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Tottenham defender Mickey Van de Ven will miss his side's trip to Anfield to take on Champions League hopefuls Liverpool after he was sent off against Crystal Palace.

The Dutchman was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity which saw Ismaila Sarr pulled down after the Senegalese got the wrong side of the defender. Andrew Madley wasted no time in showing a straight red card and reducing Spurs to ten men in a crucial game for Igor Tudor.

He will miss the clash with Liverpool next Sunday, but because red cards in the Premier League only apply to domestic action, he can play against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. Spurs were knocked out of the FA Cup earlier this season so are not in action this weekend.

It was an action-packed 40 minutes in North London where Sarr saw an opening goal ruled out for offside after semi-automated technology ruled that the 28-year-old's face was offside.

Five minutes later, Dominic Solanke opened the scoring after instinctively powering home following good work down the left from Archie Gray but their lead was short-lived as Van de Ven was sent off just four minutes later.

Sarr stepped up and coolly slotted past Gugliermo Vicario, sending the Italian the wrong way. The joy for caretaker manager Igor Tudor had quickly turned to despair as his captain was sent for an early shower leaving Spurs a man light for the remaining 50 minutes.

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With positive results for West Ham United and Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, the pressure was on the Croatian's side in North London on Thursday as they came against an out-of-form Palace side.

Solanke's goal, a first against the Eagles, appeared to give Spurs the boost that they needed. But they gave themselves a mountain to climb when Van de Ven hauled former Watford man Sarr down after he got the wrong side of the defender.

Tudor took evasive action, making a double change on the stroke of half-time with Conor Gallagher and Yves Bissouma replacing Souza and Randal Kolo Muani.

Speaking on commentary, former Spurs goalkeeper Joe Hart said: "Oh dear. Oh goodness me, seeing it on the replay, I think you're going to have to go Mickey.

"Strand-Larsen deals with Danso, Sarr gets the wrong side of Van de Ven, his instincts take over, he pulls down the Crystal Palace man, makes no attempt to play the ball that's why it's a red.

"He's holding him, he's holding. The only thing they can clutch onto is Strand-Larsen on Danso but I don't think that's a foul. You can't believe it can you? He doesn't need to do that, he'll be so disappointed."

Van de Ven looked up to the heavens while Tudor was sat back, slouched in his chair and the former Wolfsburg defender will now miss their trip to Anfield next Sunday.

In first-half stoppage time, things went from bad to worse as Strand-Larsen made it three goals in four games against Spurs before Sarr doubled his tally for the evening to open up a two-goal cushion for the visitors.

Joe Hart and Sam Matterface were left surprised after Tottenham Hotspur were handed a reprieve when Ismaila Sarr was ruled offside during the clash with Crystal Palace.

The Palace forward saw his effort loop over Guglielmo Vicario to hand the visitors the lead. However, following an intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR) and semi-automated offside, the Senegalese saw his effort chalked off.

In a tweet, Premier League Match Centre said: "VAR checked the referee’s call of goal – and established that Sarr was in an offside position and recommended that the goal was disallowed."

Co‑commentator Hart believed Sarr was onside, saying on TNT Sports: "I don't think this is offside. We had a great view, dead in line from it. It felt like Sarr running though late was a real opportunity for Crystal Palace."

Meanwhile, Matterface added: "The VAR looking at this back at Stockley Park is Nick Hopton and they are just making sure they have the accurate kick point here before they measure as to whether or not it is offside."

Following confirmation from VAR, referee Andy Madley raised his hand to signal the offside. "Is that what we’re going with, yeah?" Hart asked, before adding: "His face was offside, in front of the goal.

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"None of that looks right. None of it looks right."

Palace boss Oliver Glasner was also seen pointing to his nose shortly after, suggesting he believed that was the reason the goal was ruled out.

Moments later, the hosts scored the opening goal through Dominic Solanke before captain Micky van de Ven was sent off for denying Sarr a goal scoring opportunity.

The Dutchman pulled Sarr down after the Senegalese got the wrong side of the defender. Madley wasted no time in showing a straight red card, reducing Spurs to ten men in what was a crucial game for Igor Tudor.

Sarr made no mistake from the spot, sending Vicario the wrong way. Jorgen Strand Larsen and Sarr both found the net just before half‑time - making it 3-1 for the visitors.

Home supporters were seen leaving their seats after Spurs conceded the third goal.

Defeat will leave Spurs just one point above the relegation zone.

Here's the Tottenham team that Igor Tudor has named to take on Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Thursday evening

Igor Tudor has made four changes in naming the Tottenham team that he believes can overcome Crystal Palace n the Premier League on Thursday night.

