Tottenham Hotspur will look to record their first three points of the 2016-17 Premier League season when they welcome London rivals Crystal Palace to White Hart Lane on Saturday afternoon.
Spurs opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw at Everton last weekend, while Palace, who are currently struggling to secure transfer targets, disappointingly lost 1-0 at home to West Bromwich Albion.
Tottenham
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One look at the Premier League table from the 2015-16 campaign would suggest that it was a brilliant year for Tottenham. While third position exceeded their target at the start of the season, there is a feeling that it was an opportunity missed to claim the league title, or at least finish above bitter rivals Arsenal in the division.
As it transpired, they managed neither. Leicester City finished 11 points clear of Spurs at the top of the table and Arsenal grabbed second on the final weekend after Mauricio Pochettino's side lost heavily at already-relegated Newcastle United. It is difficult to ascertain what the targets are for this season, but Spurs might well be up against it as they battle to balance the Premier League and Champions League.
Spurs had an extremely short pre-season, only playing three matches and two of those brought defeats to Juventus and Atletico Madrid. There were question marks over the players' fitness entering the new season, but they managed to secure a strong point away to a revitalised Everton in their league opener last weekend.
It was Ross Barkley that sent the Merseyside outfit into an early lead at Goodison Park, but Erik Lamela hit back just before the hour to secure a share of the spoils. It was a difficult game for Harry Kane, however, who struggled for England at Euro 2016 and will be keen to avoid another tough start to the new campaign.
Indeed, Kane failed to score in his opening six games of last season and has now gone three Premier League matches without a goal. Summer signing Vincent Janssen has been brought in to both help and challenge the England international, but Pochettino is reportedly still keen on boosting his squad before the end of the month.
In terms of what is ahead for the capital outfit, they will welcome Liverpool to White Hart Lane in their third Premier League match next Saturday, before travelling to Stoke City and hosting Sunderland after the international break. The month of September then ends with a trip to Middlesbrough, and Pochettino will be targeting a strong points return entering the Manchester City clash at the start of October.
Recent form: D
Palace
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Entering 2016, Palace were top-four challengers in the Premier League and head coach Alan Pardew was being tipped as the next England manager after seemingly working miracles at Selhurst Park. Fast forward eight months and Pardew is staring at what could be a very difficult campaign for the London outfit.
Incredibly, Palace have won just two of their 20 Premier League matches in 2016, suffering 13 defeats in the process. Andros Townsend, James Tomkins and Steve Mandanda have arrived to add freshness to the squad, but the likes of Yannick Bolasie, Dwight Gayle and Mile Jedinak have all sought pastures new.
There is always optimism at Selhurst Park, however, and that was indeed the case ahead of their Premier League opener against West Brom last weekend. It ended in disappointment though as Salomon Rondon struck a 74th-minute winner to secure all the points for the Baggies and leave Palace second from bottom early on.
Palace do have a kind run of fixtures over the next month or so, however, with a home game against Blackpool in the League Cup followed by Premier League games against Bournemouth, Middlesbrough, Stoke City and Sunderland. For confidence if nothing else, Pardew will be desperate to make a strong start to the campaign.
Only the three teams that were relegated - Newcastle, Norwich City and Aston Villa - lost more times than Palace in the Premier League last season (18) and only a strong first half to the campaign prevented the club from seriously battling for their survival in its final weeks.
The Eagles have finished 11th, 10th and 15th in the Premier League since returning from the Championship in 2013, but their top scorer from the last three seasons - Gayle - has moved on and it is difficult to see where the goals are coming from this time around. Christian Benteke, however, could change all that.
Recent form: L
Team News
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Tottenham have been hit with the news that first-choice goalkeeper Hugo Lloris will be out for the next four weeks with a hamstring injury, which will allow Michel Vorm to make a rare start between the sticks.
Summer signing Janssen is also pushing for inclusion, but the Netherlands international is expected to start on the bench as Kane once again leads the line.
There will be a home debut for Victor Wanyama in the middle of the park, while Lamela, after impressing in the 1-1 draw with Everton last weekend, should keep his position in a wide area.
As for Palace, Bolasie and Jedinak have moved on to Everton and Aston Villa respectively, leaving head coach Pardew short of options in midfield and the final third.
Yohan Cabaye is expected to return to the XI after starting the 1-0 defeat to West Brom on the bench, while Townsend and Wilfried Zaha should once again support lone forward Connor Wickham.
Tottenham possible starting lineup:
Vorm; Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Dier, Wanyama; Lamela, Alli, Eriksen; Kane
Palace possible starting lineup:
Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare; Cabaye, Puncheon; Zaha, Lee, Townsend; Wickham
Head To Head
Four of the seven Premier League meetings between these two sides at White Hart Lane have been draws, although Palace have only won once during that run - Neil Shipperley hitting the winner in a 1-0 success in 1997.
Spurs recorded a 1-0 win when the pair met in the corresponding clash last season, but Palace were victorious (1-0) when they last travelled to White Hart Lane in the fifth round of the FA Cup last season.
We say: Spurs 2-0 Palace
Unless Pardew can secure three or four new players before the end of the transfer window, it could be a tough season for Palace. They won at Spurs in the FA Cup last season, but we are backing the home side to comfortably secure all the points in their first home Premier League match of the campaign.
Matt Law
