Tottenham Hotspur made their numerical advantage count against Crystal Palace, running out 2-0 winners today, Saturday, in the Premier League. A third straight victory lifts them to eighth on 12 points.
The result spared Manchester United some embarrassment, keeping them one place above the relegation zone and level on points with Palace after their own 2-0 defeat earlier in the same round, at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge.
Palace started cautiously, sitting deep behind a defensive block while Tottenham looked to impose their rhythm from the off.
They almost caught the hosts cold in the 10th minute, but Antonin Kinsky saved smartly from Daichi Kamada.
Everything changed in the 12th minute. The video assistant referee reviewed Jean-Philippe Mateta's violent challenge on Micky van de Ven after the referee had initially reached for a yellow card. He upgraded the decision to a red, and Palace were down to ten men from the 13th minute.
Archie Gray picked up a yellow of his own in the 15th minute. Then Tottenham cashed in on the extra man, breaking the deadlock in the 25th minute when Gray rose unmarked at the far post to head home a corner.
Spurs kept pressing. Henderson denied Dominic Solanke with a strong save in the 51st minute and then turned away another effort from Robertson in the 71st.
Jan Paul van Hecke doubled the lead in the 73rd minute, heading home a cross delivered from the left by Matias Fernandez.
Kulusevski replaced Egypt's Omar Marmoush in the 77th minute, with the forward having offered little all afternoon.
Henderson shone again in the 81st minute, keeping out a fierce strike from Sandro Tonali. Kudus then spurned a clear chance in the 90th, steering a Luca Williams-Barnett cross over the bar from close range.
Those closing minutes brought Williams-Barnett his first Premier League appearance after he came on for Mathys Tel in the 88th minute.
Tottenham saw it out to bank the three points. Crystal Palace stay on seven, 18th in the table and third from bottom.
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