Football London

Tottenham slipped to a 20th Premier League defeat of the season on Sunday, losing 2-0 to Crystal Palace.

It was Spurs' ninth home defeat of the campaign and now means they have lost more matches in a season than any other Tottenham team in Premier League history.

They are guaranteed to finish with their lowest ever points tally - no matter what happens in their final two games against Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion and could yet finish just one place above the relegation zone.

It has been an atrocious Premier League campaign and had the bottom three not been so far adrift, things could have got really uncomfortable for Spurs.

As it is, they have been able to concentrate on the Europa League in the last few weeks and that has been evident in their team selections.

Centre-back duo Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have not been used in Premier League matches, being saved instead for Europa League outings. Destiny Udogie, Pedro Porro, Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke have all had times sat on the bench in the Premier League as Ange Postecoglou has rotated his squad.

He did so against Palace, making eight changes from the side that beat Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-final second leg on Thursday. And two Ebere Eze goals sent Spurs to another defeat in which the home side only managed one shot on target.

It sent the 60,000 or so paying fans home unhappy once again. But there is a Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao to look forward to. And all focus is on that.

Postecoglou said as much in his rousing dressing room speech in Norway on Thursday.

In amongst his emotional speech, the Australian said: "Now we have just under two weeks to prepare. Every day is important. Every day, every training session, every game we have between now and then is about getting ready for that big game."

Between that Bodo/Glimt clash and the United final are two Premier League matches. One on Sunday which turned out to be a defeat to Palace and one on Friday against Aston Villa.

Postecoglou's speech all but wrote off those two matches, admitting the focus was on the Bilbao contest. So we should not be shocked by what happened in N17 on Sunday.

However, 60,000 people did not get free tickets, they had to pay their way at one of the most expensive clubs in the Premier League and they deserve so much better.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has plunge his future in doubt ahead of their Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur. While Spurs were toiling to a 2-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace, the Reds suffered disappointment by a similar scoreline against fellow strugglers West Ham United.

The Portuguese tactician confessed that he may consider leaving his position in the Old Trafford hotseat, if they fail to heed their struggles. Amorim admitted that the struggles are his own fault after struggling to stop the rot and inspire a turnaround following his introduction as Erik ten Hag's successor.

At one stage on Sunday, United sat one place above the relegation zone but Eberechi Eze's double downed Spurs and left them outside the bottom four.

Both United and Spurs will compete in the Europa League final in Bilbao with the winner securing their place in next season's Champions League.

"It's not the players' fault," Amorim admitted. "It's my fault, I'm responsible.

"If we cannot change that really fast, we should give our place to different persons." "I feel how a manager of Manchester United is supposed to feel in that position - embarrassed," he added.

"It’s hard to accept. We need to be more aggressive, and we need to feel that it is the end of the world when we are not winning a game.

"Especially when we are not winning. "So it's a big problem that we have here at the club.

"It's a decisive moment in the history of the club. "We need to address that. It's a big problem because it's mentally.

"We are not scared of losing a game as Manchester United. "We don't have that fear anymore and that is the most dangerous thing that a big club can have."

Postecoglou, meanwhile, gave his verdict on Spurs' defeat to Palace and his decision to ring the changes from the win at Bodo/Glimt on Thursday.

"Guys had an opportunity today to put their name forward and put some pressure on the guys who played the other night," he said. "Fair to say there wasn't any compelling evidence of that.

"That's what I'm trying to push with these guys, that sometimes in football you've just got to take the opportunities there before you. They're never going to be perfect.

"We made eight changes but there is an opportunity there and you've just got to take it when presented to you and I'm disappointed more didn't step forward today."

Tottenham were handed a major injury scare on Sunday ahead of their huge Europa League final with Manchester United in a week and a half.

Already going to be without one of their most creative players in James Maddison, with the England man ruled out for the rest of the season after picking up a knee injury in the first leg of the semi-final with Bodo/Glimt, Spurs could do without losing another player who can slot into that No.10 role.

But that may well be the case after Dejan Kulusevski limped off midway through the first half of the Premier League clash with Crystal Palace with what also looked to be a knee injury.

