Cartilage Free Captain

We won! Woooooooooo! Was it pretty? Nope! Was it a touch infuriating at times? Yep! Was it scrappy? Definitely, and that’s not the kind of match you want against a mid-table Crystal Palace. But Spurs on the whole can’t afford to be too picky these days, so a gritty 1-0 win where the only goal came off a set piece, Richarlison had two goals waved off by VAR for offside, and Spurs lost the xG battle 1.81 - 0.84 still feels pretty good, man. Also, we got Radu back!

The match wasn’t great, but it sure feels great to win! Let’s do that more often, yeah?

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.

If you’re on mobile or found this via AMP and the survey isn’t appearing below, here’s a direct link.

Spurs thought they were ahead early after a lovely team goal finished off by Richarlison in transition, but the goal was called back after Lucas Bergvall was adjudged to have strayed offside in the buildup. Spurs’ defense looked a touch shaky at times in the first half letting Palace in behind on a number of occasions, but the defensive pairing of Kevin Danso and Micky van de Ven, and some timely late challenges from Djed Spence, managed to keep Palace out.

Spurs’ breakthrough came late in the first half and from a corner kick — Randal Kolo Muani was able to center the initial ball to Richarlison, who had a header flicked on by 19-year-old Gray and into the net to put Spurs ahead. Tottenham took that slender lead into the intermission.

The second half wasn’t exactly champagne football. Spurs spent most of their time after halftime camped in their own half furiously defending Palace chances. But they did get a few opportunities on the counter. Richarlison had a second goal in the back of the net waved off by VAR for offside, and substitute Wilson Odobert looked lively as an impact substitute, at one point smacking a shot off the post. The match also saw the first minutes for Radu Dragusin since January 2025, as he came in for the last 10 minutes and change as a third CB to see out the match.

It definitely wasn’t a pretty game. It’s unlikely to change anyone’s mind about Thomas Frank and what he brings (or doesn’t bring) to the club. But it was a win — and this season Spurs can use all the points they can get.

Here are my match reactions.

Match reactions

Annoyed not even five minutes in by the yellow shown to Kevin Danso when the Palace player appeared to trip over his own feet. Sigh. Why always us?

It’s really a shame that Richarlison’s goal was called back for an offside on Bergvall in the buildup, because it was a really nicely worked team goal, something that’s been a rarity for Spurs this season. Great cross in from Pedro Porro, nicely tucked in by Richy. Shame it was all for naught.

There wasn’t a ton of stuff to like in the first half, but I did think Mohammed Kudus had one of his best halves for Spurs in that opening 45. A few nice deep balls and some good progression, even if it was isolated progression.

So, so pleased for Archie who was a little rough in that opening half, but he was in the right spot to flick Richarlison’s header into the back of the net to put Spurs ahead.

It’s still telling that Spurs’ goal came from a set piece and not from open play — they were, again, predictably terrible going forward and in and around the Palace box. Their other two shots were a blocked attempt and a blast from Pedro Perro that went 30 feet over the bar. Spurs had 0.00 xG from open play in the first half.

Richy is so unlucky, man. Two well-worked team goals converted by him, and called back for offside both times. Both are the right call I guess and Richy just needs to, IDK, not be offside, but it’s millimeters off and called by VAR review… how does this make the game better?

Really impressed by Wilson Odobert, who looked snappy and dynamic in the few opportunities Spurs had going forward in the second half. He needs more minutes. Hopefully he gets them.

The defense was actually pretty good today. The back line got carved open a few times early but were pretty much up to whatever Palace threw at them, although Palace were pretty wasteful with their chances.

Very happy to see Radu out there. Don’t have much of a take on his play in such a short stint, but I’m pleased to see him back there after nearly a full calendar year out to injury.

As pedestrian as that match was on the whole, Spurs did show glimpses of the team we thought we’d have late in this one with Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert looking lively and Spurs actually moving the ball and getting shot attempts.

It’s a win! We won! It feels good, and it’s okay to celebrate!

