Crystal Palace vs Tottenham: Can Crystal Palace outshine Tottenham today?

In their previous 16 Premier League encounters with Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace has secured victory only once, a 3-0 triumph at home in September 2021, with two draws and 13 losses completing the record. Impressively, the three goals scored by Crystal Palace in that victorious match represent 43% of their total goals (3 out of 7) against Tottenham during this period.

Tottenham Hotspur has maintained an unbeaten streak in their last five away Premier League London derbies, registering two wins and three draws, following a 3-1 defeat at Arsenal in October 2022. The last time they experienced a longer undefeated run on the road in London derbies was from October 1992 to December 1993, where they had seven matches without a loss, comprising three wins and four draws.

Let’s take a look at the best moments of the match:

First-half begins!!!

The teams have taken to the pitch and are ready for action, with the kick-off just moments away! The anticipation and excitement are palpable as we await the start of what promises to be an exhilarating match.

• In the 6^th minute, you can witness some excellent goalkeeping! Crystal Palace progresses the ball swiftly up the field. With Hughes’ path obstructed, he passes it to Ayew, who quickly positions the ball and unleashes a shot at the near post from just outside the penalty area. However, Vicario is well-placed and makes the save.
• In the 7^th minute, Vicario makes another outstanding save! Schlupp struggles to control Ward's precision cross, but manages to nudge the ball towards Edouard. Finding himself with ample space at the edge of the box, Edouard drills a low shot towards goal, only for Vicario to skillfully dive and deflect the ball with a strong hand.
• In the 9^th minute, Richarlison skillfully passes the ball to Maddison, who finds himself with plenty of space on the left flank. Maddison advances into the area and, although it appears he might opt for a shot on goal, he instead chooses to square the ball. This results in a crucial clearance from Guehi, averting potential danger.
• In the 19^th minute, Tottenham Hotspur demonstrates excellent teamwork on their left flank, with Richarlison engaging in a one-two pass with Maddison as he moves inward. Richarlison has the option to pass to Porro, who is positioned ahead of him, but decides to take the shot himself. Unfortunately, his attempt misses the mark, going well wide of the near post.
• In the 23^rd minute, Hughes delivers a threatening free-kick into the box, catching Tottenham Hotspur off guard as they are slow to respond to the dropping ball. Guehi acts quickly, keeping the play alive by directing the ball out to Schlupp. Unfortunately, Schlupp's subsequent cross misses its target and curls directly out of play.
• In the 31^st minute, Tottenham Hotspur is maintaining possession of the ball, but their approach is unhurried and lacks the necessary urgency. Their play is primarily developing in front of Crystal Palace’s defensive line, with no discernible intent to quicken the pace or progress the ball forward. This methodical approach is hindering their ability to penetrate Crystal Palace’s defense and create scoring opportunities.
• In the 37^th minute, Richarlison delivers a cross, but it is effectively blocked by the defense. The ball finds its way back out to the left, where Davies quickly recycles possession. Davies then expertly drives a low cross into the six-yard box, but unfortunately, the ball is too close to the goalkeeper, Johnstone, who gathers it without any trouble.
• In the 43^rd minute, Tottenham Hotspur is making a concerted effort to reestablish their dominance in the match by deliberately slowing down the game's tempo through prolonged spells of possession amongst their defenders. However, a notable lack of movement and options ahead of them is hindering their ability to effectively translate this possession into meaningful attacking opportunities.

Three minutes added to the half-time!

• In the 47^th minute, Kulusevski sets up Porro for a cross, but Mitchell is quick to block it. The ball then falls to Sarr, who attempts to curl it towards Richarlison at the far post. Unfortunately for Tottenham, Johnstone anticipates the play and is in the perfect position to collect the ball.
• With this, it’s the half-time. None of the teams have scored a single goal in the first half of the game. Let’s see if what happens in the second-half of the game.

Second-half begins!!!

