Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Crystal Palace match report as Spurs slide closer to relegation trouble

Tottenham Hotspur go within one point of the relegation zone following their latest 1-3 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.

If you were to tell a Tottenham fan after last season’s Europa League triumph that they would be fighting relegation the following year, they would probably laugh it off. Unfortunately, fast forward to now and those same supporters are left shell-shocked at what has unfolded over the past few months.

Tottenham began the matchweek with a seemingly comfortable four-point cushion above the relegation zone, but this fixture had quickly turned into a must-win after 18th-placed West Ham claimed victory in their game while 17th-placed Nottingham Forest managed a draw against Manchester City.

There were some big calls from Igor Tudor as he made three changes to the side that lost to Fulham last weekend. Xavi Simons, Conor Gallagher and Radu Dragusin dropped to the bench, while Souza was handed his first Premier League start.

First half: Tottenham 1-3 Crystal Palace

Tottenham lined up in a rather unusual setup from Igor Tudor, with Pedro Porro tucked into a defensive back three while Souza and Archie Gray operated as advanced wing-backs.

The opening minutes were lively at both ends. Mathys Tel and Pape Matar Sarr tested the Palace goal early on, while Guglielmo Vicario had to be alert at the other end, pushing away an effort from Adam Wharton.

Crystal Palace thought they had taken the lead when Ismaila Sarr’s deflected shot looped over Vicario and into the net, but after a lengthy VAR check the goal was ruled out as the forward was judged to be marginally offside.

Tottenham took advantage of that moment almost immediately. Archie Gray did brilliantly to squeeze between two Palace players before driving a low ball into the box, where Dominic Solanke arrived to smash the finish into the roof of the net from close range.

However, the game turned completely on its head moments later when Spurs captain Micky van de Ven was shown a straight red card for bringing down Sarr inside the penalty area. From the resulting spot-kick, Sarr calmly sent Vicario the wrong way to level the score.

Tottenham tried to reshuffle defensively with 2 substitutions, but it did little to help. A poor pass from Tel put Spurs under pressure, and Adam Wharton seized the opportunity with an incredible through pass that released Jorgen Strand Larsen, who slipped the ball through Vicario’s legs to give Palace the lead in stoppage time.

Ismaila Sarr then got his brace when Vicario rushed out to deal with a one-on-one situation with him, but hesitated at the crucial moment, allowing the winger to finish and make it 3-1 before the break as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium began to empty.

Second half: Tottenham 1-3 Crystal Palace

Much against what many expected, Tottenham emerged for the second half on the front foot despite being reduced to ten men.

Kevin Danso forced Dean Henderson into a save from a corner with a strong header early on, while Solanke later did well to create space inside the box but was denied by Henderson’s outstretched leg.

Palace remained dangerous on the counter, with Strand Larsen curling an effort just wide, but neither side managed to add to the scoreline during the second half.

Spurs Web man of the match: Archie Gray

What this result means for Tottenham

It is now three defeats from three games for Igor Tudor since taking charge, although it would be harsh to place the blame for this one solely at his door. It was Van de Ven’s red card that let the entire team down.

When you look at the other clubs fighting relegation, there are at least some encouraging signs. Nottingham Forest have picked up results, West Ham managed a crucial win, Burnley have shown improvement and even Wolves stunned Liverpool this weekend.

For Tottenham, it is difficult to point to many positives. One player who did stand out was Archie Gray. The teenager showed more fight and determination than almost anyone else on the pitch, and watching him you could not help but feel that if Spurs had ten or eleven players showing the same hunger, they might have taken something from the game.

Instead, this defeat extends Tottenham’s winless run in the Premier League to 11 matches for the first time in the club’s history. Unsurprisingly, they now sit just one point above the relegation zone, which makes the situation even more worrying with a trip to Anfield coming up next, given Spurs have not won there since 2011.

Before that daunting trip, however, Tottenham must quickly turn their attention to Tuesday night’s Champions League round of 16 first leg clash against Atletico Madrid.

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