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The whistle has blown for full-time at Selhurst Park, and it’s time for our Tottenham player ratings vs Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Tottenham full-time player ratings vs Crystal Palace

Guglielmo Vicario –Tottenham saw out the first-half lead, and Palace barely threatened Vicario in the Spurs goal. 6.

Pedro Porro – Spurs looked to protect their one-goal lead for most of the second half, limiting Porro’s attacking forays. Defensively, though, he stuck to his task brilliantly. 7.

Micky Van de Ven – It was a defensive showing for Spurs, who barely threatened in the second half. Van de Ven was key to that, making crucial interceptions and blocks. 7.

Kevin Danso – Slotted perfectly into the backline after replacing the suspended Tottenham captain and put in a proper showing against Mateta and co. 7.5.

Djed Spence – Just like his full-back counterpart, the Englishman spent most of his time deep as Tottenham defended in a low block to see the game out. 6.

Rodrigo Bentancur – The Uruguayan stuck to his defensive duties expertly and helped Tottenham shield their backline as Palace looked to find an equaliser. 6.

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Archie Gray – Started in the pivot role alongside Bentancur, but his standout moment came in the opposition box, where he headed in from point-blank range to give Spurs the lead from a corner. He later finished the game in the number ten position following Bergvall’s substitution. 8.

Lucas Bergvall – The Swede was tasked with the creative burden of replacing Simons in the number ten role. However, it did little to solve Spurs’ creative problems, as their only goal came from a set-piece. He also picked up a knock and was replaced by Joao Palhinha. 5.

Mohammed Kudus – The Ghana international had little to contribute in the final third, as he was often required to assist Porro defensively. He did put in a beautiful cross with the outside of his boot that was met by Richarlison, although the goal was later disallowed. 5.

Richarlison – The Brazilian saw his first-half goal disallowed for offside, but later turned creator as his flick-on led to Gray’s opening goal. In the second half, he spent much of the game helping out defensively and then found the back of the net again, but it was once more disallowed. 7.

Randal Kolo Muani – A quiet outing for the Frenchman, who played out wide in this fixture and barely had a sight of goal. He was taken off for Odobert around the hour mark. 5.

Substitutes:

Wilson Odobert – Came on for Muani in the second half and went straight in at left wing and was very direct whenever he got the ball. He could have doubled Tottenham’s lead late on, but his strike hit the inside of the post. 7

Joao Palhinha – Replaced Bergvall, who limped off, and slotted into the pivot role as Spurs looked to see the game out. 6

Radu Dragusin – The Romanian finally made his return to first-team action in the 85th minute, replacing Archie Gray, and almost found the net with his first touch since January, but his header was high. N/A

The whistle has blown for half-time at Selhurst Park Stadium, and it’s time for our Spurs player ratings vs Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Tottenham lead 1-0 at the break courtesy of Archie Gray’s goal.

Tottenham first-half player ratings vs Crystal Palace

Guglielmo Vicario – Palace have had a few sniffs at goal, but none of their attempts have really threatened the Italian. He has kept things simple with his distribution, though. 6.

Pedro Porro – The Spaniard was involved in Spurs’ disallowed goal, as it was his whipped low cross that found Richarlison before it was ruled out for offside after a VAR check. 6.

Micky Van de Ven – The Dutchman has done his very best to stay tight with Mateta in the Palace attack and has also made a couple of crucial interceptions when the Spurs backline has looked threatened. 7.

Kevin Danso – The Austrian replaced Romero in the starting XI this evening after the Argentine’s sending off last weekend against Liverpool. He looked a bit nervous in the early exchanges but grew into the game and almost played Richarlison in with a long ball from deep. 6.5.

Djed Spence – The full-back has barely gone beyond Muani in the match, often staying right behind him during attacks. His passing has been misplaced at times when he has looked to progress it. 5.

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Rodrigo Bentacur – Has stuck to his defensive duties in this match-up, shielding the back four and making a few interceptions on the edge of the box. 6.

Archie Gray – The youngster is sitting right alongside Bentancur at the base of Spurs’ midfield but has not been shy to make runs beyond his midfield partner, offering extra bodies in attack for Tottenham. He eventually gave Tottenham the opening goal of the match by heading home Richarlison’s flick-on from a corner. 7.

