Feeling excited about us playing in our new stadium for the first time. But wish we go into this match in better form. We are now winless in 5 league matches and badly need to get back to winning ways. We will be under pressure to put up a good performance and get that badly needed win in our new stadium. We have a strange record against Palace. We have lost our last 2 FA Cup matches to them, including earlier in the season but have won our last 7 league matches against them, winning 6 of them with a 1-0 scoreline. We need to make use of our good league record against Palace to get our first ever win at our new stadium.
Let's hope all our players will be motivated playing in our first ever match at our new stadium. Remember, we were unbeaten in all our league matches in our last season at WHL in 2017. It will be great if we can continue our unbeaten league record at home. For that, we need all our players to lift their game. Strangely, we are winless in 5 league matches since Kane returned from injury. It seems like the return of Kane has unsettled the team. Pochettino needs to find a solution for this. I think Kane should concentrate fully in our attack rather than wasting his energy helping our midfield and defence. Apart from Kane, we need others like Eriksen, Son, Moura and Lamela lift their game as well. Eriksen and Son have been poor since Kane returned. Hope they will get back their form. Not sure why Lamela was not involved against Liverpool. Want Lamela to start but hope he will come on in the second half at least.
Our midfield have not been consistent this season. Wish we still have Dembele to partner Wanyama in midfield. Not sure if Wanyama is fully fit or not as he has not played for so long. Others like Winks and Dier have struggled with injuries lately as well. Wish we can play Wanyama and Sissoko in this match. For all his hard work, Sissoko still needs to improve his finishing. He can be our key player if he can pass and score goals.
Our defence have been conceding too many soft goals this season. We really need to improve our defending if we want to finish in top 4 this season. Lloris was at fault for both the goals we conceded against Liverpool. Hope Lloris, Alderweireld and Vertonghen will be at their best against Palace. With due respect to Palace, it will be disappointing if we don't keep the clean sheet in this match. After all, we beat Palace 1-0 in our last 5 league matches against them.
Our London derbies against Palace have always been tight, with most of them finishing in 1-0 scoreline. Can see this being another tight match. But with us winless in 5 league matches and playing in our new stadium for the first time ever, we need a comfortable win to lift our morale. Let's hope we will put up a good performance and get a convincing win to help our top 4 race.