Football London

Furious Tottenham fans launched a revolt after ten-man Spurs were plunged closer to relegation.

Thousands of angry supporters left at half time after Spurs were humiliated by Crystal Palace while stand-in captain Micky van de Ven was also sent off.

Angry fans still in the stadium turned their fury on the club’s hierarchy as a number of fans had to be held back by stewards as they shouted abuse at the directors’ box and club analysts.

Spurs interim boss Igor Tudor also saw his team booed off after suffering his third straight defeat since taking charge and they are now just one point above the drop zone.

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Spurs had taken the lead through Dominic Solanke after Palace forward Ismaila Sarr had a goal ruled out through offside.

But the lead lasted all of six minutes as Sarr converted from the spot after he was pulled down by Van de Ven, who will now miss next Sunday's clash with Liverpool.

Jorgen Strand Larsen put Palace ahead before Sarr rounded off the scoring all in first half injury time with the second half a mere formality.

Spurs remain only one point outside the relegation places after West Ham United and Nottingham Forest both got positive results this week at Fulham and Manchester City respectively.

"I don't think there is quality," former Spurs striker Peter Crouch said on TNT Sports' coverage of the game. "The best players are out injured. Tottenham are bang in trouble.

"I look at Manchester United and they looked to Michael Carrick, he has managed to get a tune out of those players straight away. Tudor is a massive gamble.

"There are no players who have come through from the youth team, players who know the club.

"Archie Gray was the best player for Tottenham, and he's 19 years old. There's not enough leaders out there."

Here are our Tottenham player ratings after their defeat against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Thursday night

Tottenham fell to a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on a Thursday night that turned with Micky van de Ven's red card and here are our Spurs player ratings.

Igor Tudor made four changes to the team that lost at Fulham with Kevin Danso, Mathys Tel and Pape Matar Sarr coming into the starting line-up and 19-year-old Souza given a first start for the club.

Ismaila Sarr thought he had given Palace the lead in the 29th minute, his shot deflecting up off Pedro Porro and over Guglielmo Vicario and into the net. After a long VAR check for offside, Sarr's face is adjudged to be offside.

Just five minutes later and Spurs looked to be up and running as Archie Gray got between two defenders and hit a low cross that Dominic Solanke thumped into the net form close range.

Just four minutes later and everything went horribly wrong. Captain for the night Van de Ven pulled back Sarr as he ran into the box, earning a red card and gifting Palace a penalty which Sarr rolled home.

Matters just kept getting worse in added time at the end of the half as first Jorgen Strand Larsen ran on to Adam Wharton's ball and poked the ball through Vicario's legs. Then Wharton again carved Spurs apart with a ball over the top that Sarr beat Vicario to and poked home.

Spurs had chances in the second half with 10 men as Solanke and Danso tested Henderson but they could not find a way back into the game.

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Here are our Spurs player ratings after the game:

Guglielmo Vicario

Saved early on from Wharton but dived the wrong way for Sarr's penalty, got nutmegged by Strand Larsen and beaten to the ball by Sarr before the break. 4

Pedro Porro

Played on the right of a back three before the red card. Lack of communication with Vicario for Palace's third goal. Kept trying to play balls over the top with little success and was furious with everything when he came off. 4

Kevin Danso

Back in the team and gave everything. Forced a save from Henderson early in the second half. Was Spurs' best defender on the night. 6

Micky van de Ven

Absolute madness. Captain for the night and his brain switched off for the moment that turned everything, pulling back on Sarr after he got in front of him. He will now miss the game at Liverpool. 2

Archie Gray

Spurs' best player on the night by a mile. Once again a teenager had to drive on the team and he got inside two Palace defenders before crossing low to Solanke to fire home. Had another chance in the second half after dribbling into the box and fought for everything, with tackles aplenty. 7

Pape Matar Sarr

Sent an early shot wide. Got a first half yellow card for showing an imaginary yellow card after a Palace foul. Dispossessed for the second Palace goal but it was a difficult pass from Tel. Put in the yards in the second half to no avail. 5

Joao Palhinha

Started off in midfield but switched back to defence after the red card. Slow to react to some of the late first half danger. 5

Souza

His first Spurs start and got a booking within six minutes for a late challenge on Munoz that eventually forced the Palace man off with a shoulder injury. Then got taken off after the red card. 4

Randal Kolo Muani

Taken off with Souza and went straight down the tunnel. Hadn't offered much before coming off. 4

