Two wins and a cautious climb
Tottenham Hotspur arrive at this fixture on their best run of the season. They have won back-to-back Premier League matches, [1] reports, beating Coventry City and then winning away at Chelsea. Since James Maddison returned to the starting line-up, Spurs have taken those two wins by 3-1 and 2-0, and [2] notes that the results lifted them out of the relegation zone to 14th.
The broader picture is still modest. Before those two wins, the record read a 1-1 draw at Manchester United, a 3-2 home defeat to Aston Villa that went the other way (2-3), and a goalless draw with Everton. A third consecutive win would be a clear step beyond that stop-start pattern, and it would be the first time this season Spurs strung together that many league victories.
On the outside, the mood is positive. The presenters on a [3] Radio 5 Live podcast describe Spurs as improving under Roberto De Zerbi, though that episode is opinion and discussion rather than team news, so it is best read as colour rather than evidence.
Team news: Maddison available, Fernandes expected to start
The main selection question concerned James Maddison. He limped off against Chelsea last week, which caused some concern, but De Zerbi says the midfielder is available for Saturday, according to [2]. That is a notable boost given what Maddison has been through: he has been working hard after a long-term ACL injury and an earlier shoulder fracture.
The timing matters because Tottenham’s recent results have come with Maddison in the starting line-up. That is a small sample, two matches, and it should not be stretched into a rule. It does suggest the manager would prefer to have him fit and involved rather than managed from the bench.
In central midfield, Mateus Fernandes is expected to keep his place in De Zerbi’s side, [1] says, although that expectation is rated as a probable rather than certain selection. Continuity in the middle of the pitch is one of the few clear patterns in the information available, and it fits a side that has just kept things steady in two wins.
Palace arrive short of goals but fresh from a cup win
Crystal Palace have had a difficult start. They have won two of their opening eight league games, lost their last two and failed to score in both of those defeats, according to [1]. Their previous league result before this trip was a 5-0 defeat at Brighton earlier in the month.
There was some relief in midweek. [4] reports that Palace beat Fulham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals, ending a run of four games without a win in all competitions. Pierre Sage said the side looked more like his intended team in the second half at Fulham.
That is a reasonable reason for Palace to feel better about themselves, but it is a cup result rather than a league one, and their league problem remains scoring. Tottenham, by contrast, have conceded only once in their last two matches, so the visitors will need a sharper attacking display than the ones that produced two blanks.
What it means
Tottenham sit 14th in the Premier League with 9 points from 8 games: two wins, three draws and three defeats, with 8 goals scored and 10 conceded. A third straight win would add three points to a total that currently leaves the club closer to the bottom than the top, so this is a match where the table gives the result real weight.
The form says the trend is upward. Spurs have followed a 1-1 draw at Manchester United with a 3-1 home win over Coventry and a 2-0 win at Chelsea, scoring five and conceding one across those two victories. The earlier home results, a 3-2 loss to Villa and a goalless draw with Everton, show why the table is still tight.
The fixture itself asks a simple question: can Tottenham turn a good fortnight into a habit against a team that has struggled to score? The site’s forecast says yes. It gives Tottenham a 52% chance of winning, against 26% for a draw and 22% for a Palace win, with a predicted score of 2-1. That is a favourable but not overwhelming lean, and it matches the picture of a side improving while still carrying a modest goal difference. Whether Maddison stays fit across 90 minutes may shape how comfortable that win looks.
