First senior goal for Gray secures Spurs win at Palace

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Archie Gray's first senior goal gave Tottenham Hotspur a vital 1-0 Premier League win at Crystal Palace, ending Spurs' poor away run and easing the pressure on their manager Thomas Frank.

Spurs thought they were ahead against the run of play when Richarlison tapped in Pedro Porro's inviting cross, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Jean-Philippe Mateta should have put Palace in front but headed over from close range after Maxence Lacroix nodded a free kick across the face of goal.

Gray made Palace pay and gave the visitors a barely deserved lead shortly before halftime, nodding home from three yards after Spurs kept a Porro corner alive.

Palace went close to an equaliser with Justin Devenny firing over on the spin and Lacroix heading narrowly wide, though Richarlison had the ball in the net again with 15 minutes to play, only for VAR to intervene once more.

Spurs, who had lost four of their last five away games in all competitions, held on to climb to 11th in the table on 25 points from 18 games.

Palace, suffering their third straight league defeat and now winless in five games in all competitions, are ninth with 26 points.

Both sides began in cagey fashion before Palace started to control the game and Spurs had barely touched the ball for a long spell when Richarlison snuck in at the back post to finish from close range in the 17th minute.

Lucas Bergvall, who had teed up Porro to lay the ball on a plate for Richarlison, had strayed offside in the build-up, however, and the goal was ruled out.

Mateta squandered Palace's best chance of the half, heading over from close range, and Palace were left to rue the miss when 19-year-old Gray scored in the 42nd minute.

Porro's booming corner to the back post was kept alive by Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison headed the ball towards goal, where Gray flicked it home to open his Spurs account.

Devenny wasted a golden chance 10 minutes after the break, slicing over from close range, while Lacroix went close with a header before Richarlison thought he had settled the contest in the 75th minute.

The Selhurst Park faithful cheered the VAR's decision like a Palace goal, though Spurs looked the more likely to score again and substitute Wilson Odobert hit the post in the closing stages after a slick exchange of passes with Richarlison.

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