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Tottenham Hotspur increased the pressure on Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage after taking advantage of Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early dismissal to secure a third successive Premier League victory.
Palace have slipped into the relegation zone, having managed just two league wins in nine games under Frenchman Sage. Their task became even harder when striker Mateta was sent off after just 13 minutes for a reckless challenge on Spurs defender Micky van de Ven.
BBC reported that Mateta was dismissed following a video assistant referee (VAR) review by Michael Oliver.
Spurs capitalised on their numerical advantage in the 25th minute when Archie Gray exploited poor marking to head home from Mohammed Kudus’ corner.
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Palace showed considerable fighting spirit despite being a man down, but Spurs’ numerical advantage gradually took its toll as they dominated proceedings.
However, it took a crucial block from Dominic Solanke to deny Dwight McNeil, who had a promising opportunity after the break.
Tottenham sealed the victory in the 73rd minute when defender Jan Paul van Hecke reacted quickly to head home from close range after Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson had turned his initial effort onto the crossbar.
The result lifted Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham into the top half of the Premier League table, providing a further boost to confidence after a difficult spell.
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