English Premier
2025-12-28 - Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Sunday 28th December 2025 - Kick Off 4:30pm
This game is live on TV
Crystal Palace
A few days of rest may have done the Crystal Palace players the world of good after an intense couple of weeks of action- the whole squad has been needed to negotiate a huge number of games in the space of a few days. Unfortunately that has perhaps contributed to the slump in form and Oliver Glasner's men were also beaten on Penalties in the League Cup Quarter Final.
Despite all of this, Crystal Palace still move towards the New Year in a positive state of mind and the January transfer window feels vital to the chances of having another really strong season. The Eagles are 8th in the Premier League table, but just 3 points behind the top four, while the side have a 2-4-2 record at Selhurst Park that has left plenty of room for improvement as time ticks towards 2026.
Crystal Palace have not won any of the last 4 games played in all competitions and they suffered a thumping 4-1 loss at Leeds United in the Premier League last Saturday. The side have also failed to win any of the last 4 at Selhurst Park and Crystal Palace have suffered back to back Premier League defeats here to both Manchester clubs.
Chris Richards picked up a knock on Tuesday night in the League Cup and has to be considered a doubt, while the squad is otherwise the same that was available to travel to Arsenal for that Quarter Final tie.
Tottenham Hotspur
He may not say it publicly, but Thomas Frank has to feel seriously let down by the challenges and reckless behaviour of Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero last weekend. Those were hugely impactful in Tottenham Hotspur's defeat to Liverpool as they finished the game with nine men and it feels like a big week for Frank with the pressure building ahead of the January transfer window opening.
After a decent start under the new manager, Tottenham Hotspur have slumped back down to 14th place in the Premier League table and fans are beginning to get restless. The side do have 22 points on the board and a couple of wins in succession can see Spurs moving up the standings very quickly, while the 4-2-2 away record is amongst the strongest in the top flight through the halfway stage of the campaign.
Tottenham Hotspur looked to be back on track after consecutive wins, but they have since suffered a 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest and followed up with a 1-2 home defeat against Liverpool. They have a solid away record domestically, but recent form has been far from solid on their travels and Tottenham Hotspur have lost 4 of the last 5 fixtures played.
Both Simons and Romero are suspended and a host of players are still struggling with injury and are set to miss out.
Head to Head
Crystal Palace won both Premier League games against Tottenham Hotspur last season.
They had lost twice in a row at Selhurst Park against Spurs, but Crystal Palace won 1-0 in the last meeting in October 2024.
Prediction
If this game was played in the middle of next month and with several days of preparation for both teams, you would have to make Crystal Palace a strong favourite to beat Tottenham Hotspur.
The layers still have them down as favourites, but there has to be some doubts raised by the amount of football Crystal Palace have been playing of late. That has certainly contributed to some poorer results and some tired looking performances, although Crystal Palace showed plenty of grit and determination in coming up short against Arsenal in the League Cup Quarter Final tie rescheduled for last Tuesday.
Oliver Glasner has to be happy that this game has been selected for television coverage and so goes on last on Sunday and that should give him time to just allow the legs to freshen up.
Crystal Palace are still missing influential figures in Daniel Munoz and Ismaila Sarr, but this is also a team that are very well Coached and players coming in do know what is expected from them.
This consistency will help and it also is a benefit that Crystal Palace are hosting a Tottenham Hotspur team that are not getting to grips with Thomas Frank's methods.
Fans are not enjoying the football being produced and frustrations are building now the results are also slipping.
Thomas Frank's tactics certainly make things easier for Tottenham Hotspur away from home as they can allow teams to dominate and try and hit them on the counter. Despite injuries, this is a team with some talent in the final third, although the absences of Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons are going to hurt.
A 3-0 defeat in the last away game at the City Ground means Spurs have been beaten in 4 of the last 5 fixtures played on their travels and you have to think that backing Crystal Palace to come through is the right side.
However, the recommendation would be to back them on the Asian Handicap that will return half the stake in the event of a draw and that is having respect for the overall Tottenham Hotspur away record, while also taking into consideration some of the tiredness and fatigue that has been evident in recent Crystal Palace performances.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Crystal Palace 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