Lucas Bergvall – A performance full of running from the Swede, who has come in for Xavi Simons; however, he has offered little in terms of creativity for Spurs, with his final pass often not finding its target. 5.

Mohammed Kudus – Remains an out-ball for Tottenham and has often carried them up the pitch with his direct running, but Spurs have still barely created anything from open play. 5.

Richarlison – Thought he had given Tottenham the lead before the halfway point of the first half after his cool finish found the back of the net from a Porro cross, but it was ruled out for offside. The Brazilian eventually provided an assist after Gray headed home his flick-on from a corner. 6.

The Tottenham Hotspur starting line-up for the Premier League match against Crystal Palace has been announced.

Following their 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, where they were reduced to nine men, Tottenham Hotspur will be taking to the pitch this afternoon as they search for a response against London rivals Crystal Palace.

Thomas Frank’s side have had a week to prepare for today’s outing, given their lack of involvement in the Carabao Cup prior to Christmas and should be well rested for this clash.

Palace, on the other hand, come into this game off the back of a Carabao Cup defeat against Arsenal that went all the way to penalties.

Spurs are missing key players due to injury and suspension

The Spurs boss has been forced to make a few changes to his starting XI following Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons’ respective red cards against Liverpool.

Romero is ruled out after picking up two yellow cards last weekend, while Xavi Simons also sits out the trip to Selhurst Park following a direct red card for his challenge on Virgil Van Dijk.

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Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke James Maddison and Destiny Udogie all remain sidelined due to injury, while Radu Dragusin did make a return to the bench last weekend against the Reds.

Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are away on Africa Cup of Nations duty for Senegal and Mali respectively.

Kota Takai is named among the substitutes and will make his debut if called upon.

This is the Tottenham team which takes to the field in south London this afternoon:

Crystal Palace: Henderson; Lerma, Lacroix, Guéhi; Clyne, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Yeremy Pino, Devenny; Mateta

Tottenham: Vicario; Pedro Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Gray, Bentancur; Kudus, Bergvall, Kolo Muani; Richarlison

Crystal Palace find themselves in ninth place and are in much better form than Spurs coming into the fixture, having picked up six points from their last five league outings.

Tottenham, on the other hand, have managed just four points from their last five, a run of form that has them down in 14th place in the league table and running the risk of being dragged into a relegation scrap.

Spurs fans have been left frustrated by the poor run of form from their side, with many calling for Frank to be sacked following the toothless displays on the pitch, making a victory here very important.

Inter Milan have now made contact with Tottenham Hotspur over a January deal for a much-criticised Spurs star.

Many of Tottenham’s senior players have failed to reach the level expected of them so far this season, and one player in particular has received considerable criticism.

Guglielmo Vicario has been singled out as a liability for Spurs in light of the poor errors that the Italian has made over recent months.

There have been reports that the Spurs shot-stopper is wanted by Inter Milan, and it turns out that the Nerazzurri have now pushed forward with a move.

According to a report from Sky Italia (as relayed by GFNI), the Serie A club have now made initial contact regarding a January deal for the Tottenham number one.

Inter are said to be keen on finding a long-term replacement for the ageing Yan Sommer and have identified Vicario as their ‘ideal profile’.

It is suggested that the goalkeeper would be extremely keen to return to Italy and would view a move to the San Siro as a significant step forward in his career, as it would give him the chance to compete for major honours.

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Inter expected negotiations with Spurs to be difficult

Sjy Italia say that while getting Vicario’s greenlight may not be an issue, negotiations with Tottenham are expected to be anything but easy.

It is pointed out that the Premier League side are one of the toughest negotiators in world football and may not be willing to offer a discount on the goalkeeper.

While some groundwork has been done with the first contacts, the deal would require ‘a significant financial effort and a complex diplomatic approach’ from the Inter hierarchy.

Tottenham Hotspur potentially face the prospect of competition from London rivals for three of their winger targets in January.

According to reports, Spurs have now given up on Antoine Semenyo after it became clear that the Bournemouth winger prefers moving to Manchester City or Liverpool.

Over the past week, a number of exciting young wingers have been put forward as Semenyo alternatives for Tottenham.

However, the Lilywhites have now learned that one of their fiercest rivals have a very similar January shopping list.

Chelsea are big fans of £87m-rated Tottenham target

Over recent weeks, plenty of outlets have claimed that Spurs have held advanced talks over Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, who has been dominating defences in the Bundesliga this term.

