VAR turned an early yellow card into a dismissal
Mateta caught Micky van de Ven on the Achilles with his studs. The referee first showed a yellow card, but upgraded it to red after reviewing the challenge on the pitch-side monitor.
Palace reorganised into a 5-3-1 without the ball. That protected the centre for a period, but it left the visitors with very little support when they recovered possession.
Gray converted Tottenham’s control before the interval
Gray headed in Mohammed Kudus’s corner in the 25th minute. Spurs finished the match with 80 per cent possession, 34 attempts to Palace‘s two and a 19-0 advantage in corners.
The score remained only 1-0 for much longer than the statistics suggested. Dean Henderson made several saves, while Palace defenders repeatedly blocked the first effort inside the penalty area.
| Match statistic | Tottenham | Crystal Palace |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 2 | 0 |
| Possession | 80% | 20% |
| Shots | 34 | 2 |
| Corners | 19 | 0 |
| Red cards | 0 | 1 |
Van Hecke made the second goal decisive
In the 73rd minute, Van Hecke reacted to Henderson’s save and scored from the rebound. Palace had threatened briefly through Dwight McNeil, whose 63rd-minute effort was blocked, but could not build sustained pressure with ten players.
Young forward Williams-Barnett also made his senior debut for Tottenham. His introduction came after the second goal, when the home side could manage the final minutes without forcing every attack.
Spurs extend their winning run as Palace stay in trouble
The victory was Tottenham’s third in succession and lifted them to eighth. Their control after the red card was complete, although the wait for a second goal showed where greater precision is still needed.
Palace suffered a third straight defeat and remain in the relegation places. The red card shaped the match, but their next task is to recover without using the early dismissal as an explanation for every problem.