Dominic Solanke

Looked to have put Spurs into gear with his close range first half goal. Battled away and got into the box on 66 minutes with a low shot saved by Henderson. 6

Mathys Tel

Cut inside and had an early effort saved. Gave Palace some problems but also Sarr with a poor pass that led to Palace's second goal. 5

Subs

Conor Gallagher

Ran around a lot with little quality in possession. 5

Yves Bissouma

Helped Spurs keep control of the ball at times in the second half. He holds the ball better than most. 6

Richarlison

Came on for the final 15 minutes or so and threw himself around a bit. 5

Xavi Simons

Tottenham Hotspur player Pedro Porro showed his frustrations after being substituted during his side's clash with Crystal Palace while Igor Tudor's men trailed 3-1

Pedro Porro reacted furiously after being substituted for Xavi Simons by smacking a seat in the Tottenham Hotspur dugout during Thursday's match against Crystal Palace.

Porro, 26, also threw a drinks carton at the floor before taking a seat in the dugout. The Spain international was also shouting over his shoulder after coming off the pitch and was ushered towards the bench by a Tottenham staff member.

He has only just returned from a muscle injury that kept him out of five matches across all competitions. Porro, however, played the full 90 minutes in his first game back against Fulham at the weekend.

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Igor Tudor made a double change with barely 15 minutes remaining, with Richarlison also replacing Spurs' goalscorer Dominic Solanke. They were the first substitutions since the team went behind in added time at the end of the first half.

Conor Gallagher and Yves Bissouma both came on to replace Souza and Randal Kolo Muani minutes before Palace went ahead after Micky van de Ven's sending off. Ismaila Sarr equalised from the penalty spot after being brought down by the Spurs defender.

Jorgen Strand Larsen then put Palace ahead in the first minute of added time. Sarr then doubled his tally for the evening and his team's advantage before the break, which was the cue for several Tottenham fans to leave the stadium.

Porro's outburst also followed comments on Wednesday night questioning the makeup of their squad, made during an appearance on the Spanish radio programme El Larguero. He said: "Obviously, when you don't have a squad capable of competing in four competitions, it's tough.

"You see the injuries, and it's a starting eleven that makes you think, 'Wow.' Last year was exactly the same; we had that momentum in the Europa League to win the competition, and the same thing happened in the Premier League.

"You have to build a project to compete in everything and be focused on everything." Porro continued: "Our situation in the Premier League is a disaster, but then you see how we've competed in the Champions League and barely conceded at home.

He also said: "If I could bring one player to Tottenham, it would be Pedri; I'd give the whole team for him." On his own future, Porro said: "When you're little, you dream about a lot of things, but day to day I focus on my reality, and when you think about playing for the best teams in the world, you know you still have things to improve."

Peter Crouch believes Porro and his teammates have plenty to improve on. He said on TNT Sports: "I don't think there is quality. The best players are out injured. Tottenham are bang in trouble ... There's not enough leaders out there."

Tottenham Hotspur fans expressed their anger at another capitulation with their feet as they left the stadium during the first-half against Crystal Palace.

The Premier League showdown with their London rivals started slowly with Igor Tudor's side handed a reprieve after the semi-automated offside technology narrowly adjudged Ismaila Sarr offside. They hit back with a goal from Dominic Solanke, his first against the Eagles, but just minutes after breaking the deadlock, Spurs gave themselves a mountain to climb.

Captain Mickey van de Ven was shown a straight red card for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity as Sarr appeared to be hauled down by the Dutchman, who will now serve a one-match ban and miss next Sunday's trip to Liverpool.

The Senegalese made no mistake in equalising but in first-half stoppage-time, things went from bad-to-worse as they conceded twice in six minutes to Jorgen Strand-Larsen and a second strike from Sarr.

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Boos echoed around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as fans were forced to endure another abject display. TNT Sports cameras showed supporters looking dejected, angry and in disbelief as Spurs teeter closer to the relegation zone - compounded by important results from relegation rivals West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.

Aerial pictures showed fans departing in their droves, Oliver Glasner's side in front and cruising toward three points.

Speaking as part of TNT Sports' coverage, Joe Cole said: "The whole performance is tepid and there's no bite, no anger, nothing and the crowd is feeling that.

"The crowd looked like they had given up because the players hadn't given them anything. It's going to be a long second-half for Igor Tudor's men."