Tottenham Hotspur had Co-Sporting Directors for just over two months. Now, it looks like — choose your metaphor — the apple cart will be upset and/or deck chairs will be shuffled on the S.S. Hotspur. Fabrizio Romano tweeted yesterday that Fabio Paratici is expected to become the next Director of Football at Fiorentina, pending “formal steps.”

I’ve said before your reaction to this news is likely a Rorschach test for your Tottenham fandom. On the one hand, your favorite club losing its Italian co-Sporting Director just two months after his appointment and a few days before the opening of the January transfer window to go take the same position for the last-placed team in Serie A feels a touch humiliating, no matter how much he might miss his nonna’s cooking, and you’d be forgiven for feeling as though this is another example of the mess at the top of Spurs’ leadership structure.

On the other hand… is it really all that bad? It’s not like many of us were especially enamored by Paratici or his job performance. Sure, he landed us Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski from his old job at Juventus, but then he got himself banned from football for two years for being involved in the plusvalenza scandals in Italy. His overall player transfer record at Spurs is a bit dodgy, and shoehorning him into a franken-director position with Johan Lange felt weird when it was announced. There were suggestions earlier that Paratici considering the Fiorentina job was a power-play, possibly with the goal of marginalizing or eliminating Lange’s position, but if Paratici actually leaves, it’s hard to know what to think about that. There were also suggestions that Paratici was offered the Co-Sporting Director position by Daniel Levy before Levy’s departure from the club, and Spurs decided to (perhaps reluctantly?) honor that offer despite Levy being pushed out.

So in a sense, Paratici’s departure could be seen as an opportunity for Spurs CEO Vinai Venkatesham to really put his mark on the club’s leadership structure, but it comes at the short term cost of having Paratici’s experience around for what will be a critical January transfer window. Maybe it works out, both in the short and long term, but I gotta say, if you considered Fabio as a necessary foil and counterweight to Johan Lange with regards to Tottenham’s squad construction, I think it’s okay to feel a little nervous going into the start of 2026.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

At least, that’ll be the hope for Tottenham Hotspur’s fans as the festive fixture list rolls on, with Spurs heading across London to pay Crystal Palace a visit. Unfortunately, the nights have not been so good of late for Spurs, with poor performances spurring fan discontent and decreasing matchday attendance.

In short, Thomas Frank needs to get his side firing, and fast. He’ll need to do that though without a couple of key players: Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons are both suspended, and AFCON is now playing its part as well, with Pape Matar Sarr away with Senegal.

Crystal Palace are also similarly impacted, struggling for depth with several absences due to injury and AFCON. Unlike Spurs, however, that hasn’t prevented the Eagles from pushing into the top half of the table. Spurs need to turn their fortunes around quickly, but this match is not an easy one. Oliver Glasner’s well-drilled side is a different prospect to some of the Palace teams seen over the years, and this could be a real battle.

COYS!

Lineups

Lineups will be posted closer to kick-off.

Live Blog

How to Watch

Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Selhurst Park, London, UK

Sunday, December 28, 2025

Time: 11:30 a.m. ET, 4:30 p.m. UK

TV: USA Network, Sky Sports Premier League (UK). Check international listings at livesoccertv.com

Streaming: nbcsports.com

Match thread rules

The match thread rules are the same as always. To any visitors coming here for the first time, welcome! We’re glad you’re here! Wipe your feet, mind the gap, and be sure to check out the other pages at this outstanding site. While you’re here, though, we have a few rules and regulations:

Absolutely no links to illegal streams. They’re bad and they get us in trouble. Violators will be warned or banned.

We have rules against “relentless negativity.” Nobody likes a Negative Nancy. Don’t knee-jerk and post outlandish or hurtful things just because you’re frustrated.

Along those lines, outright abuse of players or match officials is also not allowed. It’s fine to say “wow, that was a really bad call,” but it’s NOT okay to direct copious amounts of abuse in the direction of said official over a call you did not like.

