in Vasco da Gama forward Rayan ahead of the January transfer window, with the player now making a head-turning decision regarding his agent.

The 19-year-old has netted 20 goals in 57 appearances across all competitions this season having starred for the Brazil under-20 squad at the South American Championship in the summer. Rayan’s abilities are believed not to have gone unnoticed by Premier League clubs.

Sport Witness are the latest outlet to name Spurs and Crystal Palace as clubs willing to take a punt on the Vasco da Gama man should the opportunity arise. ESPN Brazil had reported that the Eagles were keen to make a January move in the hope of getting ahead of European interest next summer - that proactive move would no doubt please manager Oliver Glasner, who has shared his frustration with a lack of backing.

Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace monitoring Brazilian teenager

Rayan recently extended his contract at Vasco da Gama to December 2028 and has a lofty release clause of £70 million in that deal. That does not make a January transfer impossible with the club also able to negotiate on a lower fee - as a ballpark, Chelsea paid £29 million for Palmeiras wonderkid Willian Estevao in 2024.

Sport also report that Rayan has ended his relationship with ‘super agent’ Pini Zahavi ahead of the January transfer window, with La Liga giants Barcelona also believed to be monitoring a potential swoop.

Journalist Joaquim Piera reports that Rayan has not renewed the ‘temporary intermediation agreement’ that allowed Zahavi to manage his career outside Brazil. The player and his team have taken control of his potential future abroad.

Rayan named ‘complete striker’ by Vasco da Gama boss

Speaking about the player following a 2-0 win over Fluminense, in which Rayan scored, Vasco da Gama boss Fernando Diniz said: “I think Rayan is very clearly a very different player. I consider him perhaps the most complete striker in Brazilian football. He’s a player who can play on both sides of the pitch, can play as a No. 10 and can play as a No. 9 with the same ease.

“He’s big, left‑footed, fast, young, and he doesn’t need to take distance from the ball to shoot — he can strike from any distance into goal. He’s very comfortable with goals. A complete forward, a guy who, for me, deserves to be looked at very closely by the Brazilian national team because he’s very talented and has gigantic potential.”

In other news, Paul Merson and Chris Sutton make Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham predictions as 'do-or-die' claim made.

A look at the Premier League predictions for Saturday’s action involving the biggest London clubs.

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Saturday sees the London clubs return to Premier League action for the first time after Christmas, with the usual Boxing Day flurry of fixtures delayed by a day this year. But the games should be worth the wait, and the fixture of the weekend is arguably the all-top four clash between Chelsea and Aston Villa.

Elsewhere, Arsenal take on Brighton as they look to protect top spot and Tottenham take on Crystal Palace in a battle between two London sides who are very much out of form. Here we round up the predictions for all those games from SportsKeeda’s Paul Merson and BBC Sport’s Chris Sutton.

Arsenal vs Brighton

Paul Merson

“Arsenal have had some injuries to deal with in recent weeks, but I still think they win this game comfortably. There's a lot of talk about Arsenal facing a tough run of fixtures over the next few weeks. However, purely based on their performances this season, it's quite clear they are well-equipped to deal with this run.

“If they beat Brighton and follow that up with a win over Aston Villa on Tuesday, I believe they have sealed the Premier League title! I just can't see them not winning the league if that happens. Prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Brighton & Hove Albion.”

Chris Sutton

“People are saying that Arsenal are wobbling but I think they have had their wobble, really, when they scraped past Wolves. The Gunners won 1-0 at Everton last time out, and it was a bit of a battle, but they were up against a David Moyes side so I didn't expect anything else.

“My only criticism of Arsenal at the moment is that Viktor Gyokeres shouldn't be taking their penalties - Bukayo Saka should, because he is in my Fantasy team. It really annoyed me to see Gyokeres scoring from the spot against the Toffees. It won't be easy for them against Brighton, but I still think they should win this one. The Seagulls are such a strange team, and they are extremely difficult to predict.

“They have not won any of their past four games but they pushed Liverpool all the way when I watched them at Anfield recently, and I think they will do the same here. Prediction: 2-0.”

Chelsea vs Aston Villa

Paul Merson

“It's Morgan Rogers vs Cole Palmer this weekend, isn't it? What a brilliant game this will be! A year ago, it was certain that Palmer would be part of the England squad for the 2026 World Cup. But now, Rogers has gotten ahead of him.

“Palmer has actually scored fewer league goals than Emile Smith Rowe in this calendar year! We're talking about two individuals here, but football is a team game as well all know it. And if we look at these teams as a whole, there isn't a lot between them.

“Aston Villa weren't at their best against Manchester United. They got that point thanks to Rogers' two incredible goals. Villa can't keep hoping for Rogers to do that every weekend. I'm not saying they are a bad team, but if they want to win the league, we need to see more from them as a unit.

“I'm going for a draw here, but if someone told me I had to pick a winner, I would go with Chelsea and I don't know why I get that feeling! Prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Aston Villa.”

Chris Sutton

“I could not believe that Aston Villa were getting criticism on the Monday Night Club because they are only winning games by the odd goal. I made the point that I don't remember going in the dressing room as a player and being down about only winning 2-1.

“They are on an incredible run of 10 wins on the spin, including beating Arsenal and Manchester City. Morgan Rogers is on fire, and I think you have to respect them as title contenders. This is a real test for them, however, and it is only a few weeks since we were saying the same about Chelsea being in the title race after they drew against Arsenal with 10 men.

“I played for both these clubs and am highly thought of by both sets of fans. It is the Chelsea fans who I think will be smiling at full-time, though, once they've finished singing my name. I have got a lot of time for Blues boss Enzo Maresca, who is like Villa manager Unai Emery in the way he sticks to his footballing principles.

“Chelsea showed their resilience when they fought back from 2-0 down to draw with Newcastle and I can see them digging in again here, to end Villa's winning run. Prediction: 2-1.”

Tottenham vs Crystal Palace

Paul Merson

“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.

“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.

“If Spurs can sign Semenyo, that will give them a huge boost. It will inspire the fans because Tottenham have always missed out on big signings to their rivals in the past. I believe that the signing of Semenyo could buy Frank some much-needed time. Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur.”

Chris Sutton

“Both teams have got problems at the moment. Crystal Palace have been feeling the effects of a heavy schedule, and at the moment their squad seems really stretched. That's the main reason I am thinking Tottenham might get something at Selhurst Park and, let's face it, Thomas Frank really needs to.

“Frank must be hoping the way his team played with nine men against Liverpool can kick-start his side's season, but I'm not sure that will happen. I am certainly not going to back them to win this one, but I am hardly confident about Palace's chances either. Prediction: 0-0.”