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Tottenham Hotspur managed to pick up all three points against Crystal Palace on Sunday and the match became a special occasion for one player in particular.

Tottenham Hotspur had a good record away from home in the Premier League this season, but this has not been the case in recent weeks.

Thomas Frank has seen his team suffer 4-1 and 3-0 defeats against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest respectively and they were unable to get a win at Newcastle United.

However, Spurs are back in form on the road after defeating Crystal Palace by a single goal. Here are the three winners and losers from the closely contested victory.

Archie Gray was on target for Tottenham

Archie Gray has been nowhere to be seen for a large part of this season, but he has recently enjoyed a good run of matches in the first-team.

The young midfielder came under fire after his costly error against Nottingham Forest a fortnight ago, but he will remember his display against Crystal Palace for all the right reasons.

Gray scored what would go on to be Tottenham’s winning goal, heading the ball in from a corner. It was not the most difficult finish, but he got himself into the right place at the right time to become the hero for Spurs.

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Kevin Danso kept a clean sheet

Cristian Romero was ruled out of the Crystal Palace fixture after his moment of madness against Liverpool saw him shown a red card. This meant Kevin Danso had to step up, as he has already done this season.

The 27-year-old did not look at all out of place in the Tottenham team. In fact, he was one of their best players during the 1-0 victory.

Danso won 11 duels and made 16 clearances in what was a fine defensive display. He also looked to help Spurs launch attacks with his long balls.

Wilson Odobert looked lively off the Tottenham bench

Even though Wilson Odobert was not selected to start against Crystal Palace, he made his presence known on the pitch.

The winger entered the pitch shortly after the hour mark and almost found the net with a very good effort which bounced out off the inside of the post.

Odobert won all his duels and always looked to get forward when the ball was at his feet. He should definitely be on the pitch from the start against Brentford on Thursday.

Now let’s look at the three losers from Crystal Palace 0-1 Tottenham…

Lucas Bergvall has picked up an injury

Lucas Bergvall has found himself in a more attacking role this season and he has shown a lot of promise at certain moments.

However, the Swede failed to create chances against Crystal Palace and was one of the least effective players on the pitch.

Things got worse for Bergvall as he was substituted after getting injured, so he could not be looking at a spell on the sidelines.

Randal Kolo Muani was a waste on the left wing

Frank must surely understand after Sunday that there is no use in playing Randal Kolo Muani as a winger, because he did very little for Tottenham.

The France international failed to go on any successful dribbles and did nothing notable during the 63 minutes he spent on the pitch.

Richarlison might not have added to his goals tally against Palace, but he did have two efforts disallowed and an assist which counted. It certainly seems as though he will continue to start in the striker role ahead of Muani.

Pedro Porro is struggling at Tottenham

The award for the best Spurs assist this season goes to… Pedro Porro. Or at least it would have if offside goals counted, because his cross to Richarlison in the first half was simply outstanding.

Unfortunately, the right back’s crossing for the rest of the game was below his usual standards and he struggled to help Tottenham in attack.

Porro worked hard in defence, but there were times when he was dribbled past or failed to make tackles. Also, the 26 year old’s passing was really poor throughout the game, something which needs to change when he returns to action against Brentford.

Thomas Frank has suggested that Tottenham’s performances over the last couple of months have not been as bad as the results suggest.

Spurs emerged with a hard-fought 1-0 win from Selhurst Park on Sunday, which was just their second Premier League win in their last nine matches.

The result sees the move upto 11th place in the table, leaving the Lilywhites just four points off Chelsea in fifth place, which perhaps demonstrates how close the Premier League is this term.

The result also relieves Frank of a little pressure for the time being, with Spurs now boasting of the best away record in the division.

Thomas Frank believes Tottenham are moving in the right direction

The Tottenham head coach suggested that the consistency in his side’s performances of late has been better than the results suggest.

He pointed out that his side gave Liverpool a game last weekend despite playing with a numerical disadvantage for the majority of the encounter.

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When asked if Champions League qualification now seems achievable since Spurs are just four points behind fifth place, Frank responded (via Football.London): “I think, how can you say it, the consistency in these performances, before the game I said we had four out of five good performances, including the Liverpool one in many ways.