Treat other people in the match thread the way you would want someone else to treat your grandmother. Be nice. This is a community of fans, not an un-moderated message board.

NO SPIDERS!

Finally, while we don’t have a rule against profanity, please try and keep the naughty words in check. Also, language that is sexist, racist, transphobic, or homophobic in nature will be swiftly deleted and you will be immediately banned. This is an open, supportive community.

Have fun, and COYS!

In many ways, the 10-man (then 9-man) second half against Liverpool was the most inspired Tottenham Hotspur has looked in quite a while, though even that effort was not enough to impact the final result. As a result, Spurs have made that lone win over Brentford look like an anomaly, as it is the only successful Premier League contest since October.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, has enjoyed much more positive vibes for most of the year, though perhaps Tottenham is a little fortunate at this scheduling. The Eagles are now winless in four straight, with league losses to City and Leeds, a bad Conference League result that misses the bye, and a League Cup exit via Arsenal on Wednesday. This is a true test for Dr. Tottenham.

Match Details

Date: Sunday, December 28

Time: 11:30 am ET, 4:30 pm UK

Location: Selhurst Park, London

TV: USA Network (US), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)

Table: Palace (t-7th, 26 pts), Spurs (t-14th, 22 pts)

After five straight Tottenham wins, Palace did the double last season, keeping Spurs off the scoresheet entirely (which might not be entirely surprising). The match at Selhurst Park went 1-0 to the home side thanks to a first-half goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta; the return fixture in North London saw the visitors score twice thanks to, ahem, Eberechi Eze.

Three Big Questions

Is momentum real? While Liverpool had more goals — and fewer red cards — than Spurs in the second half, Saturday was the first time it felt like there was both passion and intention from Thomas Frank’s side in far too long. Maybe there was not tons of possession or multitudes of high-quality chances, but the team looked determined to win back every lost ball and will its way to victory.

The logical answer here is no; there is no such thing in professional sports, and it seems extremely straw-grasping to cling to an effort that did not even result in a draw. However…what else do we even have?! I had fun watching the Spurs attack finally try to put pressure on the net, and it now faces a Palace side that gave up seven goals in its past two league matches. This is the chance.

Is the doctor in? On the other end, Oliver Glasner is not in a great spot: Palace is out of the League Cup and in a tough spot in the Conference League, with the strong start in the Premier League fading away as well. Now Chris Richards joins the injury list with Ismaila Sarr away at AFCON, setting up for a continued struggle ahead with bad result after bad result.

Still, this story feels all too familiar. The remedy to all woes will forever be a date against Spurs, and there is not a single soul who would be surprised to see the home side earn a resounding victory on Sunday. Hopefully Tottenham’s form is improving enough to avoid this curse, but the narrative feels so strong that overcoming it would be quite the upset.

Is there a plan against this type of side? Following this weekend come matches against Brentford, Sunderland, and Bournemouth, with all four clubs representing the middle of the table that seems to be surpassing Spurs as of late. Figuring out how to take on these fixtures will set the tone in January for the rest of the league season.

Tottenham has been better at home than on the road this season and three of these contests will be away from North London, so Frank will have to hope that trend holds. Falling in these matches is a bad omen for everything else to come, with the climb up from 14th already a big ask. It is not a great time for Spurs right now, but a win against Palace and some of the Eagles’ peers could suddenly get things back on track.

Is it a punishment or blessing there is no Spurs footie on the television today? That is the alternative question asked in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

The answer to that question must be solved individually. As for your hoddler-in-chief, this was a rare occasion in which I welcomed no Spurs on Boxing Day or the day after that.

In fact, I thought myself rather clever for flying from California back to Washington DC on the 27th of December to cover my bases.

Well, turns out Spurs play Sunday. And that means I’ll be watching Spurs take on Crystal Palace.

Worse, it means I’m going to miss the Pop Tarts Bowl, which as we all know is the preeminent sporting event in the western hemisphere.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. The hoddle will be up and running again nex week.