The Croatian is looking for his first Spurs victory and so are the club in the Premier League in 2026 and now Tudor will complete his opening hat-trick of derbies with the challenge of Oliver Glasner's Eagles. If Tottenham are unable to triumph then they will be setting an unwanted new club record Premier League streak of 11 matches without a victory.

Kevin Danso returns to the back four and the interim head coach has given 19-year-old Souza a first start for the club after telling football.london: " He was good, I saw something in him. He is there and waiting for his moment to play."

Mathys Tel once again made an impact from the bench and he starts on the left alongside Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani in a front Xavi Simons and Conor Gallagher drop to the bench with a midfield three of Joao Palhinha, Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr. Alternatively it could be a 3-4-3 with Palhinha in the backline.

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Here's the Tottenham team Tudor has gone with to face Palace:

With Tottenham Hotspur currently in the grip of a relegation battle, former Spurs ace Gareth Bale offered his thoughts on the transfer approach of his old club

Gareth Bale believes Tottenham Hotspur will struggle to progress if they fail to challenge the likes of Manchester United when it comes to wages.

Spurs are currently knee deep in a relegation battle. Many are pouring over the wreckage of the north Londoners' current campaign, evaluating where things have gone wrong.

The club's approach to transfers and wages has been identified as an issue, with former manager Ange Postecoglou recently suggesting they are reluctant to fork out on big players with big wages.

Out of the so-called 'Big six' Tottenham £222m wage bill is the lowest and nearly £100m less than United's wage bill of £313million.

Bale echoed the thoughts of Postecoglou, saying Spurs need to be offering bigger wage packets to attract the Premier League proven players they need to climb up the table.

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Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Bale, when asked where he believes Spurs are lacking, said: " I would say money. They don't pay as much as United and you look at the wage bill it's lower.

"Buying a £50million player it's not what it used to be. You must be spending 80, 90, 100 now just to get a good player. They need that bit of a gamble, from a business point of view they're maybe not willing to do it.

"I don’t know how they're doing financially but it seems to be that for me that's probably the biggest issue they just don't sign the proven player.”

Speaking on the same podcast a matter of weeks before, Postecoglou said: "I still felt like, you know, Tottenham as a club was saying, 'We're one of the big boys.' And the reality is, I don't think they are in terms of my experience over those last two years, of how they act.

"When Arsenal need players, they'll spend a hundred million on Declan Rice. I don't see Tottenham doing that. It's a real curiosity in terms of understanding what are they trying to build?

"Obviously, they've built an unbelievable stadium, unbelievable training facilities. But when you look at the expenditure, particularly, you know, their wages structure, they're not a big club. I saw that because when we were trying to sign players, we weren't in the market for those players.

"Not a big club in terms of the wages that they pay. You know, I was looking at Pedro Neto and [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Antoine] Semenyo at the time, Marc Guehi, because I said; 'If we're going to go from fifth to there, that's what other big clubs would do in that moment.'"

West Ham United's away victory over Fulham dragged Spurs to within one point of the relegation zone. Spurs have not been outside the top flight since 1977, when they were relegated to the second division.

Spurs boss Igor Tudor is set to make a significant decision for his side's clash against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Thursday night

Tottenham boss Igor Tudor is set to drop goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario against Crystal Palace as he goes in search of his first Premier League win. The Croatian is instead set to turn to backup option Antonin Kinsky.

Vicario has come under scrutiny as the Lilywhites enter a Premier League relegation battle and one error from a free kick was even highlighted by a Premier League social media account. It has since been taken down after Spurs lodged a complaint.

Meanwhile, Kinsky has not played a minute of competitive football since October. He will now be tasked with guarding the net for a Tottenham side desperate to win after West Ham and Nottingham Forest closed the gap to them to a single point, according to The Sun.

Vicario has played every Premier League minute this term but has conceded two or more goals in each of his last eight games in the division. Kinsky played six times in the top flight last term.

The 22-year-old will come under immediate pressure with Spurs winless since the beginning of December. He has made two appearances in 2025/26 against Doncaster and Newcastle in the Carabao Cup.

Tudor's anticipated decision will take Vicario out of the firing line after criticism of him peaked with the Premier League's mockery. The Italian has made errors with both hands and feet this season before his errant free kick was targeted.

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Spurs felt such criticism or ‘banter’ should not be produced from an official league account. Tudor hit out at the division's initial decision in his press conference.

"I’m sure they are aware of the mistake they made and they will not do in the future," said the Tottenham boss. "Not nice, not nice. Vicario is a fantastic guy, a fantastic player. I spoke with him. He’s OK. It’s part of the job, with the social media.