“This is another one in terms of consistently working hard. Not everything was perfect, but it’s a good step in the right direction. That’s what we need to keep working on. Then get a little bit more in form of the offensive players, and then step by step.”

Frank highlights Spurs’ set-piece edge

One area where Frank has undoubtedly improved Tottenham is in their effectiveness in set pieces.

Archie Gray’s goal against Crystal Palace is the ninth time the North Londoners have scored from set-pieces this season, and Frank admitted that he is delighted with the way the players have bought into that aspect of the game.

The 52-year-old added: “Every team needs to find an edge, and set-pieces is one hugely important area. We saw the Chelsea v Villa game yesterday, and two out of three goals were set-pieces, so it is hugely important we keep working on that and very happy the way the players have really brought into it.”

Thomas Frank has revealed whether Brennan Johnson has a future at Tottenham amid the ongoing speculation about the winger’s future.

It has been widely reported over the past two weeks that Spurs are prepared to cash in on the Wales international, who has found starts hard to come by this season.

As many as five English clubs are interested in Johnson, and Tottenham came up against one of them on Sunday evening in the Premier League.

Crystal Palace are thought to be leading the race for the Spurs winger, while it has also emerged over recent days that Aston Villa have made contact with the Tottenham star over a January move.

Thomas Frank reveals if he wants Brennan Johnson to stay at Tottenham

The 24-year-old, who finished as Tottenham’s top scorer last season with 18 goals across all competitions, has started just six Premier League matches this term.

However, Frank has suggested his lack of minutes is down to Mohammed Kudus nailing down the right-wing spot and added that the former Nottingham Forest remains an important part of his plans.

When asked about the speculation over Johnson’s future, the Spurs head coach responded (via Football.London): “Yeah, I think Brennan is very important for us. Maybe he didn’t get many minutes, but unfortunately, we can only play 11 players. We spoke about it before with Mo (Mohammed Kudus), he’s coming in and putting his stamp on that right-wing position. Then, on the left, we tried different solutions. He’s still started quite a few games. I think Brennan is an important player for us.”

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Frank reacts to Fabio Paratici’s Spurs exit rumours

Johnson is not the only big name who could leave Tottenham, with reports indicating that Fabio Paratici is expected to soon be announced as Fiorentina’s head of football.

However, interestingly, Paratici was spotted sitting beside Spurs CEO Vinai Venketesham at Selhurst Park during Spurs’ 1-0 win.

When asked about the Italian attending the game despite being backed to leave Tottenham, Frank responded: “I didn’t know that Vinai and Fabio were here today, but I expected them to be. As I said the whole time, there are a lot of rumours with a lot of things. Players, staff members, directors, whatever it is, I don’t comment on them.”

Playing for one last time in 2025, Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways in the Premier League after back-to-back defeats, grinding out a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

With more than a week to prepare for this fixture, the performance was still far from convincing for long spells, but that will likely be overlooked by the fact that Spurs got away with three points against a Palace side that completed a league double over them last season.

Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons, both unavailable after their red cards against Liverpool, were replaced by Richarlison and Kevin Danso in the starting XI. Kota Takai also made his way into the Spurs matchday squad for the first time this season, although the Japanese youngster remained an unused substitute.

First half: Crystal Palace 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur

After a couple of early warning signs from Palace, including one moment that required a timely intervention from Danso and earned him a booking, Tottenham briefly thought they had taken the lead. Pedro Porro’s cross from the right found Richarlison at the back post, and the Brazilian tapped in from close range, only for VAR to disallow it as Lucas Bergvall was judged to be offside in the build-up.

Following the let-off, Palace gradually began to grow into the game, with Jean-Philippe Mateta twice going close, first flashing a low effort narrowly wide of Vicario’s post before heading just over from close range. Adam Wharton, who was comfortably the best player on the pitch, then curled a tame effort straight at Guglielmo Vicario after intercepting a loose pass from Djed Spence.

Against the run of play, however, Spurs managed to take the lead just before the break. Porro’s corner caused chaos in the penalty area, and Richarlison flicked the ball on for Archie Gray to nod home from close range, scoring his first Premier League goal and giving Tottenham something to protect at half-time.