Sincerely,

fitzie.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Brand New Cadillac, by The Clash

And now for your links:

The Guardian: “Smaller teams expect Boxing Day bonanza thanks to lack of Premier League games”

“The two young lads, they need to play football and they probably haven’t played the amount of football they feel they need. Our remit here is to let them go and play and we’ll look to replace.

“Damola has been really unfortunate. We see every single day in training the ability that he’s got but he’s up against the best right winger in the league, in my opinion, Luke Molyneux.

“When we build a squad in the summer, we pick a group that can come in and compete with the rest of the players. It’s not about having 12 players in to start. January is different - you need to be bringing players in that are going into your team. We’ve done that really well over the last couple of years.

“We’ll look to replace the four lads and have a strong 2026.”

— Grant McCann, Doncaster manager

Good morning everyone - and the happiest of Christmases to you all!

I come to you with a Christmas gift of my own. I began the Track of the Day when I took over hoddling duties four years ago. One year I made a playlist that contained every single TOTD.

Today, I bring it to you once more.

I had not updated the TOTD in more than a year (closer to 18 months). It took a very, very, very long time to update it. Like, it took weeks. But I do it for you.

So here it is: Save it and enjoy it !!!!

Now, let me throw some stats in there for you all because I know how much you crave those X’s and G’s and everything in-between:

Total Songs: 959 (I thought it’d be more, but there are a few repeats that didn’t get added)

Runtime: 71 hours, 19 minutes

Most featured artists:

Charles Mingus: 39

Grateful Dead: 26

Queen: 16

Haim: 14 (much of it from their new album this year)

Fleetwood Mac: 13

Tom Petty (and the Heartbreakers): 13

Longest songs:

Fables of Faubus (Charles Mingus): 29:42

Joan in the Garden (The Decemberists): 19:21

Help on the Way / Slipknot! / Franklin’s Tower (Grateful Dead): 18:58

Take The A Train (Charles Mingus): 17:27

Late Autumn (Jeff Parker): 17:21

Shortest songs:

Fragile (Wire): 1:18

Three Girl Rhumba (Wire): 1:24

Mystery Dance (Elvis Costello): 1:36

Color of Autumn (Nujabes): 1:44

Tequila (Los Bitchos): 1:45

It’s getting pretty late here so I’m offering a few more takeaways before moving onto the 26th December hoddle:

There’s a lot of Charles Mingus here. That’s good. We love Charlie Mingus

Going through this I realised how little I featured some truly incredible classic rock artists like The Eagles, Doors, Who and countless others. I’ll try to rectify that.

Two of the top five in the most featured artists appear that way because there were specific weeks/hoddles dedicated to them, and so they benefited from that. I’m pleased no other artist got featured more than 10 times after Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty. I want diversity in the TOTD.

Two Wire songs as the shortest? Wow!

After a certain while I gave up on listing the songs in order. This is because there were probably 16 or so months where I didn’t update the playlist. That’s on me. It took ages to update it again, and probably thrice as long if I tried to do it in order.

I recognise that a fair amount of the hoddlers here won’t be checking in today because of Christmas festivities. I’ll throw this TOTD up again a handful of times more in the future because I want to share it - after all it’s my gift to you.

And if anyone here has an artist or genre they’d like featured more, please let me know. The hoddler-in-chief does take your suggestions! Please note he does try to steer clear of songs with adult language in it.

I wish you all the happiest of Christmases. If you do not celebrate it, then I wish you happy Thursday or any day of the week. Know that you are welcome here (unless you get banned, of course, but please don’t do that).

COME ON YOU SPURS!

Fitzie’s track of the day: Father Christmas, by The Kinks

And now for your links:

Now look, I’m a Tottenham Hotspur blogger and fan, and hence I am far from having an unbiased perspective here but I find it absolutely ludicrous that the FA would decide to charge Cuti for, in part, being upset that he was sent off after first being shoved in the back by Hugo Ekitike for a Liverpool goal and then getting a bullshit yellow card for arguing about that bad call, and then a second for reacting to being taken out by Ibrahima Konate and picking up his second yellow! Now, you can say he was stupid for reacting to Konate (and he was) but I find it absolutely ludicrous how an unbroken string of terrible decisions by the match official led to the exact circumstance for which Romero is being charged, and yet he’s the one getting extra punishment. I find it hard to imagine that a Liverpool player in the same circumstance would’ve gotten the same punishment, and of course it just adds more fuel to delusional Pool supporters who already consider themselves the victims here.