"For sure it is not good, but we are living in an era of information. Every day, hundreds of new information bombarding these players.

“They need to be strong. They need to accept. For sure when I was a player I lived in a better world from that point of view. You could have your life as normal. Now there are two lives. One here and one in this (picks up phone) which is sometimes not too easy to manage, for them, for the young people they are.

"So they need to be very informed, very aware, to pay attention and try to stay as much as possible in the real world."

Brennan Johnson upset a few folk due to what he did before leaving Tottenham for Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace star Brennan Johnson sparked a mini uproar after breaking a controversial, unwritten rule while playing for Tottenham. The incident occurred while Spurs were in Australia, prior to a post-season friendly against Newcastle in May 2024.

The day before the game, which finished 1-1, Tottenham staged an open training session at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. Thousands of fans attended, looking to catch the squad - then managed by Aussie hero Ange Postecoglou - in action.

After the session, the players and coaching staff did a lap of the ground to acknowledge the spectators. As they did the rounds, an 'Aussie rules' football - known as a Sherrin - was thrown at Johnson, who, after briefly fumbling the catch, picked it up and kindly threw it back into the stands.

But innocent though this back-and-forth might have seemed, Johnson had actually fallen foul of one Australian sport's biggest unwritten rules.

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In the past, football clubs touring Australia have often posed for photos holding the iconic Sherrin football. But Football Australia (the governing body for Australian soccer) have clamped down on the practice because it promotes a rival code of the game.

As such, visiting soccer stars have been effectively banned from interacting with Aussie rules balls - a ban Johnson inadvertently violated.

In 2022, Manchester United star Marcus Rashford posed for a photo with a Sherrin that was posted on the AFL's social media accounts.

Furious Australian football pundit Lucy Zelic called out Football Australia for not preventing what she described as a "f***ing embarrassing" image.

"Can someone tell me what the point of this is?' Zelic fumed on X. "Is Marcus suddenly going to switch codes and sign for an AFL side? Go and pat a koala, meet with proud members of our Indigenous communities and spend time with grassroots FOOTBALL clubs.

"This is just f***ing embarrassing. This is a blatant PR exercise that Marcus was told to do, nothing more. Cross-code promotions are a waste of time. They should be appealing to FOOTBALL fans," she added. "As a code, the AFL and its representatives have done nothing but s*** on football time and time again."

Johnson joined Palace from Tottenham in January for the former's club-record £35million fee. He is yet to score for his new side, but notched his first assist in the Eagles' 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at the weekend.

He'll no doubt be hoping to keep the goal contributions going when Palace travel to Spurs on Thursday night for what will be Johnson's first trip back to his old club.

Oliver Glasner takes his Crystal Palace side to Tottenham on Thursday night, with Spurs desperate to avoid Premier League relegation

Back in early December, Crystal Palace were flying. Marc Guehi's dramatic late winner away at Fulham had Oliver Glasner dreaming of Champions League football after the Eagles moved into the top-four.

A little over a month later and it all went downhill - and in chaotic fashion too. Midway through the January transfer window and the FA Cup holders had been dumped out of the competition by non-league Macclesfield, as well as losing their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Arsenal.

Glasner also saw his team flop in the Conference League league phase, forcing them to settle for a play-off tie, and they collapsed in the league too to all but end any ambitious hopes of a top-four spot.

Could it get any worse? It could and it did. On January 16, just 40 days after that thrilling Fulham victory and Palace's crisis hit a new humiliating low.

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In an explosive pre-match press conference, Glasner announced captain Guehi was leaving to join Manchester City before the manager dropped another bombshell by confirming he will leave the club when his contract runs out at the end of the season.

It's turned very messy since those revelations, with the south Londoners getting dragged into the relegation scrap after an awful run of form in the league.

They beat fierce rivals Brighton last month to end a nine-game winless run and, although they've been inconsistent since the turn of the year, they seem to be safe for now.

But Palace fans have turned on Glasner, calling for his immediate exit and booing the under-pressure boss following the 1-1 draw in the first-leg of their Conference League play-off with Bosnian minnows Zrinjski Mostar last month.

Glasner furiously hit back and told angry supporters: "Stay humble. Never forget where you're coming from. I think a few who are so critical in this situation are not humble anymore.

"Forget where you are coming from and usually in life you are punished for this. It would have been quite easy for me to step back earlier, [I had] many opportunities to be honest. I didn't do it. I felt responsible for the team - especially for the players."

They have now navigated their way through to the last-16, setting up a clash with a AEK Larnaca side who stunned them by inflicting a 1-0 defeat in the league phase at Selhurst Park.