Second half: Crystal Palace 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur

With Palace expectedly carrying more threat after the restart, they squandered their best chance to equalise when Justin Devenny failed to direct his close-range effort on target after being brilliantly set up by Yeremi Pino. Maxence Lacroix then went close with a header from another Wharton delivery, glancing just wide of the post.

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At the other end, Spurs once again had the ball in the net, and once again VAR had other ideas. Mohammed Kudus delivered a low cross from the right that Richarlison slammed into the roof of the net, but the Brazilian was ruled marginally offside after a lengthy check.

Richarlison, who could easily have had a brace by this point, went close again soon after, meeting another Kudus delivery but shooting straight at Dean Henderson. Radu Dragusin then made his first appearance after almost a year out with an ACL injury, as Spurs shifted into a back five.

The change brought some sense of control, and substitutes began to make an impact. Wilson Odobert struck the post after some good link-up play with Richarlison, before later going close again when his low cross picked out Porro, whose cut-back was met by Rodrigo Bentancur. The Uruguayan’s first-time curling effort was destined for the corner until Henderson produced a brilliant one-handed stop to protect Palace’s goal difference.

FT: CRYSTAL PALACE 0-1 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Spurs Web man of the match: Archie Gray

What’s next for Spurs

There is not a huge amount to take away from the performance as a whole, but the cameos from Wilson Odobert and Joao Palhinha stood out, the latter in particular playing a big role in helping Spurs preserve their clean sheet.

With this result, Tottenham end 2025 on a high and, despite their ongoing struggles at home, they boast the best away record in the Premier League this season, collecting 17 points from nine matches with five wins, two draws and two defeats. That said, their home form remains a glaring concern and is one of the poorest in the division.

Thomas Frank was extremely pleased with one particular trait that his Tottenham Hotspur players showed at Selhurst Park.

The game in South London was far from a classic, and Tottenham had to defend with their backs to the wall for large parts of it.

However, it was clear that all that mattered to the Spurs players and staff was the three points, and the relief was evident on their faces after the final whistle.

Archie Gray scored the game’s only goal, heading the ball in from close range in the first half, and the Tottenham boss was extremely pleased with what he saw from his players in the second period.

Thomas Frank praises Tottenham’s resilience and discipline

The Dane conceded that it was not an outstanding performance from his players by any means, but admitted that it was all about getting over the line and registering a win.

He praised his players for the resilience they showed and for being able to nullify Palace’s threat from transitions.

Speaking after his side’s 1-0 win at Selhurst Park, Frank told BBC Sport: “Sometimes you need those margins to help you a little bit, and that could have helped massively in a tight game. In the end, we got over the line. The team showed great resilience today and I think the desire beat the details in the game, the desire just to win.

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“I liked the discipline in the team, the way we gave very few transitions away which is the threat of Crystal Palace. The discipline to not give those away was good because that is what they want.”

Frank proud of the way Spurs defended against Crystal Palace

The Lilywhites were without their captain Cristian Romero, who was serving a suspension following his red card against Liverpool.

However, as always, Kevin Danso hardly put a foot wrong at Selhurst Park, and Frank admitted that emerging with a clean sheet was a big accomplishment by his players, pointing out that they fought for each other.

The 52-year-old added: “We defended excellently, we gave maybe one chance away in open play and the rest was set pieces. In such a tight game to get the 1-0 win and a clean sheet, in a performance that is not perfect, is a massive thing.

“I don’t think it’s for me, they fight and they battle because they want to be a good team. They fight for each other, for the club, the staff, the fans most importantly. I liked the character and mentality in team today, there is so much to improve but you need to have that in the Premier League, especially away from home.”

Tottenham Hotspur fans noticed something unusual at Selhurst Park, amid reports linking their sporting director, Fabio Paratici, with an exit from the club.

It has been widely reported over the last week that Fiorentina are trying to poach Tottenham’s sporting director.

Paratici has been locked in talks with La Viola over becoming the club’s head of football, and the news has come as a shock to Tottenham, given that he only rejoined the club two months ago.

In fact, it has been reported that Paratici has already verbally agreed on a four-and-a-half-year contract with Fiorentina, with an announcement on his Tottenham future expected soon.

