adminTottenham Hotspur continued their impressive resurgence under Roberto De Zerbi on Saturday evening, claiming a comfortable 2-0 victory over 10-man Crystal Palace to make it three consecutive wins.
Spurs were handed a huge opportunity to take control of the encounter just 12 minutes after kick-off when Jean-Philippe Mateta was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Micky van de Ven.
The north London side capitalised on their numerical advantage shortly afterwards, with Archie Gray breaking the deadlock in the 24th minute. The young defender connected brilliantly with a corner to score his first goal for Tottenham.
Despite dominating possession and enjoying an extra player, De Zerbi’s side struggled to create many additional clear-cut chances before the interval but comfortably protected their advantage.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Tottenham controlling proceedings without producing too much excitement in the attacking department.
However, they eventually put the result beyond doubt in the closing stages when Jan Paul van Hecke reacted quickest after Dean Henderson had produced an excellent initial save, heading home to make it 2-0.
Here is how the Tottenham players performed against Crystal Palace.
Tottenham Player Ratings
Antonin Kinsky – C
The Czech shot-stopper had a largely uneventful evening as Tottenham dominated against Palace’s 10 men. He was rarely called into action and had very little to worry about throughout the match.
Archie Gray – B
Gray made the most of another opportunity at right-back, producing a superb header to put Tottenham ahead. He was rarely troubled defensively following Mateta’s dismissal and looked comfortable whenever called upon.
His withdrawal at half-time was the only concern, with Tottenham supporters hoping the substitution was not caused by an injury.
Jan Paul van Hecke – A
A commanding performance from the defender, who delivered at both ends of the pitch. He helped Tottenham deal comfortably with Palace’s attacking threats before producing an excellent header to secure all three points.
His contribution in possession was equally impressive, with his composure and passing helping Spurs build attacks from the back. He is beginning to demonstrate the quality Tottenham expected when they brought him from Brighton.
Micky van de Ven – B
Van de Ven continues to rediscover his best form after a disappointing campaign last season. His recovery speed, leadership and confidence on the ball have once again made him an essential figure in De Zerbi’s defensive setup.
He produced another dependable all-round display and helped ensure Palace struggled to create meaningful attacking opportunities.
Andy Robertson – C
Robertson showed his attacking quality with several dangerous deliveries into the penalty area, creating opportunities for his teammates. He was also disciplined defensively, doing a good job of keeping Palace’s forwards under control.
Sandro Tonali – B
Tonali is increasingly becoming a commanding presence in Tottenham’s midfield. His energy, work rate and ability to influence proceedings in different areas have given De Zerbi another reliable option in the middle of the pitch.
His performances are also making the reported £100 million investment look increasingly worthwhile.
Mateus Fernandes – A
Another outstanding performance from the Portuguese midfielder, who is gradually becoming one of De Zerbi’s most trusted players.
Fernandes was particularly effective at breaking up Palace’s attacks, recovering possession and helping Tottenham maintain control of the contest. His understanding of the manager’s system continues to improve, and he is quickly becoming difficult to leave out of the starting XI.
Mohammed Kudus – B
Kudus provided plenty of energy and attacking intent throughout the encounter. His impressive dribbling, direct approach and ability to take on defenders caused constant problems for Tyrick Mitchell.
He also moved intelligently across the forward line, making himself a difficult opponent to contain.
Omar Marmoush – D
It was an underwhelming performance from the Egyptian forward, who struggled to make his presence felt despite Tottenham playing against 10 men for most of the match.
Marmoush failed to take advantage of the additional space and offered very little in the final third. His disappointing display will only increase the questions surrounding his signing.
Mathys Tel – D
Following his encouraging contribution against Chelsea, Tel was expected to build on that performance. Instead, he struggled to produce anything particularly meaningful against Palace.
His decision-making was questionable, his final deliveries lacked quality, and he failed to make enough progressive runs to trouble the opposition defence. He could now face the possibility of returning to the substitutes’ bench.
Dominic Solanke – E
Solanke endured another frustrating outing under De Zerbi. Although the striker received very little service from his teammates, his movement and positioning also failed to create enough opportunities for himself.
With competition for attacking places expected to increase as Tottenham’s squad returns to full fitness, the England international faces a difficult task to retain his starting position.
Tottenham Substitutes Ratings
Pedro Porro – C
The World Cup winner entered the game at half-time and immediately brought additional attacking energy to Tottenham’s right flank. His forward runs and creativity provided another dimension to Spurs’ attacking play.
Destiny Udogie – N/A
Came on during the second half but did not spend enough time on the pitch to receive a proper assessment.
Dejan Kulusevski – N/A
Had limited involvement after his introduction and was unable to make a significant impact before the final whistle.
Conor Gallagher – C
Gallagher replaced Solanke and attempted to provide an additional attacking threat through his forward runs from midfield. However, he struggled to influence the game in any meaningful way during his brief appearance.
Luca Williams-Barnett – B
The youngster was given only a few minutes towards the end of the contest but made them count with an impressive cameo.
His excellent dribbling and confidence on the ball created a wonderful opportunity for Mohammed Kudus, who somehow failed to convert after Williams-Barnett’s brilliant work down the flank.
Despite his limited playing time, the youngster provided an encouraging glimpse of his potential and certainly gave De Zerbi something to think about.
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