Tottenham’s season slipped into deeper trouble after a 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace, leaving Spurs just a single point above the relegation zone and stretching their winless league run to a club-record 11 matches.
Igor Tudor, 21 days into his tenure, has yet to turn results around. The defeat — his third in as many Premier League games — came amid mounting injuries, a dented dressing-room morale and the decisive dismissal of captain Micky van de Ven just before half-time. With a brutal sequence of fixtures on the horizon, confidence is fragile.
Match flow
The game swung wildly in a short space of time. Palace thought they had taken the lead early on when Ismaila Sarr finished a flowing move, but VAR ruled the finish out for a narrow offside. That reprieve for Spurs lasted only minutes. Archie Gray produced a brilliant bit of skill to set up Dominic Solanke, who prodded Tottenham ahead from close range.
The contest turned on the next significant incident. Sarr broke in behind the Spurs defence and was hauled down by Van de Ven; the referee awarded a penalty and dismissed the defender for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Sarr kept his composure from the spot to level, and Palace then grabbed momentum.
Just before the break, Palace capitalised on a quick transition. Evann Guessand pounced on a loose pass from Pape Sarr, Adam Wharton fed Jørgen Strand Larsen and his shot squirmed through goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario’s legs to put Palace in front. Sarr completed his brace in stoppage time with a composed finish, sending large swathes of the home crowd for the exits.
Vicario, criticised by some remaining supporters, had been beaten by both Strand Larsen and Sarr in the first half and faced continued scrutiny after the match.
Spurs tried to rally after the interval and limited the damage, but playing almost an hour a man down and without key personnel left them visibly drained. The result leaves Tudor with immediate, awkward choices about personnel and tactics as the club prepare for a congested schedule that includes Atlético Madrid (two legs), a trip to Liverpool and a crucial home match against Nottingham Forest.
Managers’ reactions
Tudor acknowledged the supporters’ frustration and insisted the red card changed the game, but said he came away from the performance with renewed belief in the squad’s direction. He spoke about having to make tough decisions over which players should be part of the project and expressed confidence that returning injured players will strengthen the group.
Palace boss Oliver Glasner took satisfaction from his side’s progression, highlighting improved training time and the better integration of new arrivals as reasons for recent victories.
Key moments
– 29 minutes: Ismaila Sarr finishes a Palace move but the goal is ruled out for offside after VAR review.
– 35 minutes: Dominic Solanke gives Spurs the lead from close range following a clever assist by Archie Gray.
– 38 minutes: Micky van de Ven is shown a straight red for pulling back Sarr and denying a clear goalscoring opportunity; penalty awarded.
– 40 minutes: Ismaila Sarr converts the spot-kick to make it 1-1.
– 45+1 minutes: Jørgen Strand Larsen’s shot trickles through Vicario to put Palace ahead.
– 45+7 minutes: Sarr adds a third for Palace before half-time.
Team news
Tudor made four changes to his starting XI: Kevin Danso, Souza, Pape Sarr and Mathys Tel were handed starts, while Radu Drăgușin was omitted from the squad. Palace started Chadi Riad in place of the suspended Maxence Lacroix; Evann Guessand returned to the side in place of Brennan Johnson.
Selected player ratings (matchday shorthand)
– Tottenham: Vicario 3, Porro 4, Van de Ven 3, Archie Gray 6, Solanke 5, Tel 6. Substitutes: Gallagher 4, Bissouma 4, Simons 4, Richarlison 4.
– Crystal Palace: Sam Johnstone/Henderson 7, Canvot 7, Richards 7, Riad 7, Kamada 7, Wharton 8, Sarr 8, Strand Larsen 8. Subs: Clyne 7, Johnson 6, Hughes 6, Uche 6.
– Man of the match: Ismaila Sarr.
Stats and wider context
– Tottenham have now gone 11 league matches without a victory, the club’s longest ever winless streak in the league.
– Spurs have lost five straight Premier League games for the first time since 2004.
– Tudor is the second Spurs head coach in Premier League history to lose each of his first three games in charge.
– The team have conceded two or more goals in nine consecutive league matches, a new club record.
– Micky van de Ven received his first red card for Tottenham in his 86th appearance. Spurs have accumulated four red cards this season; only Chelsea have received more (7).
Upcoming fixtures (testing period)
Tottenham face a demanding run of matches immediately after this defeat: a Champions League trip to Atlético Madrid, a Premier League away game at Liverpool, the second leg with Atlético at home, a pivotal Premier League tie against Nottingham Forest, then matches away to Sunderland and home to Brighton.
What it means
The defeat exposes Tottenham’s current vulnerabilities: a thin squad hit by injuries, lapses in concentration at key moments, and the psychological impact of playing much of the match a man down. Tudor has signalled that changes will be made and expects reinforcements from returning players, but results must improve quickly to avoid a real slide. For Palace, the win underlined their recent improvement and the growing cohesion between the manager’s ideas and the squad.
Tottenham must find form, fitness and renewed belief fast if they are to steady the ship and avoid sliding into a battle they have not been involved in for decades.