Fabio Paratici spotted during Tottenham’s clash at Crystal Palace

Given that Italian outlets seem to be suggesting that Paratici’s move to Florence is a done deal, many Spurs fans would have been surprised by what they saw on Sunday.

The 53-year-old was spotted in attendance at Selhurst Park, sitting next to Tottenham’s CEO Vinai Venkatesham.

The pair were seen deep in conversation as they watched the Lilywhites emerge with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Oliver Glasner’s men.

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Is this a sign that Paratici may be staying at Spurs?

There has been no official communication from Tottenham Hotspur regarding the Italian despite the incessant rumours over the last week.

Thomas Frank refused to discuss the speculation over Paratici’s future, suggesting that it has been business as usual at Hotspur Way between him and the Spurs’ sporting director.

The fact that Paratici was spotted at Selhurst Park suggests that he is still heavily involved in the North London club, and it may give some Spurs fans hope that his exit is not imminent.

Tottenham Hotspur emerged with a hard-fought win from Selhurst Park this evening, but five Spurs players are now teetering on the edge of a one-match suspension.

Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons were both suspended for Tottenham’s clash against Crystal Palace after their red cards against Liverpool, and the Dutchman still has to sit out two more games.

Despite being without the pair and Spurs also missing seven other players due to injury and the AFCON, they got the job done in South London, emerging with a narrow 1-0 win.

However, several other Tottenham Hotspur players are now just one yellow card away from a suspension heading into the clash at Brentford on Thursday.

Five Tottenham players are now one booking away from a suspension

Kevin Danso picked up his fourth yellow card of the season at Selhurst Park, and he is now one of five Tottenham players on four yellows. The other four are Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, Pedro Porro and Rodrigo Bentancur.

The Premier League’s rules state that players who receive five bookings in the first 19 league matches need to serve a one-match suspension.

That means that all five players have to avoid getting booked at the Gtech Community Stadium on Thursday.

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Spurs will be boosted by the return of Cristian Romero

Romero will be available against Brentford, with the Tottenham captain now having served his one-match ban.

The Argentine will almost certainly come into the starting eleven in place of Danso, which means that the Lilywhites likely do not have to worry about the Austrian getting his fifth yellow.

All five of Tottenham’s players on four yellows will be off the hook for now if they can avoid the referee’s notebook on Thursday.

Following the 19th game of the season, the rules stipulate that players must avoid accumulating 10 yellow cards before the 32nd league game. If they reach double-digit bookings in that time, they will incur a two-match suspension.

Tottenham Hotspur’s narrow win over Crystal Palace may not have been pretty, but a lively cameo from the bench gave supporters something else to talk about long after the final whistle.

Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur got back to winning ways on Sunday evening following their hard-fought 1-0 win over London rivals Crystal Palace.

It was far from a straightforward victory, with Tottenham having to defend for most of the game as they looked to hold on to their early first-half lead.

How the victory was earned will matter little to Frank and his players, who have now moved up to 11th place and sit five points off the top five after edging closer to a relegation scrap a few weeks ago.

Tottenham fans impressed by Wilson Odobert cameo against Crystal Palace

Despite spending most of the game on the back foot defending, second-half substitute Wilson Odobert proved to be a bright spark for Tottenham.

The 20-year-old came off the bench to replace Kolo Muani, who had been deployed on the left from the start, and quickly made an impression with his direct play, creating chances and coming close to adding to Spurs’ goal with a shot that cannoned off the inside of the upright.

Spurs fans were left impressed by Odobert’s display, which has now led to calls for him to become a first-team regular.

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One supporter said that he “provided some excitement when there was none.” Another added: “It’s damning how negative Frank is that he does not play more along with Tel. Great cameo today, and he has been good whenever given a chance, same with Tel. Since the Super Cup, every Tel cameo has been positive. Both should start Thursday night.”

Others echoed similar sentiments, with one fan commenting that he “looked really confident” while describing it as “the best cameo we have seen from him in a Spurs shirt.”

One Tottenham fan labelled him a “big-time spark plug off the bench”, suggesting that an impact role may suit Wilson Odobert best.

Further comments included praise such as “impacted the game”, “showing why he should be starting”, “quality” and calls that he “needs to start LW”.

