Crystal Palace vs Tottenham – Premier League LIVE: Ange Postecoglou’s side can secure top spot for another weekend with win at Selhurst Park

It remains a sporting sacrilege to suggest Spurs are a better side without Harry Kane. It would also be a simplistic and perverse failure to appreciate how the Bayern Munich striker would enhance any team in the world.

And yet, counterintuitively, each week is offering strengthened evidence that both parties have handled the split awfully well. Only one of those was to be expected.

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On joining Spurs and his strong start in the Premier League:

‘Of course, Premier League is the highest level. It’s difficult to say if you think at the beginning if you’re going to make it.

‘It’s really strange that I play in the Premier League every week, but the team is perfect.’

On his budding relationship with Cristian Romero:

‘He’s an amazing player on the pitch and off the pitch.

‘When I came here he was there for me, and he helps me.’

On playing out from the back as part of Postecoglou’s system:

‘I think my pace is really important. I think that helps us with pressing higher.’

On tonight’s clash:

‘I think it’s going to be a really difficult game. They want to prove everyone wrong. It’s our job to play our game, and hopefully get the three points.’

The venerable manager will earn himself quite the milestone at the final whistle this evening – tonight is the 500th in charge of an English club in all competitions.

As per BBC Sport, he has a somewhat rocky time with these landmark ties. His 100th and 200th were losses – but 300th and 400th were able to put a smile back on his face.

Can Selhurst Park roar his side to victory tonight?

Last time out, the Eagles received an unwelcome drubbing from Newcastle on the road.

Looking for an instant response, the 11th-placed side haven’t messed too much with the formula, making only one change from last weekend’s team.

Jeffrey Schlupp is available once again after coming back from injury, which pushes Jean-Philippe Mateta to the bench.

On arriving late at Selhurst Park, Postecoglou is cool as a cucumber as he says that it doesn’t faze Spurs as ‘we’re pretty well organised.’

On a strong start to the season:

‘Our performances have been good. we’ve been pretty consistent. That’s the encouraging bit for me.

‘(But) we need to improve.

‘If we’ve had a good starting point, we have to push on.

On swapping Davies for Udogie:

‘I think every player brings their own qualities. Ben’s a different player to Destiny, but the structure will stay the same.

‘You try and provide a framework where – when you’ve got the ball, what’s the most improtant thing, we’ve got to find some space.

‘I try and show there’s a lot of freedom out there, but I still try to be the puppetmaster.’

Just two changes for Tottenham from the side that faced off with Fulham on Monday, as the suspended Yves Bissouma slips right back into the starting XI.

He and Ben Davies step in for Destiny Udogie and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with the latter dropping to the bench.

Guglielmo Vicario has the highest save percentage of all Premier League goalkeepers, while he also has the most clean sheets.

At 27, he is the No 1 at a top European club, while he has also allowed Spurs supporters to forget about Hugo Lloris, who has held that position for the past decade.

Should Postecoglou’s side get things done at Selhurst Park this evening, they can shore up their hold at the top of the table five points ahead of their closest rivals.

If they funk it, however, their time at the Premier League summit could be short-lived – Man City, Arsenal, and Liverpool are all within three points of the north London side, and will be eager to see the end of the team’s unbeaten record.

Unbeaten Spurs could go five points clear on Friday and the mood around the club is so upbeat and especially celebratory post-match he joked ‘most clubs want to turn their grounds into a fortress – ours is becoming a nightclub’.

But rather than showing off his dancing feet Postecoglou is keeping them firmly on the ground.

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Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of Tottenham’s trip to Selhurst Park to meet Crystal Palace.

Kick-off is at 8pm, but stick around as we bring you all the live team news and build-up over the next hour and a half.