Former Tottenham striker Peter Crouch added: "That's the disappointing thing. I've played in games at White Hart Lane where you got booed off at half-time drawing games, where you haven't played badly, it feels like desperation now.

"It's almost like they've given up, which is worse."

As the players made their way out for the second-half, footage showed large swathes of empty seats in the home end of the North London Stadium, while some fans looked dejected as they sat in the crowd.

Cole added: "We know what's happened there. Sometimes as a manager you think make a few tweaks but sometimes you've got to vent, emotional outbursts, I've had managers say, 'get out of my sight'.

"Fans will always vote with their feet, as players you've got to block it out. You've got to go, 'next minute, next minute, next minute' and you try build into the game."

Crouch was in disbelief at the scenes from within the stadium. He said: "I've never seen this place so quiet, it's eerie. They're down to ten men, it's going to be so difficult for them - I fear for the worst in this second half. They're going to have to stop them, I fear for them, it's going to have to be damage limitation."

The Tottenham players were sent out early for the second-half and boos were audible as they waited for their Palace opponents to emerge.

Kevin Danso came close to reducing the deficit after the restart but Palace survived. Spurs fans were similarly angered during their first-half against Manchester City last month but then-manager Thomas Frank saw his side stage a comeback to hamper the title charge of Pep Guardiola's men.

Tottenham defender Mickey Van de Ven will miss his side's trip to Anfield to take on Champions League hopefuls Liverpool after he was sent off against Crystal Palace.

The Dutchman was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity which saw Ismaila Sarr pulled down after the Senegalese got the wrong side of the defender. Andrew Madley wasted no time in showing a straight red card and reducing Spurs to ten men in a crucial game for Igor Tudor.

He will miss the clash with Liverpool next Sunday, but because red cards in the Premier League only apply to domestic action, he can play against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. Spurs were knocked out of the FA Cup earlier this season so are not in action this weekend.

It was an action-packed 40 minutes in North London where Sarr saw an opening goal ruled out for offside after semi-automated technology ruled that the 28-year-old's face was offside.

Five minutes later, Dominic Solanke opened the scoring after instinctively powering home following good work down the left from Archie Gray but their lead was short-lived as Van de Ven was sent off just four minutes later.

Sarr stepped up and coolly slotted past Gugliermo Vicario, sending the Italian the wrong way. The joy for caretaker manager Igor Tudor had quickly turned to despair as his captain was sent for an early shower leaving Spurs a man light for the remaining 50 minutes.

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With positive results for West Ham United and Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, the pressure was on the Croatian's side in North London on Thursday as they came against an out-of-form Palace side.

Solanke's goal, a first against the Eagles, appeared to give Spurs the boost that they needed. But they gave themselves a mountain to climb when Van de Ven hauled former Watford man Sarr down after he got the wrong side of the defender.

Tudor took evasive action, making a double change on the stroke of half-time with Conor Gallagher and Yves Bissouma replacing Souza and Randal Kolo Muani.

Speaking on commentary, former Spurs goalkeeper Joe Hart said: "Oh dear. Oh goodness me, seeing it on the replay, I think you're going to have to go Mickey.

"Strand-Larsen deals with Danso, Sarr gets the wrong side of Van de Ven, his instincts take over, he pulls down the Crystal Palace man, makes no attempt to play the ball that's why it's a red.

"He's holding him, he's holding. The only thing they can clutch onto is Strand-Larsen on Danso but I don't think that's a foul. You can't believe it can you? He doesn't need to do that, he'll be so disappointed."

Van de Ven looked up to the heavens while Tudor was sat back, slouched in his chair and the former Wolfsburg defender will now miss their trip to Anfield next Sunday.

In first-half stoppage time, things went from bad to worse as Strand-Larsen made it three goals in four games against Spurs before Sarr doubled his tally for the evening to open up a two-goal cushion for the visitors.

Joe Hart and Sam Matterface were left surprised after Tottenham Hotspur were handed a reprieve when Ismaila Sarr was ruled offside during the clash with Crystal Palace.

The Palace forward saw his effort loop over Guglielmo Vicario to hand the visitors the lead. However, following an intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR) and semi-automated offside, the Senegalese saw his effort chalked off.

In a tweet, Premier League Match Centre said: "VAR checked the referee’s call of goal – and established that Sarr was in an offside position and recommended that the goal was disallowed."