Why Odobert offers Spurs a different attacking option

Kolo Muani is not ideal on the left for Tottenham, as their attacks down that side are often too predictable, given that both Djed Spence and the forward are players who love to come inside.

Odobert, however, brings another dimension to Spurs’ play, as his ability to come inside and beat his defender on the outside makes Tottenham far more dynamic in attack.

Frank will have to rotate his squad as Spurs take to the pitch during the week, and that could see Odobert earn a start.

An Italian journalist has provided a big update on the future of Tottenham sporting director Fabio Paratici.

Spurs are facing the prospect of losing Paratici, just two months after he returned to the club as co-sporting director alongside Johan Lange.

According to reports, Fiorentina want Paratici to be their new head of football, and the 53-year-old has been locked in talks with the Serie A club over the past week.

Some sources have even suggested that Paratici is edging closer to leaving Spurs for Fiorentina, and there has now been a big update on his future.

Official announcement soon expected on Fabio Paratici’s Tottenham exit

A couple of days ago, Gianluca di Marzio revealed that the Tottenham director is in the final stages of talks with La Viola, who are rooted to the bottom of the Serie A table.

Di Marzio suggested that a verbal agreement had already been reached regarding a four-and-a-half-year contract, and another journalist has now stated that the deal is already done.

This latest update comes from journalist Matteo Moretto, who has now asserted that just an official announcement is missing regarding Paratici’s move to Fiorentina, with the other formalities done.

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Paratici will try to take Spurs star to Florence

Over the last few days, a number of outlets have suggested that the Italian’s first order of business would be to take a Tottenham Hotspur defender to Florence.

According to sources, Paratici will look to strike a deal with Spurs for Radu Dragusin, with La Viola set to be prioritising reinforcing their backline in January.

Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways at Selhurst Park with a narrow 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from the game:

Archie Gray delivers decisive moment for Tottenham Hotspur

It was a much-needed victory for Tottenham, who were already slipping rather close to the drop zone following their poor run of form in recent weeks.

But the display against Palace this evening was a complete one that was inspired by Archie Gray, who could easily have been named man of the match.

The teenager has earned four consecutive league starts for Spurs, keeping Palhinha out of the side, and he repaid his manager’s trust by grabbing the only goal of the game, his first of the season.

It was indeed a nice moment for the 19-year-old, who was then shifted up into the number ten role, completing his impressive shift.

Questions remain over Thomas Frank’s style of play at Tottenham

Spurs’ performance was much better than in previous games, but there will still be questions about Thomas Frank’s style of play.

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In the first half, it was all Palace, who were creating chance after chance and could quite easily have won this match on another day.

Regardless, Tottenham stuck to their task and remained solid at the back, keeping a clean sheet, but their goal came from a set piece, and they created nothing from open play before the break.

It was a mixed performance from Frank’s side, and there remains work to be done, but this win provides a platform to build on.

Lucas Bergvall injury leaves Spurs short in the number ten role

Coming into this match, Tottenham were already short of key players following the sending off of Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons last time out against Liverpool.

Kevin Danso came in for Romero and put in a solid shift, while Lucas Bergvall replaced Simons in the starting XI, but it did not go to plan for the Swede.

Bergvall picked up a knock in the second half and was forced off, leaving Spurs with another issue in the number ten role.

Simons is set to miss two more league fixtures after his straight red card, and if Bergvall’s injury proves serious, Frank will need a makeshift solution.

Left-wing imbalance continues as Kolo Muani struggles

Tottenham looked short of ideas in the first half and barely threatened from open play, although the second forty-five minutes were different, particularly late on.

Wilson Odobert looked bright and brought a different dimension with his direct play and willingness to get to the byline and cross.

That stood in stark contrast to the first half, when Kolo Muani occupied the left-wing position.

The Frenchman is not a natural winger, and his tendency to cut inside made Tottenham’s attack from that side predictable, highlighting a clear imbalance.

Tottenham must find consistency despite closing the gap on top five

This victory not only helped Spurs halt their slump down the table, but also allowed them to look upwards again.

Frank’s side are now four points off the top five and sit one point behind Crystal Palace, who are ninth, while Spurs are in 11th place.

Consistency remains the key, and the midweek game against Brentford offers an immediate chance for Tottenham to build momentum and continue closing the gap.