Key events
GOAL! Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace (Van Hecke 73′)
Spurs finally have their second goal, thanks to Jan Paul van Hecke, who bundles home a free-kick at the far post. Game over now, surely.
71 mins: Oof! Robertson plays an instinctive one-two with Marmoush, but his touch then lets him down and he’s forced to try and chip Henderson from an impossible angle, sending the ball behind.
69 mins: A potential Palace breakaway is halted by a handball decision. Still, with 20 minutes to go, the visitors have a route to get a result, which looked unlikely at half-time.
67 mins: Tel tries to recreate his clinical finish at Stamford Bridge, but sends his shot crashing into the hoardings to the left of goal.
65 mins: Pedro Porro is the latest Spurs player to fire high and wide. A second change from De Zerbi: Conor Gallagher is on, replacing Solanke and allowing Marmoush to push further forward.
63 mins: Marmoush has options to his right, but his pass is poor and cut out by Mitchell – only to then ricochet back towards Henderson, who has to parry it away! Proper pinball stuff at either end.
62 mins: Maybe now, as Kamada’s cross floats across the Spurs box and finds McNeil’s boot – but his well-struck shot is blocked by Solanke. That gives Tottenham the chance to break …
61 mins: Van Hecke has a blast from 30 yards out that isn’t particularly close. At what point do Spurs fans start to get antsy about this slender lead?
59 mins: Two changes for Palace, with Anan Khalaili and midweek scorer Eddie Nketiah replacing Pino and Mingueza. Spurs fans give former Gunner Nketiah a frosty reception.
58 mins: Pino is robbed in midfield and Spurs use the little bit of extra space, Tel finding Solanke whose shot is deflected behind. A tenth corner for the hosts, but it comes to nothing.
56 mins: Jan-Paul van Hecke finds himself in the area and has a shot that’s charged down at close range. Pierre Sage, who sounds to me like a French philosopher, chews on his pipe and ponders some changes.
54 mins: In the first 10 minutes of the second half, the ball has spent about 20 seconds in the Spurs final third. There’s a penalty shout as Fernandes’ shot hits Disasi on the shoulder, but not low enough to interest the VAR.
53 mins: Mingueza goes in the book after catching Tel with a flailing arm. From the free kick, Spurs keep the ball and keep the pressure on.
52 mins: Possession is close to 80-20 in Tottenham’s favour, and the territorial battle must be even more one-sided. The hosts’ latest attack ends when Solanke is penalised for a foul.
50 mins: Solanke is next to have a go, taking down Perro’s cross, swivelling and lashing a shot at goal. It’s central, but Henderson still has to throw up a strong arm to stop the power alone beating him.
49 mins: Robertson and Tel are working well together on the left, and the full-back curls in a cross that Marmoush can only head towards Henderson.
46 mins: Tel’s shot is deflected off Richards’ shins for a corner, which is headed out into the path of Fernandes. He drills a shot that is flicked off target by a Palace boot – I think that was heading in.
Second half
A half-time change for Spurs, with Pedro Porro replacing the goalscorer, Archie Gray. Not sure if that’s injury-related – Gray was excellent in the first half.
“Re: Mateta. If a player decides to slide in, uncontrolled from behind, with their studs up … c’mon, we’ve all got work in the morning,” writes David Penney.
Half time: Tottenham 1-0 Crystal Palace
Spurs end the first half a goal and a man up thanks to Archie Gray’s header, after Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off following a VAR review. The hosts have dominated, but need another goal or two to avoid any second-half nerves.
46 mins: Unfortunately, Dwight McNeil’s through ball lands harmlessly in the giant, Jean-Philippe Mateta-shaped hole in the Tottenham half.
45 mins: Two added minutes, and another Spurs free kick to fend off for Palace. Fernandes’ cross is cleared at the far post, and Palace try to break …
43 mins: Half-hearted shouts for a penalty from the Spurs fans as Mingueza grapples with Tel in the Palace area. Nothing doing from the referee or VAR.
42 mins: Marmoush smashes an effort at goal, but only connects with poor Jaydee Canvot’s head, a couple of yards away. Spurs get a corner, but Palace deal with it.
40 mins: Andy Robertson has had enough of this tiki-taka muck, and has a crack at goal from 30 yards that’s well-struck, but patted down easily enough by Henderson.
37 mins: Anyway, Palace really need to keep this deficit to one at half-time. They’re camping out on the edge of their area, with Spurs taking their time in possession.
“Everything that’s wrong with VAR in 90 odd seconds: even if that is a red card challenge – spoiler, it’s not and never will be – has Oliver made a clear and obvious error in showing a yellow? The answer, my friend, is no.”
There seems a consensus that it was harsh, but for me, Mateta dived in and caught Van de Ven’s heel with his studs. Not saying he meant it, but without a VAR intervention, I imagine some people would be saying Palace got away with one.
