Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner Calls Tottenham Clash Business As Usual Before FA Cup Final

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Crystal Palace's manager, Oliver Glasner, views the upcoming Premier League match against Tottenham as routine business, despite the looming FA Cup final against Manchester City. Currently positioned 12th in the league, Palace is four points ahead of Everton and five behind Fulham. The team is on the brink of equalling their best-ever Premier League points tally of 49, achieved in previous seasons.

This season, Crystal Palace has secured 46 points, with a notable 52% earned away from home. Only Ipswich Town, Southampton, and Bournemouth have higher away point ratios. Glasner emphasised the importance of preparation and performance against Spurs to boost confidence for the final. "It's more or less the same situation for both teams," he noted.

Tottenham recently celebrated a Europa League semi-final win and will face Manchester United in an all-English final on May 21. However, their recent Premier League form has been lacklustre, drawing 1-1 with West Ham and sitting in 16th place. Manager Ange Postecoglou plans to rest some players after their midweek victory over Bodo/Glimt.

For Tottenham, Son Heung-min remains a crucial player, having scored nine goals in 16 appearances against Palace. Only Sadio Mane and Harry Kane have scored more against them in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Eberechi Eze is vital for Crystal Palace, contributing directly to five of their last seven league goals.

Both teams enter Sunday's match with inconsistent form. Tottenham has only one win in their last nine league games and has conceded in each of their last ten matches. Despite this, they have a strong home record against Crystal Palace, winning their last nine encounters at home.

Match Prediction: Draw

The prediction for Sunday's clash leans towards a draw due to both teams' recent performances. Tottenham's defence has struggled lately, while Crystal Palace hasn't won in five league games but managed three consecutive draws. The Opta win probability slightly favours Crystal Palace at 38.1%, compared to Tottenham's 36.7%.

Glasner believes that reaching the FA Cup final reflects his team's strong performances throughout the competition. He stated that achieving a high points total would be significant for Crystal Palace's history and aims to maintain positive momentum by performing well against Tottenham.

As both teams prepare for crucial matches beyond this weekend's fixture, maintaining focus will be essential for securing favourable outcomes in their respective finals and league standings.