Tottenham fans will be furious with what Thomas Frank has done ahead of Crystal Palace clash
Joao Palhinha has been left on the bench once again as Thomas Frank names Tottenham’s starting line-up for Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace.
Frank is under increasing pressure at Tottenham, and a loss to Palace will see them start 2026 in 14th position, with there being the potential for Spurs drop even further down the table before then.
Kevin Danso joins Micky van de Ven at the heart of defence, while Djed Spence and Pedro Porro continue their roles out wide.
Up front, Randal Kolo Muani leads the line, while Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray are given the chance to impress in midfield.
Tottenham are underdogs against Palace, and they desperately needed the grit of Palhinha in midfield to bolster their chances as Frank makes just two changes to the starting lineup.
Joao Palhinha benched , Thomas Frank makes two changes
Palhinha joined Spurs on a loan deal from Bayern Munich, which included an option to buy the midfielder for £26million.
Palhinha was excellent against Man City on 23 August, and that performance set the standards high for his future in N17.
However, despite being impressive in the early parts of the season, he was benched in Tottenham’s 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, and the subsequent defeat to Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
| Stat | Palhinha |
| Appearances | 16 |
| Ground duels won | 63.1% |
| Tackles | 63 |
| Aerial duels won | 57.1% |
| Interceptions | 15 |
According to FotMob, the Portuguese midfielder has made more tackles than any other player in the top flight, and his influence in the middle of the park is vital to how Spurs want to play out of possession.
Palhinha came on for Gray against Arne Slot’s side on 20 December, and it’s astonishing how he hasn’t been reinstated into the team for Sunday’s game.
As for the changes, Danso and Richarlison come in for the suspended duo of Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons.
The Lilywhites could rise to 11th with a win, and Van de Ven’s performance will be imperative in the final outcome of the match.
Micky Van de Ven faces a tougher test than usual against Crystal Palace
Van de Ven was in the headlines this week for his leg-breaking tackle on Alexander Isak that went unpunished, and he faces another in-form striker at Selhurst Park.
He now comes against Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has registered an xG of 10.1 this season.
Only Erling Haaland (16.3) has a higher total, and the imposing Frenchman will be relishing his chances of adding to the seven goals he has already scored.
Van de Ven has won just 38 per cent of his aerial duels in the Premier League, ranking in the bottom fourth percentile of all centre-backs in the top flight, and he will definitely have his work cut out for him at Selhurst Park.
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