Tottenham found themselves in a difficult situation caused by a management crisis. If Spurs fail to sort it out, they could be left without European play for next season.
They have suffered 3 defeats in the last 4 matches. What’s more, they lost either disgracefully, like Newcastle (1-6), or because of a goal missed in the last seconds, like Bournemouth (2-3) and Liverpool (3-4). This may indicate mental problems that cannot be overcome even with the rotation of the head coach.
On the other hand, Crystal Palace has been on a roll lately. The appointment of Roy Hodgson as head coach on matchday 29 reinvigorated the club. The experienced mentor focused on the attack, which allowed the Eagles to score 13 goals in 6 games under his leadership. Thanks to gaining 13 points out of 18 possible, the team managed to reach the limit of 40 points and practically guarantee promotion to the Ekstraklasa next season.
On average per game under Hodgson, Crystal Palace produced 1.6xg with 0.9xg allowed.
From this match I expect open, spectacular football with many sharp moments. Crystal Palace play to their heart’s content and Tottenham are unlikely to be able to play reliably at the moment.