Crystal Palace 0-1 Tottenham: Foyth’s redemption

Tottenham Hotspur have been known to edge their way through games throughout the course of the season, and at times, it’s caused one or two near misses – but last night things paid off for them in a big way as they defeated Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. They came into the game knowing that they were probably going to have to scratch and claw in order to get the result they wanted, but upon discovering that Wilfried Zaha wasn’t starting, things probably became a whole lot easier for them.

Getting the job done

The game was quite nervy throughout long periods of the first 45 minutes as you’d expect, with Palace struggling as of late and Tottenham really not being able to convince the doubters that they’re capable of a top four finish this season.

Some would argue that their ability to grind out results showcases what they’re made of, but in truth, it feels more like they’re just going through the motions – especially given that they don’t seem to have a hope of qualifying for the knockout stages in the Champions League.

Overcoming adversity

Still, credit where credit is due, they stuck to their guns in this one and they managed to get the breakthrough with just under 25 minutes remaining when Juan Foyth headed in from close range to send the visiting fans into a frenzy. It was a huge, huge moment for the youngster after last week, when he gave away two penalties in Spurs’ 3-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Tottenham will now look ahead to arguably their biggest game of the season in a few short weeks, when they host rivals Chelsea in a game that could well prove to be the defining moment of their campaign. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Eagles have some things to think about with a fortnight to prepare for a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United.

Match Report

Crystal Palace: Hennessey (6), Wan-Bissaka (6.5), Tomkins (5.5), Sakho (6), van Aanholt (6), McArthur (6), Kouyate (6), Milivojevic (6.5), Meyer (6), Townsend (6), Ayew (6), Kelly (6), Sorloth (6.5), Schlupp (6.5)

Tottenham: Lloris (8.5), Trippier (N/A), Foyth (8), Alderweireld (7), Davies (7), Sissoko (7), Wanyama (7), Lamela (6.5), Alli (6.5), Moura (7), Kane (6.5), Aurier (7), Winks (N/A), Son (6)

Referee: Jonathan Moss

Goals: Foyth

Yellow Cards: Tomkins, Winks

Red Cards: N/A