CaughtOffside now report that Chelsea’s scouts have been tracking Diomande for a long time, even prior to his move to Leipzig.

However, it is pointed out that the Bundesliga club’s €100m (£87m) asking price for the 19-year-old poses a big problem for the Blues, who do not want to overspend in January.

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Chelsea eyeing two more Spurs targets

CaughtOffside claim that the Blues’ priority is to sign an elite right-footed forward in January, and two of their other targets are also names who are on Tottenham’s wishlist.

Enzo Maresca’s men are said to be keeping a close eye on Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz, who has been described as a ‘dream signing’ for Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur are primed to advance on an experienced central midfielder, who is thought to be keen on returning to the Premier League in January.

Several sources have claimed that Spurs are prioritising the signing of players with Premier League experience in January, and a former Wolves player is thought to be on their radar.

It emerged last month that Tottenham are exploring bringing Ruben Neves back to England, but the Lilywhites are not the only ones interested in the player.

Man United and Newcastle are battling Spurs for the former Wolves man, and another club have now allegedly entered the race.

Tottenham one of three clubs readying offers for Ruben Neves

A new report in Sabah (as relayed by Sport Witness) has now claimed that Galatasaray have now entered the race for the 28-year-old, whose contract at Al-Hilal is set to run out next summer.

The outlet claims that the midfielder is ‘ready to leave Saudi Arabia’ in the upcoming transfer window.

However, it is explained that Galatasaray face a ‘significant and strong competition’ from Tottenham, Man United and Newcastle for Neves.

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The Red Devils are said to be particularly keen on the Portugal international, and it is claimed that all three English sides are ‘preparing offers’ for the player.

Spurs have already spoken to Neves

This report follows another update from TEAMtalk a few days ago, which claimed that Neves’ camp has already spoken to Tottenham and other European sides over a January move.

The outlet explained that despite attracting interest from around Europe, returning to the Premier League is the midfielder’s preference.

It was asserted that Thomas Frank’s men are long-time admirers of Neves and Al-Hilal are ready to cash in, as they do not want to risk losing the player on a free next summer.

A Tottenham Hotspur star recovered from his knee injury and played nearly an hour of football on Saturday, which was just his second competitive outing of the season.

Bissouma is one of two Tottenham players currently at the African Cup of Nations, with Pape Sarr also linking up with the Mali squad for the competition.

Some Spurs fans may have been surprised when the midfielder was picked for the AFCON, given that he only had knee surgery in October following an injury he suffered in a World Cup qualifier, which remains his only appearance of the season.

The 29-year-old is yet to feature for Spurs under Thomas Frank, but last week, Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet revealed that Tottenham are working closely with the Mali staff on Bissouma’s fitness.

Tottenham midfielder comes through AFCON fixture unscathed

The Tottenham star played no part in Mali’s tournament opener against Zambia, but he did start in his nation’s clash against tournament hosts Morocco on Saturday.

Bissouma wore the captain’s armband for Mali, who emerged with a hard-fought 1-1 draw at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, a result which keeps them very much in the running for qualification for the knockout stages.

The former Brighton man completed 57 minutes before being replaced by Feyenoord’s Gaoussou Diarra, and the West African nation now know that a win against Comoros will guarantee them progress to the next round.

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Pape Matar Sarr is yet to feature in AFCON

While Bissouma will be hoping to play a major part in Mali’s upcoming fixtures, it has been a frustrating experience for Sarr at the AFCON.

The Tottenham midfielder has been an unused substitute for Senegal in their 3-0 win against Botswana and their 1-1 draw against DR Congo.

With Senegal now big favourites to progress to the knockout stages, Thomas Frank will likely have to do without the 23-year-old for another week or two.

Tottenham Hotspur’s returning player is already finding himself at the centre of renewed transfer noise as interest in Italy begins to heat up.

Radu Dragusin has spent nearly a year working his way back to full fitness following the ACL injury he picked up back in January.

The defender finally made a return to first-team action for Tottenham last weekend in Spurs’ league fixture against Liverpool, where he was named on the bench.

He did not get any minutes, but it is a welcome development for Tottenham, who will need added depth in their squad with fixtures coming thick and fast in the coming weeks.