Co‑commentator Hart believed Sarr was onside, saying on TNT Sports: "I don't think this is offside. We had a great view, dead in line from it. It felt like Sarr running though late was a real opportunity for Crystal Palace."

Meanwhile, Matterface added: "The VAR looking at this back at Stockley Park is Nick Hopton and they are just making sure they have the accurate kick point here before they measure as to whether or not it is offside."

Following confirmation from VAR, referee Andy Madley raised his hand to signal the offside. "Is that what we’re going with, yeah?" Hart asked, before adding: "His face was offside, in front of the goal.

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"None of that looks right. None of it looks right."

Palace boss Oliver Glasner was also seen pointing to his nose shortly after, suggesting he believed that was the reason the goal was ruled out.

Moments later, the hosts scored the opening goal through Dominic Solanke before captain Micky van de Ven was sent off for denying Sarr a goal scoring opportunity.

The Dutchman pulled Sarr down after the Senegalese got the wrong side of the defender. Madley wasted no time in showing a straight red card, reducing Spurs to ten men in what was a crucial game for Igor Tudor.

Sarr made no mistake from the spot, sending Vicario the wrong way. Jorgen Strand Larsen and Sarr both found the net just before half‑time - making it 3-1 for the visitors.

Home supporters were seen leaving their seats after Spurs conceded the third goal.

Defeat will leave Spurs just one point above the relegation zone.

Here's the Tottenham team that Igor Tudor has named to take on Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Thursday evening

Igor Tudor has made four changes in naming the Tottenham team that he believes can overcome Crystal Palace n the Premier League on Thursday night.

The Croatian is looking for his first Spurs victory and so are the club in the Premier League in 2026 and now Tudor will complete his opening hat-trick of derbies with the challenge of Oliver Glasner's Eagles. If Tottenham are unable to triumph then they will be setting an unwanted new club record Premier League streak of 11 matches without a victory.

Kevin Danso returns to the back four and the interim head coach has given 19-year-old Souza a first start for the club after telling football.london: " He was good, I saw something in him. He is there and waiting for his moment to play."

Mathys Tel once again made an impact from the bench and he starts on the left alongside Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani in a front Xavi Simons and Conor Gallagher drop to the bench with a midfield three of Joao Palhinha, Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr. Alternatively it could be a 3-4-3 with Palhinha in the backline.

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Here's the Tottenham team Tudor has gone with to face Palace:

With Tottenham Hotspur currently in the grip of a relegation battle, former Spurs ace Gareth Bale offered his thoughts on the transfer approach of his old club

Gareth Bale believes Tottenham Hotspur will struggle to progress if they fail to challenge the likes of Manchester United when it comes to wages.

Spurs are currently knee deep in a relegation battle. Many are pouring over the wreckage of the north Londoners' current campaign, evaluating where things have gone wrong.

The club's approach to transfers and wages has been identified as an issue, with former manager Ange Postecoglou recently suggesting they are reluctant to fork out on big players with big wages.

Out of the so-called 'Big six' Tottenham £222m wage bill is the lowest and nearly £100m less than United's wage bill of £313million.

Bale echoed the thoughts of Postecoglou, saying Spurs need to be offering bigger wage packets to attract the Premier League proven players they need to climb up the table.

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Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Bale, when asked where he believes Spurs are lacking, said: " I would say money. They don't pay as much as United and you look at the wage bill it's lower.

"Buying a £50million player it's not what it used to be. You must be spending 80, 90, 100 now just to get a good player. They need that bit of a gamble, from a business point of view they're maybe not willing to do it.

"I don’t know how they're doing financially but it seems to be that for me that's probably the biggest issue they just don't sign the proven player.”

Speaking on the same podcast a matter of weeks before, Postecoglou said: "I still felt like, you know, Tottenham as a club was saying, 'We're one of the big boys.' And the reality is, I don't think they are in terms of my experience over those last two years, of how they act.

"When Arsenal need players, they'll spend a hundred million on Declan Rice. I don't see Tottenham doing that. It's a real curiosity in terms of understanding what are they trying to build?

"Obviously, they've built an unbelievable stadium, unbelievable training facilities. But when you look at the expenditure, particularly, you know, their wages structure, they're not a big club. I saw that because when we were trying to sign players, we weren't in the market for those players.

"Not a big club in terms of the wages that they pay. You know, I was looking at Pedro Neto and [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Antoine] Semenyo at the time, Marc Guehi, because I said; 'If we're going to go from fifth to there, that's what other big clubs would do in that moment.'"

