Ryan Mason, the 31-year-old acting Spurs head coach, is aiming to win Tottenham's final four matches of the season, starting with a London derby against Crystal Palace. Since taking over as caretaker manager, Mason has overseen his team scoring five goals in two games, but they have also conceded six goals, and he will need to address the defensive issues to match his record from two years ago. Mason is also hoping to impress and secure the full-time manager role as chairman Daniel Levy searches for the next Tottenham boss.
Mason is expected to maintain attacking creativity while also fixing the defense that takes time to settle in games. Although Eric Dier had a disappointing game, Mason is likely to stick with his more experienced players and resist calling up Clement Lenglet to the starting lineup. The temptation to switch to a back four might be there, with Ben Davies returning to full fitness, but Mason is expected to stick with what the players know.
Midfielder Oliver Skipp played well at Liverpool, but a nasty head cut may mean he misses out and Pape Matar Sarr could replace him. Richarlison is expected to replace Dejan Kulusevski up front after his first Premier League goal of the season. Mason will be hoping to continue his winning record from two years ago, where he won four of his six Premier League games as caretaker coach.