But hopes of European glory hasn't eased the pressure on Glasner, who has seen his reputation somewhat decline given what has gone on in recent months.

He's had it tough at Palace in terms of player departures, having seen Eberechi Eze leave last summer and then influential captain Guehi following him out the door this year.

Last season's historic FA Cup triumph put Glasner on the radar of Europe's top teams and he will go down as arguably the greatest manager in Palace's history.

But things have turned sour in south London. There have been several explosive outbursts in press conferences since he confirmed his departure and digging out the fans has escalated tensions.

He could still have his pick of Europe's best teams in the summer and he's a proven winner, having won the Europa League with Frankfurt before arriving in the Premier League.

Spurs have previously been linked with a move for Glasner and will be on the lookout for a new manager at the end of the season. Interim head coach Igor Tudor has had a tough start to life in north London but his remit is straightforward - keep the club in the top-flight.

Glasner will have a chance to prove his worth to the Spurs hierarchy on Thursday night when Palace travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a must-win match for the hosts.

But how will they view Palace's worrying form and Glasner's outbursts? Having had hot-headed managers in the past, including Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte (and look how that turned out...), they might be reluctant to hire a manger who can turn against the club.

But, then again, they've tried a Mr Nice Guy in Thomas Frank and that backfired too. It's a dilemma for Spurs and one they perhaps will worry about once they know know which league they'll be playing in.

Glasner might not view Thursday night's clash as an audition, and it is understood the popular Mauricio Pochettino is the leading contender to take the job full-time in the summer, but the Austrian will do his hopes no harm with a positive performance.

Spurs are keeping their options open and are known admirers of the manager. He knows how to win trophies, as well as getting the best out of his players.

His 3-4-2-1 formation, with an emphasis on counter-attacking football and his wing-backs powering forward, might not necessarily excite a Spurs fanbase who want exciting and attacking football.

Glasner can still finish the season strong and he knows more silverware, with Palace targeting European glory, will boost his chances of impressing potential suitors - despite what has gone on at Selhurst Park in recent months.

But it might be a little too late. Who knows where Glasner goes in the summer, but he may have already harmed his chances of landing a top job in the Premier League.

EXCLUSIVE: I stopped Harry Kane - this is why he's not the world's best striker

EXCLUSIVE: Harry Kane is on fire this season with 50 goal contributions in 37 appearances

Leonardo Bonucci believes Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are the best players in the world right now, despite having fewer goal contributions than former Tottenham hero Harry Kane.

The ex-Spurs striker has been unstoppable for Bayern Munich this season, scoring 45 goals and assisting five times. Kane already has the German Supercup to his name in this campaign and Bayern have an 11-point cushion at the top of the league table with 10 games remaining.

Prior to his Bundesliga efforts, the England captain had scored 280 goals and assisted 63 times for Spurs - making him a modern-day hero in north London. However, Bonucci has ranked Mbappe and Haaland above Kane and previously revealed to Sports Illustrated how he stopped the striker during the Euro 2020 final.

He said: "Kane, on [the opposition’s final third] of the pitch, prefers to make short, sharp runs. So when the ball is around this area he likes to attack that space more than receiving the ball on his feet. But when he’s in [the middle] of the pitch, he likes to drop deep and help the team and create chances for others.

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"This is what happened [in the Euro 2020 final]. I wasn’t exactly the fastest defender, but I backed myself in a long distance. Against him, I risked it by trying to anticipate him because I know that, worst case scenario, I’d make [him go wide].

"Many times I managed to anticipate him also because when it comes to using your body, he didn’t excel in that, so he’d lose the duel often, and we also fought well on the high balls. In that specific game, I won many duels against him."

Five years on from this moment, Bonucci has gone on to describe his approach towards the likes of Haaland and snubbed Kane in the process. Speaking exclusively to football.london ahead of his return to Soccer Aid 2026 at the London Stadium, the 38-year-old said: "[On stopping Haaland] Ah, it's difficult, because he's a great player, and also he’s strong physically.

"It's not easy to anticipate him, you need to be smart when he moves from one direction, you need to anticipate, but without that it's not easy. I try to explain that to Mancini because we played against Norway last November.

"And he told me, Leo, I know, I know you are one of the best defenders, but for me, it's very difficult because he's incredible in the box when on the crossline. I love him and Mbappe both - they are the best players in the world right now."

This claim puts the Manchester City star on par with Real Madrid's Mbappe ahead of their major Champions League clash next week. Meanwhile, Kane is sitting on the outskirts in Bonucci's eyes on the best striker in the world conversation - but that doesn't mean he hasn't praised the forward before.