We’re a day early to be opening what Santa placed under the tree, but English football journalist Matt Law just gave us an early Christmas present. Law has a new piece out in the Telegraph (£) about Tottenham’s troubles, a “five issues” piece that does the job of succinctly spelling out exactly what’s going wrong at Tottenham Hotspur and dishing on a lot of the behind-the-scenes drama. There’s stuff in there about Thomas Frank, about players’ opinions on the current season, the January transfer window, and the upcoming holiday fixture period.

That’s all well and good — nobody loves a good Spurs In Crisis™ piece quite like Matt Law, and there’s plenty of stuff we could discuss in this piece — but there’s one paragraph that, despite being behind a paywall, I absolutely have to share with all of you on this Christmas Eve. Referencing the ongoing situation regarding co-Sporting Director Fabio Paratici’s public flirtation with the open Director of Football job at Fiorentina, Law dropped something of a rumor-mongering bombshell, suggesting, without evidence or substantiation, that Paratici’s interest in the Fiorentina job might be a backgrounded power play. Here’s the excerpt (emphasis mine).

Paratici was only formally reappointed by Spurs in October, having worked as a contracted consultant for the club during his ban from football. He was re-hired as a co-sporting director with Johan Lange and some sources believe the link to Fiorentina could essentially be an attempted Spurs power-grab by Paratici that would involve Lange being sidelined or even heading for the exit. That is unsubstantiated and it remains to be seen whether Paratici is on his way out, Lange is being frozen out or both men will stay in their co-sporting director roles. Whatever happens will have an impact on Frank and Tottenham’s transfer business.

This is SPECTACULAR gossip. The idea that Paratici’s flirtation with La Viola might be to stick a knife in Johan Lange’s back so that he can leverage himself into a position of greater power at Spurs is some Succession-level stuff. Like, honestly — no notes. It’s wonderful.

Now, you might be asking yourself the question as to why Matt Law, an accredited sports journalist, is putting wholly unsubstantiated gossip in a major English newspaper, and that’s a great question which I will direct attention to and never talk about again, because look at that rumor! The idea that Paratici, two months after returning officially to football after a substantial ban for financial malfeasance at Juventus, would be willing to go behind Lange’s back for his own benefit is too good a rumor not to share with all of y’all.

Does it matter whether the info shared here was provided from a trusted source that asked to kept fully backgrounded, or whether it was shared through a game of Telephone such that it might have originated in the wilds of Bat Country or ITK? Reader, no it does not. I find the idea of Machiavellian-But-Stupider power plays at the Spurs executive level to be INCREDIBLE and I want more of it.

So let’s take this gossip at face value and assume this is Don Fabio getting the knives out for Lange. Would it be better to have Paratici in charge of the whole operation at Spurs? I don’t know! I certainly have significant doubts about Lange’s identification and squad building nous based on the past couple of transfer windows. It would certainly be funny, but funny ≠ good.

It goes without saying that this could also be wildly off-base. Now, say what you want about Matt Law, but we know he absolutely has sources within and around Tottenham, so I will leave it up to you, gentle reader, as to what you want to believe. I’m just sitting here munching popcorn and reveling in the drama.

On Christmas, it’s worth taking some time to think about and say what you’re thankful for over the past year. I have a lot to be thankful for — I’m still alive, for example, even if I’m back in cancer treatment — but what I’m most thankful for today is the Gift of Unsubstantiated Tottenham Gossip, thoughtfully wrapped and left under my tree by Matt Law. It is a gift that keeps on giving, though I’m not yet sure whether it’s something nice, or a giant lump of coal.