Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace

1. Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace: Match Preview | Premier League 2021/22 It’s Boxing Day, and there is perhaps no greater time to play football. The festive period might mean family-time in other countries but England, particularly, the Premier League has continued its rich tradition of playing games on this historic day despite the ongoing rise in Covid- 19 cases. Two matches might have been called off but the London derby between Spurs and Crystal Palace is set to go ahead as scheduled. Antonio Conte has come back into English football like he never left. His second season at Chelsea may have been characterized by poor results and dull performances, but his first campaign was perhaps one of the best in the history of the competition. Things have not changed since he moved up north of the city as Tottenham are looking on a roll. They have had questionable moments in the UEFA Europa Conference League, but they have not dropped a beat in the league. In fact, Spurs produced perhaps their best performance against Liverpool since beating Ajax 3-2 in the UCL semi-final in 2019. Jose Mourinho had some great games with them, but Conte has got them fearing the rest of the league. The number of chances they created against the 2nd placed side in the league, albeit slightly depleted by Covid-19 cases, was incredible. Harry Kane was looking confident again, and Tanguy Ndombele looks his old self. Dele Alli, too, was at best, making runs beyond the last defender and physically winning the midfield battle. They should have won the game but the display would have been hugely encouraging for Conte. To add to that, they defeated West Ham in mid-week to secure a berth in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup. Thus, they are unlikely to drop levels tottenham news now against Palace on Sunday afternoon.

2. The Eagles might be playing some good football and did defeat Spurs 3- 0 at Selhurst Park in September, but they are much more coordinated and drilled now. It also helps that the Italian gaffer is always off his bench shouting instructions. The North London club shall be going in as favourites and are likely to live up to those standards, especially as they are within touching distance of the Top 4. Conte was bound to churn out performances from a talented Spurs side. He has won league titles previously and could lead the Lilywhites to success in the coming years. Thus, he has a track record, but one man that did not have any but has yet impressed most clubs around Europe is Patrick Vieira. The Arsenal legend has a good standing in the league, but not due to his managerial talent, although he is keen to add that to his CV. His good eye for signings and style of football has been a wonderful watch up until now. The results have been here and there but expecting consistency out of a side that experienced a mass exodus in the summer and spent less than £60million to rebuild it is preposterous. tottenham news now They are certainly punching above their weight, but it must be noted that their best performer has been Chelsea loanee, Conor Gallagher. Michael Olise shall come into his own soon while Wilfried Zaha no longer looks like a man carrying the weight of a team on his shoulders. Marc Guehi and Joachim Anderson have also been a good centre-back pairing. Thus, their attacking play and defensive resilience are almost as good as most clubs competing for the Top 4 spot, but their midfield is one of the worst in the league.

3. Will Hughes, Luka Milivojevic, and Cheikhou Kouyate cannot hold down the centre of the pitch by themselves and lack technical quality to dictate the play. Regardless, their work rate cannot be questioned and might be what helps them stop a full-firing Spurs side. The Eagles already have their number this season and were brilliant in the 3-0 victory in September. They shall have to be far more careful now, but if they continue playing their style of football and keep in check with the game-plan, one would not be surprised if they come away with all the bragging rights from the London derby on Sunday afternoon.