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As it happenedended1493240494

Crystal Palace vs Tottenham - as it happened: Christian Eriksen goal keeps Spurs' title hopes alive

Re-live all the action from Selhurst Park

Joe Miles,Tim Williams
Wednesday 26 April 2017 15:46 BST
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Zaha vies for possession
Zaha vies for possession

Tottenham run into in-form Crystal Palace tonight, 24 hours after Chelsea beat Southampton. Spurs will be desperately trying to close the gap back to four points again, but will have to dispatch a rejuvenated Crystal Palace if they want to extend their winning run in the league to eight games and heap more pressure on Chelsea.

Mauricio Pochettino will be desperate to bounce back after losing to title rivals Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday, but Palace, recent victors over Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, will provide stern opposition.

With survival all but guaranteed for 12th-placed Palace, Sam Allardyce has hinted at wholesale changes ahead of the London derby to guard against burnout after a testing run of fixtures. However, the attacking triumvirate of Andros Townsend, Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha have proved too much to handle for even the strongest defences at this late stage of the season, and a victory for the Eagles could lift them as high as ninth if results go their way.

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What time does it start?

Crystal Palace vs Tottenham kicks off at 20:00.

Where can I watch it?

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports 1 from 19:30. Highlights will be shown at 01:30 on Sky Sports 1.

It’s a big game for…

Wilfried Zaha: The tricky winger has proved he is one of the most naturally gifted players in the Premier League this season, and with Wednesday’s opposition Spurs rumoured to be an admirer, he will be keen to prove to Pochettino that he can perform on the big stage.

Best stat…

Harry Kane has scored 18 goals in 24 London derbies in the Premier League (0.75 goals per game). However, he has only scored once in his last four appearances against Palace.

Remember when…

The 2015/16 season was a breakout one for Dele Alli, and he produced a moment of inspiration during Tottenham’s visit to Selhurst Park in January 2016. The England prospect controlled the ball before flicking it over the onrushing Mile Jedinak and expertly volleying past Wayne Hennessey.

Player to watch…

Christian Benteke: Perennial end-of-season performer Christian Benteke has scored five goals in his last five games, including goals against Chelsea, Leicester and Liverpool. The talismanic striker scored a brace to sink former club Liverpool on Sunday and will be looking to add to his impressive tally against high-ranked opposition.

Past three-meetings…

Tottenham 1 Crystal Palace 0, Premier League August 2016

Tottenham 0 Crystal Palace 1, FA Cup, February 2016

Crystal Palace 1 Tottenham 3, Premier League January 2016

Form guide…

Crystal Palace: WWLWDW

Tottenham: WWWWWL

Odds…

Crystal Palace to win: 9/2

Tottenham to win: 3/5

Draw: 16/5

(Odds provided by 888 Sport)

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Good evening and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of tonight's Premier League fixtures. Three games to get stuck into this evening, with Arsenal hosting Leicester, Crystal Palace taking on London rivals Tottenham and Sunderland travelling to Middlesbrough in a battle of the bottom.

Kick-off times:

  • Arsenal vs Leicester (7.45pm)
  • Middlesbrough vs Sunderland (7.45pm)
  • Crystal Palace vs Tottenham (8.00pm)

Team news to follow around 6.45pm so make sure to tune in as we bring you build-up, updates and goals from the three games.

Samuel Lovett26 April 2017 17:27
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Crystal Palace vs Tottenham

Spurs are set to continue their chase at the top of the table, despite losing 4-2 to Antonio Conte’s men in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final clash.

Conversely, Palace will enter this midweek meeting brimming with confidence following their victory against Liverpool at the weekend. Sam Allardyce will be looking for his side to secure their survival in the top flight tonight, as three points tonight will rocket them up to ninth in the table.

The Eagles have just three wins from 15 fixtures against their London rivals, so the odds certainly stack in Pochettino's favour tonight.

Joe Miles26 April 2017 17:40
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Arsenal vs Leicester 

Three points for The Gunners tonight will propel them to within four points of Manchester City, who currently sit in fourth and have Manchester United to face on Thursday. The pressure a top-four finish looms over the Emirates, but they will be quietly confident tonight following their FA Cup win against Guardiola's side on Sunday.

The appointment of Craig Shakespeare ignited form within The Foxes, who have won five of their last seven league matches. Leicester have secured four points from three away games under their new management, which is more than they managed in 13 games under Claudio Ranieri. With Vardy appearing to find his form, he should prove problematic for Arsenal tonight.

Joe Miles26 April 2017 17:56
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Middlesbrough vs Sunderland

The Premier League's bottom two clubs will be battling it out at the Riverside Stadium tonight, with more than just local bragging rights at stake. With the daunting prospect of relegation on the horizon for both clubs, the two sides will need maximum points from their remaining fixtures if they wish to stay in the top flight.

Victor Valdes is set to miss the action tonight due to a rib injury, with Brad Guzan stepping in as his replacement. 

Joe Miles26 April 2017 18:07
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Which fixture will produce the most goals tonight?

Joe Miles26 April 2017 18:16
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Panic for Palace

The Eagles are set to be without a handful of their key defenders tonight, including James Tomkins who suffered an ankle injury during Sunday’s win at Anfield.

A knee-ligament problem keeps Scott Dann out of action, which is awful timing when hosting a team of such attacking excellence.  

Connor Wickham and Pape Souare will also be out of action due to injury.

The Spurs side remain is respectable shape, as they prepare for the return of Ben Davies and Danny Rose to the side.  

Joe Miles26 April 2017 18:23
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Middlesbrough vs Sunderland: Team news 

Joe Miles26 April 2017 18:46
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Arsenal vs Leicester: Team news 

Joe Miles26 April 2017 18:47
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Crystal Palace vs Tottenham: Team news 

Joe Miles26 April 2017 19:01
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With 20 goals and seven assists so far this season, the 21-year-old has certainly surpassed expectations and proved himself to be a pivotal element to the success of Spurs. However, talent like this does not go unnoticed and he will no doubt attract a lot of interest during the next transfer window.  

Joe Miles26 April 2017 19:04

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