West Ham United's away victory over Fulham dragged Spurs to within one point of the relegation zone. Spurs have not been outside the top flight since 1977, when they were relegated to the second division.

Spurs boss Igor Tudor is set to make a significant decision for his side's clash against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Thursday night

Tottenham boss Igor Tudor is set to drop goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario against Crystal Palace as he goes in search of his first Premier League win. The Croatian is instead set to turn to backup option Antonin Kinsky.

Vicario has come under scrutiny as the Lilywhites enter a Premier League relegation battle and one error from a free kick was even highlighted by a Premier League social media account. It has since been taken down after Spurs lodged a complaint.

Meanwhile, Kinsky has not played a minute of competitive football since October. He will now be tasked with guarding the net for a Tottenham side desperate to win after West Ham and Nottingham Forest closed the gap to them to a single point, according to The Sun.

Vicario has played every Premier League minute this term but has conceded two or more goals in each of his last eight games in the division. Kinsky played six times in the top flight last term.

The 22-year-old will come under immediate pressure with Spurs winless since the beginning of December. He has made two appearances in 2025/26 against Doncaster and Newcastle in the Carabao Cup.

Tudor's anticipated decision will take Vicario out of the firing line after criticism of him peaked with the Premier League's mockery. The Italian has made errors with both hands and feet this season before his errant free kick was targeted.

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Spurs felt such criticism or ‘banter’ should not be produced from an official league account. Tudor hit out at the division's initial decision in his press conference.

"I’m sure they are aware of the mistake they made and they will not do in the future," said the Tottenham boss. "Not nice, not nice. Vicario is a fantastic guy, a fantastic player. I spoke with him. He’s OK. It’s part of the job, with the social media.

"For sure it is not good, but we are living in an era of information. Every day, hundreds of new information bombarding these players.

“They need to be strong. They need to accept. For sure when I was a player I lived in a better world from that point of view. You could have your life as normal. Now there are two lives. One here and one in this (picks up phone) which is sometimes not too easy to manage, for them, for the young people they are.

"So they need to be very informed, very aware, to pay attention and try to stay as much as possible in the real world."

Brennan Johnson upset a few folk due to what he did before leaving Tottenham for Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace star Brennan Johnson sparked a mini uproar after breaking a controversial, unwritten rule while playing for Tottenham. The incident occurred while Spurs were in Australia, prior to a post-season friendly against Newcastle in May 2024.

The day before the game, which finished 1-1, Tottenham staged an open training session at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. Thousands of fans attended, looking to catch the squad - then managed by Aussie hero Ange Postecoglou - in action.

After the session, the players and coaching staff did a lap of the ground to acknowledge the spectators. As they did the rounds, an 'Aussie rules' football - known as a Sherrin - was thrown at Johnson, who, after briefly fumbling the catch, picked it up and kindly threw it back into the stands.

But innocent though this back-and-forth might have seemed, Johnson had actually fallen foul of one Australian sport's biggest unwritten rules.

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In the past, football clubs touring Australia have often posed for photos holding the iconic Sherrin football. But Football Australia (the governing body for Australian soccer) have clamped down on the practice because it promotes a rival code of the game.

As such, visiting soccer stars have been effectively banned from interacting with Aussie rules balls - a ban Johnson inadvertently violated.

In 2022, Manchester United star Marcus Rashford posed for a photo with a Sherrin that was posted on the AFL's social media accounts.

Furious Australian football pundit Lucy Zelic called out Football Australia for not preventing what she described as a "f***ing embarrassing" image.

"Can someone tell me what the point of this is?' Zelic fumed on X. "Is Marcus suddenly going to switch codes and sign for an AFL side? Go and pat a koala, meet with proud members of our Indigenous communities and spend time with grassroots FOOTBALL clubs.

"This is just f***ing embarrassing. This is a blatant PR exercise that Marcus was told to do, nothing more. Cross-code promotions are a waste of time. They should be appealing to FOOTBALL fans," she added. "As a code, the AFL and its representatives have done nothing but s*** on football time and time again."

Johnson joined Palace from Tottenham in January for the former's club-record £35million fee. He is yet to score for his new side, but notched his first assist in the Eagles' 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at the weekend.

He'll no doubt be hoping to keep the goal contributions going when Palace travel to Spurs on Thursday night for what will be Johnson's first trip back to his old club.