Thomas Frank spoke about his impressions of Crystal Palace, whom Tottenham play next.
Spurs suffered a 2-1 defeat to reigning Premier League champions on the weekend, adding to their long list of painful episodes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this year. The team now end their schedule for 2025 with a trip across the capital city to one of the division’s overperforming clubs.
Palace might have shipped seven goals in their last two league fixtures (a 4-1 loss to Leeds United at Elland Road and a 3-0 beatdown by Man City at Selhurst Park) but they still sit in the top eight of the table, only three points behind Liverpool and fourth placed Chelsea. They have continued to build on the success of securing the FA Cup and the Community Shield from the summer, sealing qualification for the Conference League and standing out as a defensively disciplined unit.
This season, Palace have already beaten Liverpool 2-1, given serious scares to both Manchester clubs, and ran Arsenal close in a 1-0 loss in October. The ‘Big Six’ are clearly not a threat they fear.
“I think Oliver has done a top job at Palace in many ways, really, really impressive. Clear identity of the team, defend low, very compact, very difficult to break down, incredibly good on the counters - probably one of the best in the league, very good on set pieces as well, one of the best on corners, long throws, so, very strong on set pieces as well. Also, when they build, they have a clear identity with their 3-4-3 system. So, they've done a really good, impressive job.
“I know we face a team that is very well organised, I know they are very good on the counters, I know they have such a threat going forward. It's a game where you need to be concentrated throughout it, so you don't give too much unnecessary transitions away for example or open space to defend.”