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In 2022, the former Italy international hailed Kane as one of the best at the time ahead of his country's Nations League showdown with England. He said: "With Kane, we have played many matches against each other.

"I believe he is a great striker and among the best in the world."

Brennan Johnson has hardly set the world alight at Crystal Palace, but Tottenham Hotspur could've done with an extra pair of legs for the end-of-season run-in

Higher-ups at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be kicking themselves, knowing they offloaded Brennan Johnson for little to no good reason. The Lilywhites lost millions when they sold the 24-year-old winger to Crystal Palace at the start of the January transfer window, but his departure funded the arrival of some new faces.

Shorting after recuperating just £35m from the £47.5m they paid Nottingham Forest a couple of years ago, Spurs signed Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid and Souza from Santos. Tottenham accelerated plans to bring in a midfielder and a defender when another wave of injuries hit Hotspur Way.

At the start of the year, Rodrigo Bentancur was forced to undergo surgery on a hamstring problem before Ben Davies suffered a broken ankle. The Lilywhites had already fallen into the bottom half of the Premier League, having lost a few other big names earlier in the season.

Higher-ups at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium rushed to bolster Thomas Frank's squad in the January transfer window, but they needed to raise funds. So, Johnson was sold.

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Ironically, the duo who decided that the Wales international didn't have a future at the club are no longer at the club themselves. football.london understands that Frank and Fabio Paratici informed Johnson on New Year's Day that he was surplus to requirements.

A couple of weeks later, Tottenham confirmed that Paratici would leave to join Fiorentina, just three months after returning. The sporting director served a two-and-a-half-year ban before being named co-sporting director, alongside Johan Lange, in October 2025.

Then, just under a month later, Frank was given the boot, leaving those who remain in the Spurs boardroom with egg on their face. Although Johnson has hardly set the world alight at Selhurst Park, Tottenham could have certainly done with an extra pair of legs as they fight for survival in the Premier League.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Igor Tudor acknowledged the importance of staying in the English top-flight. The interim head coach said: "Of course, everyone understands the situation, but we are working hard to change this otherwise there is something wrong if you don’t understand.

"Of course my job is to put the pressure away, but their job is also to accept this pressure as part of the job. Pressure is everywhere, but you need to love this job, you need to enjoy this job like you did when you start at 10-years-old to do this sport, so you don’t need to forget that this in the end only sport.

"Real pressures are other jobs. You know that is real pressure, families when they make and you earn money for the family. Work jobs like doctors who make operations.

"They are dealing and decide about life and death. That is the real pressure. This is sport. The club, Tottenham, has always been like a club with big pressure so you need to be ready to accept this and stand up. Not stay behind.

"Take responsibility and have courage to confront these things. Not when something come to you, you go in the direction of that (away) - don’t step back.

"This is the best way to do and only way to do. So, I hope we have and I am sure because I saw in training that we have these men to step up and take responsibility and make us start doing first of all good performances and after also win points."

Here's the Tottenham team that we reckon Igor Tudor may select to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Thursday evening

Igor Tudor must pick a Tottenham team that can win for the first time in the Premier League in 2026 as Crystal Palace come to town.

The Croatian has been unable to improve Spurs' fortunes in his first two games after taking over from Thomas Frank and he will complete his opening hat-trick of derbies with the challenge of Oliver Glasner's Eagles. If Tottenham are unable to triumph then they will be setting an unwanted new club record Premier League streak of 11 matches without a victory.

The question for Tudor is whether he returns to a back three to match up with Palace now he has Kevin Danso fit and available as the back four did not bring much success at Craven Cottage. Utilising a back three might just allow the interim head coach to give 19-year-old Souza a first start for the club while giving the Brazilian less defensive responsibilities as a left wing-back.

"He was good, I saw something in him," Tudor told football.london of Souza on Wednesday. "He is there and waiting for his moment to play."

Mathys Tel once again made an impact from the bench, but to bring the Frenchman in would mean leaving out one of the club's senior players and Tudor might be wary of sacrificing experience in a derby. Richarlison scored at Fulham and if fit enough could come back into the starting line-up to bring some fight and aerial threat to the front line alongside Dominic Solanke.

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The Spurs boss must decide who makes it into his midfield and where Xavi Simons and Conor Gallagher play, if they make the starting line-up, after looking uncomfortable on the wings on Sunday afternoon. Playing Joao Palhinha and Yves Bissouma together in the centre of the pitch did not work against Fulham.

Here's the Tottenham starting line-up we reckon Tudor could go with to face Palace:

(3-4-1-2) Vicario; Danso, Dragusin, Van de Ven; Porro, Gallagher, Palhinha, Souza; Xavi; Solanke, Richarlison.