Losing the North London Derby in Igor Tudor’s first match was expected, and even expecting a result against Fulham was far from guaranteed. However, if Tottenham Hotspur makes it three losses in three following the managerial change — especially against a club like Crystal Palace that sits barely ahead in the table — then it is fair to question if there is any reason for hope left.
I still think Tudor and Spurs can figure this out, but the sand is ticking away quicker and quicker. Even a draw would not feel great, with Liverpool up next in the league, sandwiched between the Round of 16 ties against Atletico Madrid. It is both depressing but maybe encouraging that the last victory in the Premier League was against this very Palace.
Date: Thursday, March 5
Time: 3:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: USA Network (US), TNT Sports 1 (UK)
Table: Spurs (16th, 29 pts), Palace (14th, 35 pts)
That Tottenham win came back in December, a whole 11 matches ago. Those 11 matches have yielded a grand total of four points…but no need to linger on that. The 1-0 win at Selhurst Park came from Archie Gray just before halftime after a corner was headed around the box. That was one of just two goals he has scored with Spurs; perhaps he will find the back of the net again soon, as his playing time is unlikely to go away (out of necessity).
Literally any sign of promise
The players are better than this, but at some point their performance is what it is. There is no new manager bounce happening in North London, and the hope for directness and reinvigoration from Tudor’s introduction seems laughable after just 180 minutes. Complaining about availability is fruitless and lacks meaning as there was no secret as to the ongoing personnel issues in the squad.
There are still 10 matches to go, but if Tudor goes 0-for-3 and squanders one of his best opportunities against Palace, what additional reason would there be to believe he can handle this task? Cristian Romero has been involved in plenty of losing efforts this season. Half-fit attackers are not magically going to start bagging dozens of goals. This is just bad bad bad.
Thursday must therefore yield something. Maybe it comes via some lucky bounces or careless mistakes by the visitors. It does not matter how, but Spurs simply must find a way to win. There must be urgency, there must be intensity, and there must be an infusion from the interim leader. Tudor is responsible for the turnaround, and now is the time to rally the troops.
Opponent form typically has little impact on Tottenham’s ability to do anything, but this is not a side that will bring any sort of intimidation. Palace’s form has been nearly as bad as Spurs’, having won just twice since mid-December and losing eight of the last 13. There was a win over Wolves two weekends ago, but even that required a 90th-minute winner against a 10-man side.
Palace is 17th in goals scored and but seventh in goals allowed, meaning this could be a fairly low-event type of affair. But while both recent wins were of the 1-0 variety, a 2-1 loss to United and 3-2 defeat to Burnley indicate there can be some activity if the opponent is up for it. Obviously Tottenham has struggled to generate much of anything, tallying just three goals over the past four matches, so maybe a narrow victory in the play.
With two defeats suffered and a tough upcoming stretch, one has to think that Tudor recognizes this as the chance to finally get back in the win column and relieve a bit of the pressure. The final result is what matters most, but if Spurs can earn the three points in a way that gives the squad something to build around, the next couple months could end up a whole lot smoother. Dropping this one is going to create a meltdown, however.
