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Tottenham Hotspur head into Thursday night still searching for a first Premier League win of 2026, and all eyes will be on Igor Tudor’s team selection as Crystal Palace arrive in north London. Let’s take a look at our predicted Tottenham XI.
Tottenham Hotspur will go again looking for their first victory of 2026 in the Premier League on Thursday when they face Crystal Palace.
The Lilywhites have featured ten times in the league since the turn of the year and have yet to record a single win, with their last victory coming against Palace back in December.
The Eagles, on the other hand, have struggled for form with two wins in their last five, but they still boast a better record than Spurs, who have managed one point from their last 15.
With relegation looking very real, getting points on the board is crucial for Igor Tudor and his men, and we have now attempted to predict how the Croat could line up on Thursday night.
Goalkeeper – Guglielmo Vicario: Tottenham will no doubt turn to their Italian shot-stopper despite the number of goals they have conceded in the last two outings under Tudor.
Right-back – Pedro Porro: The Spaniard returned to the starting XI against Fulham, which saw Spurs revert to a back four, and we expect a similar setup against Palace.
Centre-back – Kevin Danso: He was limited to the final five minutes against Fulham following an extended period on the sidelines. But we expect him to start here, with Radu Dragusin dropping to the bench.
Centre-back – Micky van de Ven: The Dutchman has looked far from assured at the back in recent outings, and Tudor will be hoping he can find some form and rhythm in this encounter.
Left-back – Djed Spence: He missed the game against Fulham because of a minor calf problem, and fingers crossed it really is nothing serious. Should that be the case, we expect Spence to return at left-back.
Pivot midfielder – Joao Palhinha: The midfielder looked much better in midfield against Fulham than at centre-back against Arsenal. With Danso back, his centre-back shifts should be over, and we expect him to continue in midfield.
Centre midfielder – Conor Gallagher: The Englishman has been underwhelming in recent weeks and must find some form soon as Spurs look to stay up. Still, with a few midfielders out injured, he will earn yet another start.
Number ten – Pape Matar Sarr: Simons has looked leggy in recent encounters and could do with a rest. Should he be rested, then Sarr should take his place in midfield.
Left winger – Mathys Tel: After an impressive cameo off the bench, coming on to play from the left, we expect Tudor to hand Tel a start against Palace.
Striker – Dominic Solanke: Tottenham will be hoping he can find his goalscoring boots soon, as they battle to stay up.
Striker – Randal Kolo Muani: We expect it to be a toss-up between Muani and Richarlison for that second striker spot. The stats do not lie, as Richarlison’s underlying numbers suggest he is in much better form at the moment, but we expect Tudor to stick with Muani once more.
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