Archie Gray scored the winner at Selhurst Park
Huge victory: Tottenham
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Sam Tabuteau
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Tottenham secured a gritty 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park to ease the pressure on head coach Thomas Frank.
Palace dominated the first half, but found themselves behind on the stroke of half-time as Archie Gray headed home following a corner.
Despite the hosts’ dominance, it was Tottenham who came closest to scoring after the break as Richarlison’s effort was ruled offside, and the visitors held on for a precious three points.
Here are three things we learned from Spurs’ victory at Selhurst Park...
Spurs show their maturity to prevent ill-discipline costing them
Tottenham’s ill-discipline cost them dearly against Liverpool last weekend, and they showed little to suggest they had learnt their lesson at Selhurst Park early in the first half.
Kevin Danso, filling in for the suspended Cristian Romero, was the first to have his name taken by referee Jarred Gillett after he fouled Yeremy Pino on the edge of the box inside five minutes.
He was followed into the book by Gray, who was cautioned for tugging at the shirt of Adam Wharton after losing possession midway through the first half.
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Spurs are second bottom of the fair play table, and it looked as though their rash decision-making could swing the game in Palace’s favour.
Instead, though, the north Londoners kept their composure, maintained their cool and frustrated their hosts to hold on and round off the calendar year with a victory.
Micky Van de Ven, Richarlison, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pedro Porro are all on four yellow cards and have one more game to navigate if they are to avoid a suspension.
On the evidence of today, though, Frank’s side seem to have taken the lessons of their defeat to Liverpool and developed a calmer, more mature edge to their game.
Big win: Archie Gray
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Set pieces come to the rescue yet again
Set plays have become Spurs’ calling card under Frank, and their ninth goal of the season from a dead-ball situation handed them the lead against the run of play.
Tottenham were second best for much of the first half, but struck the opening goal on the stroke of half-time as Gray nodded in from a corner.
It was a well-worked routine, with Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison working hard to keep the ball alive, and a reward for Tottenham for hanging in as Palace threatened to make their dominance count.
This was a scrappy game, and that suited Spurs, who, for all their shortcomings, know how to take their chances. They have the second-best conversion rate in the Premier League.
Spurs also dealt well with Palace’s own threat from set pieces, with Danso and Van de Ven completing a combined 14 headed clearances.
Set pieces were always going to provide an edge in a game lacking clear-cut chances, and Frank worked them to his advantage to earn a precious win.
This was a victory with Frank’s DNA all over it, and while it may not have been pretty, it was just what Tottenham needed.
Rock at the back: Micky Van de Ven
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A much-needed clean sheet
Much of Tottenham’s good early work under Frank stemmed from their defensive stability.
They kept four clean sheets in their opening five games in all competitions under the Dane, building a reputation for being solid in defence and efficient in attack.
After conceding 11 goals in their last three away games, this was a result and performance in their manager’s image.
Gritty, understated and determined, Spurs restricted Palace and could have made the game safe late on as Wilson Odobert hit the post.
Much was made of Romero’s dismissal last weekend, but in his place, Danso responded excellently after a shaky start to help steer Spurs to a sorely needed three points.
The Austrian picked up an early yellow card and looked to be struggling with Jean-Philippe Mateta’s physicality in the first half, but after the break the former Southampton man rose to the occasion, getting his head to every Palace delivery.
It was a testament to Danso’s performance that despite his fifth-minute caution, he remained aggressive in the tackle without committing another foul.
Frank’s search for an identity continues in earnest, and he will be looking to make this afternoon’s performance a cornerstone of what his Spurs side looks like going forward.
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