Aiming to continue their unbeaten start to the season and life under Ange Postecoglou and strengthen their position at the summit of the Premier League table, Tottenham Hotspur will raise the curtain on the weekend's top-flight action on Friday, when they travel across London to take on Crystal Palace.
The visitors marked their return from the international break with a victory over Fulham on Monday to move two points clear in top spot, while their hosts dropped to 11th place following a heavy defeat to Newcastle United.
Match preview
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Crystal Palace head into their 10th outing of the Premier League season on the back of a relatively positive start to the new top-flight campaign, having picked up 12 points from their opening nine outings under Roy Hodgson's continued stewardship.
In those nine matches, the Eagles have managed three victories while playing out three draws and suffering three defeats, and they headed into the recent international break in relatively high spirits following a three-match unbeaten run in the league, beginning with a goalless stalemate against Fulham and a 1-0 triumph over Manchester United at Old Trafford courtesy of Joachim Andersen's first-half goal.
Another stalemate against Nottingham Forest then followed, making it three straight clean sheets for Hodgson's men and just seven goals conceded in their first eight top-flight games, but they were unable to continue their fine defensive form or growing unbeaten run on their return to action on Saturday, as they faced a tough trip to Newcastle United and were well beaten by a dominant Magpies side.
Jacob Murphy had the hosts ahead early on, and Anthony Gordon and Sean Longstaff would add goals on the stroke of half time to put the game all but out of sight, before Callum Wilson wrapped up a 4-0 home triumph around the hour mark.
Now left wounded from that thrashing, having dropped to 11th spot with just a two-point gap down to 15th place, Crystal Palace will aim to return to their best at Selhurst Park on Friday and gain a positive result, albeit in one of their toughest tests so far.
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The schedule certainly does not get any easier for the South London outfit following their trip to St James' Park, as Tottenham Hotspur now arrive aiming to extend their fine start to life under Ange Postecoglou and grow their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
After nine rounds of games in England's top flight, the Lilywhites boast a points tally of 23 and the division's only remaining unbeaten run, having already scored 20 goals while only allowing eight at the other end.
Following a 2-2 draw away at rivals Arsenal in the North London derby in late September, Postecoglou's men now head into Friday's trip on the back of three straight Premier League victories, firstly scraping past Liverpool in a 2-1 win thanks to a 90th-minute Joel Matip own goal, after initially leading through Son Heung-min, before triumphing 1-0 away at Luton Town with Micky van de Ven netting the decisive goal.
The North London outfit would then pick up where they left off on their return to action on Monday night, as they hosted Fulham and took a seventh three-point haul of the campaign with Son and James Maddison netting their goals in a 2-0 victory.
Now boasting a two-point lead at the top of the table for the first time this season, with Manchester City and Arsenal remaining hot on their heels, and following a relatively quick turnaround after Monday's win, Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to make it four wins on the bounce on Friday and go further clear at the top before the chasing pack return to action over the weekend.
Team News
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Crystal Palace continue to deal with several injury issues, particularly in the attacking areas, with Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze remaining sidelined alongside defenders Nathan Ferguson and James Tomkins and goalkeeper Dean Henderson, while Jeffrey Schlupp is also unlikely to feature as he nears a return from his own layoff.
In Olise and Eze's absence, Jordan Ayew, Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta lined up in a front three against Newcastle, although summer signing Matheus Franca is fighting to come into the attack from the outset after making his debut for the club off the bench in the 4-0 defeat.
Elsewhere, in their 4-3-3 shape, Hodgson is bound to deploy an unchanged midfield trio of Will Hughes, Cheick Doucoure and Jefferson Lerma, while Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi will aim to stand strong in the middle of the defence after the Newcastle defeat ended their run of consecutive clean sheets in front of goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
Ange Postecoglou is bound to deploy a similar Tottenham starting XI from their victory over Fulham on Monday despite the quick turnaround, although one change is anticipated with Yves Bissouma likely to return to the midfield in place of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg after serving a suspension last time out.
He should join Pape Sarr, who is expected to make it from the outset despite being forced off in the second half against Fulham, while Pedro Porro, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie should certainly line up in an unchanged back four.
In their 4-2-3-1 shape, Son Heung-min is bound to lead the line once again, having already notched up seven Premier League goals this term, while James Maddison has also shone with three goals and five assists in the top flight and will continue to play a starring role, leaving Brennan Johnson, Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski to fight for the two spots out wide.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Johnstone; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Hughes, Doucoure, Lerma; Ayew, Edouard, Franca
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Vicario; Porro, Van De Ven, Romero, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Richarlison; Son
We say: Crystal Palace 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Crystal Palace have impressed defensively so far this term, despite their heavy defeat last time out, but Tottenham look formidable at the beginning of the new season with plenty of momentum on their side, and we can only envisage the Lilywhites again coming out on top on Friday.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
