Crystal Palace (Away) 27.10.2023

Going into the match deprived of the services of Destiny Udogie, who was still suffering fatigue from Monday night’s match against Fulham, the side was buoyed by the return of Yves Bissouma, who had served a one match ban for his dismissal at Luton.  Ben Davies replaced Udogie on the left side of defence and the rest of the team was the regular selection.  Palace had been hit by injuries to Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, but it was still a strong XI that they put out.

Tottenham got things underway and Cristian Romero looked to pick out a run by James Maddison in the second minute, but it was a little too long and Johnstone took it just inside the edge of his box and then Pape Matar Sarr chased down a ball that looked as though it was going out, but got a cross in, although Richarlison was at the far post, so couldn’t get to it.  In the fifth minute, Palace had the first effort on goal, with Ayew trying to beat Vicario at his near post from the right corner of the box, but Vic beat the ball away, with the Spurs keeper having to be alert to get down to his left to save a low shot on the turn from Edouard just inside the Spurs box.

With nine minutes gone, Richarlison played a neat ball down the left to get James Maddison in behind the defence, but his low ball was pulled back to a red and blue shirt.  The referee then thought it was too early to take much more action than to give a free-kick when Van de Ven was tidying up a through ball and Will Hughes stamped on the back of his Achilles, nor when ward did the same to Maddison five yards outside the box in the middle of the goal.  Bissouma took it and ballooned it into the Palace fans behind the goal.  Maddison did the same when Kulusevski hit a cross deep the left of the goal, which Richarlison did well to keep in, but the ball was struck on the up and kept going up as it went over the bar.

Spurs were the most attacking side and were working the left wing, making a good shooting chance from outside the box when Richarlison played a one-two with Maddison, but he dragged his shot wide.  Although Spurs weren’t creating that many chances, they were taking the sting out of the game, with the noisome Palace fans being quietened and knocking the ball about with confidence.  There wasn’t so much of the high press, which allowed Palace to play some longer balls that Micky mopped up, usually being fouled in the process.  Some sharp passing almost got Spurs in with 37 minutes gone, when Porro fed the ball in to Son, who held off his marker for Maddison to take it on, but his touch as a bit heavy and a defender cleared it up back to his keeper.

Palace then began to push on the Spurs defence and had four corners in quick succession, but we dealt with them well.  Richarlison was working hard, but his touches weren’t coming off, giving Palace possession through unforced errors.  Interestingly, when Ayew fouled Maddison with a late challenge, the ref indicated it was the second foul he had made, perhaps with the implied threat that his next would be a booking.  Elsewhere, Hughes was the culprit for most of the fouls on Spurs players, with barely a word said to him.  The end of the frankly uneventful first half came with a lofted ball by Sarr into the Palace box, but their tactic of getting men back behind the ball quickly was one that would be interesting to see how long they could keep that up.  Tottenham had most of the possession, but Palace the more shots on target.

Ayew argued with the linesman about a foul given against him early in the second period, but Madley did nothing considering the Palace forward was already on a warning.  Kulusevski went past two players four minutes into the half to win Tottenham’s first corner, but we took it short and messed that up.  When Palace went forward, Schlupp went past Porro, who couldn’t dive in on him in the box and his ball into the goalmouth was cleared by Royal.  As the home team tried to play the ball out from the back, they were nearly caught when Maddison nearly took it off Johnstone’s toe after a poor touch from the keeper, but as play went on Spurs had the ball back as Palace could only put the ball went out for a throw on the side nearest the away fans 20 yards from the Palace goal.  A quick throw from Porro to Sarr saw them work the ball back to Romero, who then returned it to Pedro on the right wing.  He played it further down that side to Sarr and he turned the ball across, taking a flick off the defender closing him down and popped up for Maddison, who drove it across goal and Ward could only turn the ball into his own goal off his shin from the middle of the six-yard box.  There was nobody behind him, but he panicked and put Tottenham ahead.

