PALACE BEATEN AT HOME BY SPURS

CRYSTAL PALACE 1 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 3

BY AYODELE ODUMADE

AT SELHURST PARK

Tottenham Hotspur took a massive stride towards bringing the glory days back to White Hart Lane as they came from behind to beat Crystal Palace side 1-3, in a highly entertaining London derby at Selhurst Park. Tottenham dug deep into their wealth of resources when it appeared that Palace might get something from the game.

In the 7^th minute, Kieran Trippier got down the byline on the right and put a shot cum cross into the Palace area, which Wayne Hennessey had to tip over the bar for a corner.

At the quarter of an hour mark, Harry Kane got the ball down the right and got into the box and hit a low cross, which Hennessey turned round the post for a corner. From the resultant corner taken by Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld headed the ball just wide of the Palace goal.

Hugo Lloris almost gifted Palace a chance as his lazy pass found the alert Wilfred Zaha who then crossed the ball into the area but Alderweireld was on hand and cleared the ball to safety.

On the half hour mark the Spurs team, which had started to make some mistakes at the back, failed to clear their lines and the ball fell to Zaha on the right, who crossed it into the Spurs area. Jan Vertonghen stuck a leg out in an attempt to clear the ball but could only divert it past the helpless Lloris to give Palace the lead. That was the Eagles first goal in over 470 minutes of Premiership football. Palace led 1-0 at the break.

After the hour mark Spurs drew level. Nacer Chadli crossed the ball from the left to Harry Kane who out jumped Damien Delaney and powered his header past Hennessey, who started to come but changed his mind and stopped.

Palace should have taken the lead when Jason Puncheon crossed the ball to Zaha, who hit a ferocious shot, which Lloris somehow tipped round the post for a corner. From the resultant corner, Delaney had a shot, which was blocked by the Spurs defence.  It was end it end stuff.

With less than a quarter of an hour left, Palace somehow hit the crossbar twice in succession through Scott Dann and Miles Jedinak.  Astonishing! 

Spurs then went down the other end and Kane hit a cross field pass from the right to the left which Eriksen cushioned his header down to boy wonder Dele Alli, who lifted it over Jedinak, before unleashing a controlled shot, which found the bottom left corner of right corner of Hennessey’s goal to give Spurs the lead. That goal is possibly a contender for goal of the month or even of the season. Alan Pardew said: “It was a great goal but not for Crystal Palace and me.”

In the dying seconds, Alli should have wrapped up the game but his shot hit the crossbar.  In added time, Chadli skipped past two Palace defenders and curled a shot past Hennessey to make it 3-1 to Spurs thus putting the result beyond doubt.

If Spurs go on and win a trophy this season, it will not only be because of the likes of Kane, Alli and Eriksen.  Their Belgian central defensive partnership of Vertonghen and Alderweireld would have also played a massive part as their partnership has blossomed in recent months. The Palace Manager Alan Pardew said: ” Their two central defenders play as midfielders, they rotate the ball. It is kind of frustrating at times and you have to kind of accept that they would have the lion share of the possession, which we did. We looked comfortable but we did not get a break as Lloris made two fantastic saves today.”

The Spurs Manager, Mauricio Pochettino praised Harry Kane for his goal. He said: “It was wonderful. It was an amazing goal. He showed tremendous quality.  It is a most fantastic day for the team.  I am very pleased. Dele shows in every game he is quality.  I think his potential and quality is like Harry Kane.”