• In the 50^th minute, Porro sends a through ball that initially appears to be too strong, but Kulusevski skillfully keeps it in play, nearly colliding with the linesman in the process. Kulusevski then evades Guehi with some nimble footwork, only to have his subsequent cross thwarted by Mitchell.
• In the 53^rd minute, it’s an own goal! Tottenham Hotspur displays a slick passage of play down the right flank, with Porro threading the ball to Sarr, who then lays it off to Maddison on the right side of the penalty area. Maddison aims for goal, but his shot is off-target—until, that is, Joel Ward attempts to intervene, inadvertently redirecting the ball into his own net. Tottenham Hotspur takes the lead, 1-0!
• In the 55^th minute, Bissouma loses possession as Edouard intercepts the ball, although his resulting shot is deflected over the crossbar. From the ensuing corner kick, Hughes delivers an excellent ball into the box, finding Guehi. Regrettably, Guehi's headed attempt is off-target, glancing well wide of the goal.
• In the 60^th minute, Crystal Palace is making their first substitution of the match. Schlupp is coming off, and Rak-Sakyi is being brought on as his replacement.
• In the 64^th minute, Tottenham Hotspur is also making a substitution, with Bissouma being replaced by Hojbjerg. Tottenham Hotspur is executing a double substitution. The first change sees Richarlison make way for Johnson.
• In the 66^th minute, it’s Son who scores! Tottenham Hotspur registers their first shot on target and it results in a goal! The play unfolds with Sarr executing a long switch to Johnson on the left, who then engages in a one-two pass with Maddison, allowing Johnson to penetrate the box. Opting to pass instead of taking a shot himself, Johnson lays the ball off to Son, who expertly finishes by slotting it into the open net. Tottenham Hotspur now leads 2-0!
• In the 68^th minute, the restart of the game has been temporarily delayed as Mitchell requires medical attention for his right knee. He seems to have strained it while attempting to block Son's shot. The situation appears concerning for the defender.
• In the 72^nd minute, Crystal Palace is attempting to mount an offensive, but they are finding it difficult to retain possession in the attacking third of the field. Tottenham Hotspur, on the other hand, is proficiently regaining possession and settling into their familiar, composed style of play.
• In the 81^st minute, Kulusevski embarks on a sinuous run, slicing in from the right flank, and tries to connect with Son’s forward dash, but his pass is intercepted. Fortune favors him as the ball rebounds back to his feet, prompting him to take a shot at goal. Alas, this too is thwarted as Guehi steps in to block the attempt.
• In the 86^th minute, Crystal Palace shows improvement in their approach as Andersen advances high up on the left flank and delivers a curving low cross into the penalty area. He aims for Guehi, who is positioned in the box, but Van de Ven intervenes crucially, getting a vital block in to thwart the attempt.
• In the 90^th minute, Bentancur, marking his return to the pitch for the first time since February following an ACL injury, is greeted with a warm welcome from the fans as he substitutes in for Kulusevski.
• In the 91^st minute, we can see a marvelous block! As we enter the first of eight additional minutes, Johnson surges down the right flank before distributing the ball to Son. Without hesitation, Son fires a shot, but Guehi valiantly hurls himself into the trajectory of the ball to make a crucial block.
• In the 94^th minute, Ayew scores one hell of a goal! After Van de Ven's clearance results in a throw-in, Ward hands it over to Andersen who swings it into the box. Porro misreads the flight of the ball, allowing Ayew to bring it down on his chest and then hammer it past Vicario into the far side of the net. The goal goes under VAR review for potential handball, but it stands! The score is now 2-1!
• In the 96^th minute, The VAR is scrutinizing a potential handball by Ayew in the process of controlling the ball. This is causing a protracted delay, much to the dismay of the home supporters. Following a two-minute review, the VAR team concludes that the ball indeed made contact with Ayew's chest, thereby upholding the goal. The score remains 2-1.
• In the 99^th minute, Emerson engages in a forceful challenge that brings Rak-Sakyi to the ground, followed by Andersen committing a late tackle on Gil. Consequently, Andersen, the Dane, is handed the first yellow card of the game.
• In the 100^th minute of the game, the match sees its third yellow card in just two minutes as Ayew aggressively shoves Johnson to the turf. Outraged by the referee's decision to award a foul, Ayew is subsequently shown a yellow card.
• In the 102^nd minute, In a potentially decisive moment for Palace, Ward delivers a curved ball from the right, which Mateta deftly flicks towards Franca on the left of the penalty area. Under immediate pressure from Porro, Franca rushes his shot, sending the ball soaring over the crossbar.

And that’s it! It’s full-time and what an exciting match it was! Tottenham have sealed the match, scoring two goals against Crystal Palace. Son Hueng-Min, B. Johnson, and many others were heroes of Tottenham who played exceptionally well and made sure that their team takes the lead. Stay tuned, folks!