Spurs almost let Palace back into it straight away when Bissouma was slow to react to a pass to him 22 yards out and fortunately, Edouard’s shot came off a Spurs leg to deflect it over the bar.  From the corner on the right wing, Guehi won the header, but could only glance it well wide.

Palace changed things making a sub on the hour and Spurs brought on two subs three minutes later, with Johnson for Richarlison and Hojbjerg for Bissouma.  Palace were showing little appetite for closing Spurs down as we knocked the ball out at the back and Tottenham’s tactic paid off when Romero, then Hojbjerg, then Porro worked the ball to Sarr on the right. He hit a massive diagonal to Brennan Johnson on the left wing. He headed it down the line to Maddison, who touched it past Ward, who was having a mare, for Johnson who had continued his run and he had the awareness to play the ball square with his left foot for Sonny to sweep the ball home with a left-foot side-foot shot from six yards out.  It was a well-constructed goal and for all those Spurs fans who yell “Get it forward”, well, they did, but not how those fans wanted it.  A two-goal cushion after 65 minutes felt a bit more comfortable, as there was always the possibility that Palace could be dangerous from set-pieces.

There were lots of snide tackles going in from the Palace players, who are pissed off at Tottenham playing the ball around at the back but weren’t willing to close us down to make us play it.  When we did play out, we did it well, with Hojbjerg releasing Sarr and his pass looking for Son in the  box was awkwardly knocked out for a corner.  It ended up going to the far post, where Johnson headed it back off Clyne’s arm, but no penalty was VAR’s decision.

Van de Ven read the play well when Andersen crossed in low to the near post from the left, but it brought Palace another corner, then another, then another, which they kicked straight out.  With just minutes to go and with Palace fans melting away into the dark South London night, Ange too the opportunity to introduce Bryan Gil, who had such a good game here last season and bringing back Rodrigo Bentancur after nearly a year out injured.  Maddison and Kulusevski were given a rest as eight minutes of added time was put up on the fourth official’s board.

Sarr put Johnson into the box and he neatly back-heeled it to Son, who drove it at goal, but Guehi was in the way and Bentancur’s follow-up shot was also charged down.  A quick review for handball against Guehi was pointless, as most people could see it came off his thigh before hitting his arm tucked into his body.  A long ball forward came off Royal and it looked as though Mateta might get through, but Micky got back to slide the ball away from him.  From the resulting throw-in, the ball was crossed by Andersen on the right and it dropped over Porro’s head, leaving Jordan Ayew the chance to smash it past Vicario’s left hand. It took three minutes for VAR to look at it and award a goal, although it looked like there was some hand involved.

The stoppage meant that more time would be added and suddenly the Palace fans started making some noise that wasn’t booing Romero. Another corner saw Johnstone go up for it, Spurs cleared it, but not hard enough to threaten the open goal at the other end.  It nearly all kicked off when  Andersen recklessly dived in on the back of Bryan’s leg and a yellow card was shown, but it really should have been more.  Especially when Johnson  got a yellow for dissent in the same incident.  Ayew then got one for kicking at Sarr after he had fouled by him.   A late free kick deep in the Palace half saw Spurs hold a high line and Andersen, not usually in that position strayed offside to give Tottenham the ball back.  A few bounces went Palace’s way, with Porro doing well to get across to challenge Franca as he shaped to shoot, forcing the effort to go high into the Palace fans.  And that was that !  Closer than it should have been, but a win’s a win and it gave Spurs a five-point gap at the top before the other games this weekend. Not bad for one shot on target !

The Polyphant

• A minute’s silence was observed  for victims of the conflict in Palestine and Israel.
• Roy Hodgson’s 500th game as a manager of English clubs in all competitions.
• A minute’s applause for Sir Bobby Charlton and Everton chairman Bill Kenwright.
• Nathaniel Clyne made his 200th Crystal Palace appearance.