Tottenham open door as Radu Dragusin linked with Serie A return

Dragusin’s recovery has not kept him out of the transfer rumour mill, as Tuttomercatoweb reported that Tottenham’s centre-back could return to Serie A in January or next summer.

This is not the first time the Romanian has been linked with a move away from north London, as before suffering his ACL injury, Spurs were believed to be looking to sell Dragusin.

It is now reported that AS Roma are keen on landing the 23-year-old, with the defender on their shortlist alongside Chelsea’s Disasi.

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Spurs loan stance hints at Dragusin uncertainty

It is claimed that Tottenham could be open to an initial loan deal with an option to buy for the Romanian, who last played a competitive game in January 2025.

Fiorentina are also interested in the 23-year-old, and it is claimed that Tottenham rejected an enquiry from the Florence club last month.

The outlet suggested that the situation could now change, with Fabio Paratici set to join Fiorentina, and all of these points towards Dragusin’s entourage potentially exploring a way out.

The defender is currently a backup at Spurs, which would explain the sudden increase in speculation around his future.

Paul Merson has weighed in on the festive Premier League London derby between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur.

Thomas Frank will be searching for an immediate response from his players following their disappointing 2-1 defeat against Liverpool last time out.

That performance left much to be desired, and the manager knows that a much-improved showing is required if they are to take anything from a difficult trip to South London.

Spurs ended their previous matchup with nine men as both Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons were sent off, leaving the squad depleted for this upcoming clash.

Paul Merson offers Crystal Palace and Tottenham prediction

Speaking to Sportskeeda, Paul Merson reflected on Crystal Palace’s recent schedule and physical condition, while also questioning Tottenham’s current level after their latest defeat, before going on to give his score prediction.

He remarked, “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 cannot 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.”

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“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.”

Score Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs looking to finish 2025 on a high note

Tottenham will need to end 2025 in positive spirits, as the year has been a mixed one for the Lilywhites.

Spurs won the Europa League back in May, and that will remain the highlight of 2025 for most fans, but their league form has been poor.

Tottenham Hotspur head into their final Premier League fixture of 2025 against Crystal Palace under mounting pressure, as they slip dangerously close to the relegation places. Let’s take a look at our predicted Tottenham XI to face the Eagles.

Thomas Frank remains a man under pressure as Tottenham Hotspur continue to slip down the Premier League table.

Spurs are in 14th place, four points off 17th, but also close to the top four, with seven points separating them from fourth-placed Chelsea.

Frank’s side, however, needs to get points on the board if they are to move up the table and up next for them is Crystal Palace.

The Eagles are not in the best of form coming into this fixture, and if Spurs can get their setup right, they could secure a win in what is their final league game of 2025.

Tottenham predicted XI vs Crystal Palace

Goalkeeper – Guglielmo Vicario: The Italian has not been void of mistakes this season, but Frank will be hoping for a much more assured display between the sticks from his goalkeeper.

Right-back – Pedro Porro: The Spaniard has been a mainstay in that Tottenham backline, and we expect that he will continue on the right here.

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Centre-back – Kevin Danso: Cristian Romero was sent off against Liverpool last time out after picking up two yellow cards and is set to miss this game against Palace, and that should see Danso get the nod here.

Centre-back – Micky van de Ven: One of Spurs’ better defenders this season, and, with Romero out, he will be charged with marshalling the backline.

Left-back – Djed Spence: Destiny Udogie remains out, as Frank revealed in his pre-match press conference, and that should see Djed continue on the left.

Pivot midfielder – Rodrigo Bentancur: Joao Palhinha did not feature from the off against Liverpool, and we do not expect to see Frank bring him into the side from the start here either, so Bentancur should continue as the main pivot.

Pivot midfielder – Archie Gray: Thomas Frank seems to be leaning towards the Gray and Bentancur partnership a lot more now, and we do not expect that to be broken up this weekend.

Centre midfielder – Lucas Bergvall: Simons picked up a red card against Liverpool, and that means he is set to miss three games on the bounce, which should see Bergvall take his spot in the starting XI.

Right winger – Mohammed Kudus: Kudus remains the preferred option on the right for Tottenham, and we expect that the Ghana international will continue there.

Striker – Richarlison: The Brazil forward remains Spurs’ most influential player in the final third, with no player managing more goal contributions than him this season. He came off the bench against Liverpool and found the net, and we expect him to start from the off here.