Robert Sykes
Dailysports's expert
Tottenham
Crystal Palace
On May 11, 2025, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London will host another English Premier League clash between Tottenham and Crystal Palace. I suggest placing a handicap bet on one of the teams.
Tottenham
The second leg of the Europa League semi-final between Bodo/Glimt and Tottenham still carried an air of suspense. However, after a confident 3-1 home victory, the Londoners expertly controlled the return fixture. The Norwegian side failed to surprise either their opponents or the neutrals — they barely threatened Guglielmo Vicario’s goal and deservedly lost 0-2.
Thus, Tottenham secured their place in the final, where they will meet Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21. This marks the second all-English Europa League final in the last six years. Recall that in the 2018/19 season, the trophy was contested by two London clubs — Chelsea and Arsenal. Back then at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, the Blues claimed a convincing 4-1 victory.
In the league, Ange Postecoglou’s side essentially have no clear objectives left. Sixteenth place in the table speaks for itself. Perhaps their only local target is to avoid dropping below their London rivals West Ham, who sit just a point behind. Spurs are also only narrowly trailing fifteenth-placed Manchester United, the other Europa League finalist.
In this situation, the remaining Premier League matches serve as a dress rehearsal for the pivotal Europa League final — a match that could deliver the long-awaited trophy and salvage the season. Should Spurs triumph in the tournament, fans will likely forgive the team’s underwhelming and disappointing domestic campaign.
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace have amassed 46 points and sit 12th in the league table. The Eagles seem to have no pressing Premier League targets, but head coach Oliver Glasner is eyeing a new club record. In the 2018/19 season, Roy Hodgson’s side collected 49 points — the club’s best-ever Premier League tally. That’s the benchmark the Austrian manager and his squad will be aiming to surpass in the remaining rounds.
However, the main focus for the Londoners this season is the FA Cup final against Manchester City. For Palace, it’s a chance to win the first major trophy in club history — the Eagles have appeared in the final twice before, only to lose both times to Manchester United. Now fate brings them up against another Manchester side, and perhaps, third time’s the charm for the South Londoners to finally lift the coveted cup.
The significance of the upcoming Wembley showdown cannot be overstated. Victory in the final guarantees the Eagles a direct berth in the Europa League. Until now, Palace have only represented England on the continental stage once — back in 1998 in the Intertoto Cup.
Oliver Glasner’s work at the helm of the Eagles hasn’t gone unnoticed — his tactical flexibility, ability to quickly organize the team and elevate their game has attracted attention from higher-profile clubs. There’s plenty of buzz behind the scenes about a possible summer move, and Tottenham’s name is being mentioned with increasing frequency among potential suitors for the Austrian.
Probable lineups
- Tottenham: Vicario, Porro, Danso, Davies, Spence, Kulusevski, Bissouma, Sarr, Johnson, Solanke, Richarlison
- Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Munoz, Lerma, Kamada, Mitchell, Sarr, Eze, Mateta
Match facts and H2H
- In the reverse fixture, the Eagles edged Tottenham 1-0 at home.
- Crystal Palace have failed to score in just one of their last 11 away matches.
- The "both teams to score" bet has landed in Tottenham’s last six home games.
- Tottenham boast complete dominance at home against Crystal Palace — they have won the last eight meetings on their own turf.
Prediction
The odds for this match are quite even, with a slight edge to the visitors. Expected rotation for Spurs after their European exploits gives Palace a real chance to take points. Our pick — Palace double chance (X2), odds 1.50.
