Report: Defeat for ten man Palace at Spurs

Summary

• Ayew volleys over inside the first minute as Palace start strongly.

• Spurs have a guilt-edge chance to take the lead, but Lucas heads wide.

• Kane opens the scoring, sweeping home Lucas’ square ball.

• Lucas makes it two shortly after, heading home Emerson’s cross from close-range.

• Palace are down to ten men as Zaha is shown a second yellow card.

• HT: Spurs 2-0 Palace

• Kane misses the target with a half-volley.

• Son makes it three with Son tucking home.

• Ferguson makes his first appearance in a Palace shirt, coming on for Mitchell.

• FT: Spurs 3-0 Palace

Palace’s fast start belied the disruption that had blighted the camp in the build-up to kick-off, and within the first 60 seconds Jordan Ayew registered the first shot on goal, volleying over the crossbar from the edge of the area.

Cheikhou Kouyaté and Will Hughes were energetic in midfield, the latter sliding in uncompromisingly to force the ball towards Ayew, whose shot was knocked behind.

This was a different Spurs to the one that travelled to Selhurst Park in September however, and –roared on by an animated Antonio Conte on the touchline – they soon found a foothold in the game.

Heung-Min Son was the first to test Jack Butland from distance, the Palace ‘keeper parrying away smartly; moments later he was scrambling as Oliver Skipp’s effort whistled past the upright.

The warning signs were there for Palace, never more so than when Lucas Moura passed up a guilt-edge chance for Spurs to take the lead. Son was the provider turning away from his marker before crossing for Lucas, who glanced wide from barely five-yards out despite being totally unmarked.

The Brazilian was able to make up for his mistake shortly after. Peeling away from James Tomkins, he found space to run in behind the Eagles’ back-four. Alongside him was Harry Kane, who latched onto Lucas slide-rule pass and swept into the top corner.

It wasn’t long before their lead was doubled, and this time Lucas got the final touch. Spurs’ switched play to create space on the right, where Emerson Royal’s cross sat up perfectly in the six-yard box for Lucas to nod home from close-range.

Things went from bad to worse just before half-time, with Wilfried Zaha shown a second yellow-card after a tussle with Emerson; Palace went in at the break two goals and a man down.

Unsurprisingly, Spurs dominated possession as the game restarted. Kane came closest to adding a third, guiding a half-volley just over the crossbar.

Palace were not without endeavour, and made gallant attempts to foray forwards, Ayew and Gallagher winning corner kicks supported by the excellent Tyrick Mitchell at full-back.

But the man advantage proved too much, and Son added the hosts’ third, flicking home from the angle after Lucas’ ball across the face of goal.

There was a slight ray of sunshine in what was otherwise a grey afternoon for Palace, as Nathan Ferguson came on for his first competitive appearance in a Palace shirt after two years blighted by injury.

Spurs could have added a fourth in the dying moments when Davinson Sanchez swiped wide from twelve-yards despite having plenty to aim at.

A subdued second-half ended on without another chance for either side, and left Palace to return to south London in defeat.

Tottenham: Lloris (GK), Reguilon, Hojberg (Ndombele, 79), Sanchez, Son (Gil, 75), Kane (Bergwijn, 64), Emerson, Dier, Tanganga, Moura, Skipp.

Subs: Gollini (GK), Doherty, Winks, Rodon, Alli, Davies.

Palace: Butland (GK), Ward, Tomkins, Andersen, Mitchell (Ferguson, 82), Kouyaté, Hughes, Gallagher (Schlupp, 74), Edouard (Mateta, 63), Zaha, Ayew.

Subs: Matthews (GK), Guéhi, Kelly, Riedewald.