Spurs are the only side across England’s top four professional leagues with a 100% record, making them the current team to beat as they sit pretty at the top of the Premier League table heading into the weekend with nine points from a possible nine. These wins came at the hands of reigning league champions, Manchester City, on the opening weekend, followed by two more 1-0 victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers away and Watford a fortnight ago - also meaning they are the only side in the division yet to concede.

It will undoubtedly be a tough match for the Eagles, but with the huge home advantage that the Selhurst Park ultras bring, you just never know. To add to this, the Eagles can take hope from the fact that they ended an impressive Spurs run in the same fixture last season when they frustrated Jose Mourinho’s men with a 1-1 draw. Could they do the same again?

  • Saturday 18th September 2021, Kickoff: 17:00, Liverpool v Crystal Palace (A)

A trip away to Anfield is always tough, regardless of who the visiting side are. Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool, at the time of writing, sit 5th in the league, being one of seven unbeaten teams and one of five to have seven points from the opening three games, winning their first two before drawing at home to Chelsea two weekends ago.

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The Reds travel to Elland Road this Sunday to play Leeds United in a match that will be tough and exhausting for Klopp’s side but one they’ll be expected to win. Liverpool’s 7-0 away victory at Selhurst Park last term will still haunt Palace, but a new crop of young players paired with the new management of Vieira will bring a new optimism.

The Eagles’ last win over Liverpool came at Anfield, with a Benteke double against his former side securing a 2-1 win over the Reds back in the 2016/17 season, so there is hope to be found, but Vieira’s men must be at their best if they are to travel back to South London with more points than they left with.

To round off this trio of fixtures is a home match against fierce foes Brighton and Hove Albion, and despite the calibre of their previous two opponents, perhaps given the rivalry between these two clubs, this will be the match that Palace fans will be most looking forward to, most nervous about and certainly the scoreline that will mean the most.

The Eagles and Seagulls have an incredible head-to-head record over the years with both sides entering this encounter level, having won exactly 40 ties each with 27 draws also occurring in the 107 total contests, making the latest instalment of the M23 Derby, one of the most important and fierce to date.

Graham Potter’s Brighton and Hove Albion failed to get one over Palace last season, drawing away with ten men and losing their home tie in dramatic fashion 1-2, with on-loan French striker, Jean-Philippe Mateta making his first goal in the famous red and blue one to remember before Christian Benteke netted a late winner in the ninth minute of injury time.

Eagles fans will be hoping for similar scenes of jubilation on the 27th of this month and another chance to claim the bragging rights.

The South London faithful will have to temper expectations and acknowledge the quality of opponents this month and will likely happily accept any more than three points before a ball is kicked. A narrow home defeat to Spurs followed by another loss away to Liverpool before a rampant, impassioned and battling victory over Albion wouldn’t be the worst set of predictions.

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