32 mins: Pino turns on the halfway line and is hauled over by Fernandes, who doesn’t need to do anything silly at this stage. Just a free kick, though.
30 mins: Kamada tries to carry the ball out of his own half, but he and Adam Wharton are crowded by a clutch of white shirts.
28 mins: Spurs fan take a moment to bellow their appreciation for Harry Kane, after his Ballon d’Or success last week.
26 mins: Robertson takes a free kick and it’s flicked over the bar by Solanke. Palace are all over the shop defensively. Steve Parish is watching on here, perhaps considering giving Oli Glasner a call.
GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Crystal Palace (Gray 24′)
Kudus causes more trouble down the right and wins a corner. He takes it – and whips a terrific cross to Archie Gray, who is given the freedom of North London and nods the ball beyond Henderson!
22 mins: Tel is at the heart of Spurs’ creative output so far, and his curling cross from the left side is just beyond Kudus, advancing unmarked at the back post.
21 mins: Pino almost twists and turns in on goal, but the flag goes up. Palace going a goal up when they’re already a man down would certainly make things interesting.
19 mins: Can Palace pose any threat without their attacking talisman? Oscar Mingueza, who starts here after impressing in the Carabao Cup win at Fulham, gets away down the right flank but his cross is blocked by Tonali.
17 mins: Silky skills from Mathys Tel to get in behind down the left, but his cut-back can’t pick out Solanke, or anyone else in a white shirt.
15 mins: There are howls from Palace fans as Archie Gray goes in heavily on Kamada – he’s shown a yellow card.
14 mins: Robertson’s cross is flicked away by Mitchell, with Kudus waiting to pounce at the far post.
Red card! Mateta is sent off for Palace
A booking initially seemed the right call, but the replays don’t look good – and it’s no surprise when Oliver trots back from the monitor and sends Mateta off!
11 mins: Oof! Van de Ven chases back to deny Mateta on the break, and the Palace forward lunges in, his studs catching the defender’s heel. Yellow card shown by Michael Oliver – but VAR wants a word …
9 mins: At the other end, Kamada stings Kinsky’s palms with a shot from the edge of the area.
8 mins: Fernandes concedes a free kick after trying and failing to outmuscle Mateta close to the Palace area.
6 mins: Spurs enjoying the early possession, stroking the ball swiftly around midfield.
3 mins: If Palace can get a point here, then Manchester United will drop into the bottom three. And as long as the visitors are level, United are in there provisionally.
2 mins: Palace have the league’s leakiest defence, and are particularly vulnerable in the early stages. Tottenham win an early corner, but nothing comes from it.
Here we go
Palace kick off and play back to Henderson, while four players charge forward to try and meet his clearance downfield. It doesn’t work.
Before we begin, there will be a minute’s silence, plus the Last Post, to mark Remembrance Day.
This is a north-south London derby, but Google Maps tells me it takes an hour and a half to go from Selhurst Park to here on public transport. Are there any longer away trips to a venue in the same city? Maybe a question for the Knowledge.
Here’s Roberto De Zerbi, who leaves James Maddison on the bench – “James is very important for us – when he feels good, he plays” – and starts Dominic Solanke up front. “I think Omar Marmoush can play in behind, he has often played behind another striker,” he adds. “We have to keep the right spirit and mentality – a few days ago, we were last in the table and we must not forget it.”
Here are today’s Premier League results so far:
Chelsea 2-0 Manchester United
Bournemouth 2-0 Leeds
Brentford 2-0 Nottm Forest
Coventry 3-1 Sunderland
Hull City 2-2 Ipswich
Manchester City 0-1 Brighton
Team news
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Gray, van Hecke, van de Ven, Robertson; Fernandes, Tonali; Kudus, Marmoush, Tel; Solanke.
Subs: Dubravka, Senesi, Gallagher, Maddison, Udogie, Kulusevski, Porro, Davies, Williams-Barnet.
Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Disasi, Canvot; Mingueza, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; McNeil, Pino; Mateta.
Subs: Benitez, Lerma, Nketiah, Hughes, Osorio, Khalaili, Doucoure, Guessand, Chilwell.
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Preamble
By recent standards, it’s been a very successful fortnight for Spurs. Two Premier League wins on the bounce have lifted Roberto De Zerbi’s side up the table, and they can now also lay claim to having developed the best men’s footballer in the world.
Harry Kane usually enjoyed games against Crystal Palace, scoring 11 goals in 20 appearances against the Eagles. Palace have won on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, though, including a hellish 3-1 defeat in March that left Spurs staring into the abyss.
Tottenham are seeking a trouble-free victory today as proof that those dark days are finally behind them. Defeat for Palace, meanwhile, could push them closer to the trapdoor and pile pressure on Pierre Sage. Kick-off: 5.30pm GMT.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/oct/31/tottenham-v-crystal-palace-premier-league-live
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