Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace: Spurs Make It Three Wins in a Row After Mateta Red Card

Tottenham Hotspur made it three Premier League wins in succession for the first time in 20 months as they overcame 10-man Crystal Palace 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Archie Gray’s 25th-minute header and a second-half finish from Jan Paul van Hecke secured the points for Roberto De Zerbi’s side, who dominated after Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off early for a studs-up challenge on Micky van de Ven. Referee Michael Oliver upgraded the initial decision following a VAR review, leaving Pierre Sage’s visitors a man down from the 13th minute and facing an uphill task.

Spurs, buoyed by a rare win at Chelsea the previous weekend, took full control. Mohammed Kudus delivered a looping corner that found Gray unmarked at the back post, and the midfielder powered a header into the net to open the scoring. Palace defended resolutely and restricted clear openings for long periods, but the numerical disadvantage told as Tottenham piled on the pressure with wave after wave of attacks.

The second goal arrived in the 73rd minute and was not the most elegant. Van Hecke rose to meet a delivery, only for Dean Henderson to push the ball onto the crossbar; the rebound dropped for the centre-back, who was able to bundle it over the line from close range while on the ground. It was enough to kill off any lingering hope for the Eagles.

Tottenham finished with a remarkable 34 shots to Palace’s two and controlled possession throughout, allowing De Zerbi to introduce teenager Luca Williams-Barnett for a late Premier League debut. Kulusevski came close in stoppage time with a curling effort that Henderson turned over, but the clean sheet and three points were never seriously threatened.

The result lifts Spurs into eighth place after a difficult start to the campaign that had yielded no wins in their first six games. For Palace, a third successive league defeat by a combined score of 9-0 leaves them in the relegation zone and intensifies the pressure on Sage. De Zerbi’s side, by contrast, have rediscovered momentum and look a far more cohesive unit as they climb the table.