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Tottenham are in real need of a positive result to help lift the mood as they travel to face Crystal Palace tonight. An unconvincing draw against Brentford was followed by a defeat on home soil to Aston Villa, and they now sit five points off the top four.
Antonio Conte’s side continue to start slowly in match and that is increasingly catching up on them, while the Italian is facing questions over the team’s style of play from the Spurs fans. As ever, Conte has been far from definite when discussing his future at the club. The visitors are once again without the injured Dejan Kulusevski tonight, as Bryan Gil starts alongside Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.
As for Crystal Palace, a comfortable win over Bournemouth was much-needed after a Boxing Day disaster at Selhurst Park against Fulham. Goals remain a problem for the Eagles, with only the bottom five in the league scoring fewer this season. Follow all the action with Standard Sport’s LIVE blog below, featuring expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick at the ground.
Live updates
Dan Kilpatrick at Selhurst Park
It’s been all Palace for the last 10 minutes and Spurs are being overrun in the middle of the park. Skipp started the game well but Zaha has already ghosted past him twice and he just lost out to Eze, too.
37 mins: Eze seeing more and more of the ball, which is a problem for Spurs. Skipp fortunate to avoid a yellow card as he drags the Palace man back, advantage is played and it’s corner for the hosts. Again.
Straight in this time, Andersen with the header but it just loops up for Lloris.
34 mins: Kane loses it cheaply, here come Palace again. Olise into the box, onto that left foot and the low effort is deflected wide. Yet another corner coming up.
Taken short as Zaha skips past Gil. Back out to Eze, shot from distance is blocked. Zaha with another chance to run with it, into the box but the door is eventually shut on him.
31 mins: Spurs clear it away, Lloris off his line to punch the ball to safety.
Visitors struggling to get a touch at the moment. Olise with a right-footed cross this time, again it’s dealt with well by the centre-backs.
Comes out to Andersen, it’s a stunning strike from 30 yards but just wide! Lloris was very, very worried.
29 mins: Palace corner, Tottenham being pushed back.
Olise swings it in, falls for Doucoure who takes a massive swipe at thin air. Did not trouble the ball.
Palace stay on the attack, Schlupp looks to pick out Ayew and Lenglet flicks it behind for another corner.
27 mins: BIG SAVE.
Zaha jinks inside past Gil and Skipp, flicking a pass inside to Ayew in the box. The striker works it onto his rigth foot as the space opens up, Lloris gets down well to keep it out.
26 mins: Anderson with a brilliant pass through the lines, Eze collects and has space in the Spurs half.
Looks to slide a cute pass through to Zaha, can’t quite pull it off and Lloris is out to claim. Palace growing back into the match, decent spell for the hosts.
23 mins: Olise looks the most likely to make something happen for Palace.
He drifts inside again onto that left foot and whips a cross into the box, too much on it though and Zaha can’t reach it at the back post.
Doucoure and Olise then both try their luck from distance in quick succession… neither worthy of further comment.
Dan Kilpatrick at Selhurst Park
Spurs have not allowed Palace to settle, which feels like an important step at Selhurst Park, particularly under the lights.
Skipp and Gil – seemingly talked-down as “young players” by Conte yesterday – are both adding drive and intensity.
19 mins: Ayew flops to the ground, grabs the ball with his hands and waits for the whistle to be blown.
It is indeed blown… for a Tottenham free-kick for handball. The forward might want to now re-consider acting as referee.
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