Tottenham supporters will be hoping the injury to Kulusevski is not serious, with the clash against Manchester United in Bilbao just ten days away.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou delivered an immediate update on the Swede during his post-match press conference at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

He said: "He should be ok. Just talking to him after. The medical team are not too concerned about him. It was just a knock."

the news will come as a huge relief to Postecoglou, who has suffered with horrendous luck with injuries throughout the entire season.

Spurs lost the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 2-0, with both goals coming from Eberechi Eze. Tottenham managed just one shot on target all game.

Ange Postecoglou is speaking to reporters after Tottenham's 2-0 defeat against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon which made it a record 20 losses in a Premier League season.

The game was less than 15 minutes old when Spurs lost Dejan Kulusevski to a concerning looking injury and the visitors had an early effort by Ismaila Sarr ruled out for Jean-Philippe Mateta being fractionally offside that was spotted by VAR. They had another effort taken off for a Marc Guehi handball before finally taking the lead just before the break when Daniel Munoz beat the offside trap and raced towards the box and squared for Eberechi Eze to tap home.

The England international doubled his tally early in the second half when Sarr got into acres of space behind Spence and eventually picked out Eze to fire home in the box.

Both sides cancelled each other out for the remainder of the encounter with the best opportunity falling to Pape Matar Sarr, who headed wide unmarked, before Antonin Kinksy denied Eddie Nketiah late on.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Postecoglou after the game. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur made it a record 20 defeats in the Premier League as they went down 2-0 to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon and here are our Spurs player ratings.

Spurs came into the game having taken their place in the Europa League final on May 21 in Bilbao where they will face Manchester United in an all-English final. First up though they took on Palace, ahead of their own FA Cup final against Manchester City on Saturday.

Postecoglou made eight changes to his team with only Dejan Kulusevski, Pedro Porro and Rodrigo Bentancur remaining from the team that started against Bodo/Glimt, with the latter captaining the side for the first time in the Premier League. Among the incoming players was Antonin Kinsky in goal and skipper Son Heung-min was back on the bench looking to get sharp again in time for that final against United.

Spurs lost Kulusevski to a concerning looking injury just 15 minutes in and Palace had an early effort by Ismaila Sarr ruled out for Jean-Philippe Mateta being fractionally offside that was spotted by VAR.

They had another effort ruled out for handball before finally taking the lead just before the break when Daniel Munoz beat the offside trap and raced towards the box and squared for Eberechi Eze to tap home.

The England international doubled his tally early in the second half when Sarr got into acres of space behind Spence and eventually picked out Eze to fire home in the box.

Both sides huffed and puffed for the remainder of the game with the best chance falling to Pape Matar Sarr, who headed wide unmarked, before Kinksy denied Eddie Nketiah late on.

Here are our Spurs player ratings from the defeat that leaves Spurs 17th in the table:

Antonin Kinsky

Came out to deny Sarr early on but had an iffy moment when he spilled a shot and it hit his foot on the line and he had to quickly regather the ball. Did save well from Mateta's close range shot 25 minutes in. Couldn't do much about Eze's strike late in the half and couldn't really see his second. Made a couple of saves from Mateta and Danso soon after. A mixed bag from the keeper who made a good late save from Nketiah during a one-vs-one. 6

Pedro Porro

Played Munoz onside for the goal before the break and sent a free-kick just over late on in the first half. Picked out Sarr with a great cross before the hour mark that should have brought a goal. 6

Kevin Danso

Got caught out of position a couple of times early on. Looked shaky in the backline at times and hasn't found that early form when he arrived again yet. 4

Ben Davies

Made some good covering challenges in the first half as he had to come across for the wandering Spence and Danso. Took a big hit in the build-up to the Eze goal. Made a few important interceptions in the second half and was one of the few to come out with some credit from the game. 6

Djed Spence

All over the place in the first half, either caught in possession or out of position and Palace repeatedly took full advantage. Just seems to have fallen out of his groove since Udogie returned. 3

Archie Gray

Off the pace in the opening 45 minutes. Switched to right-back before the hour mark. Never really found his rhythm though. 4

Rodrigo Bentancur

Captain for the first time in a Premier League game. Probably one of Spurs' better players in the first half which isn't saying much. Came off at the break in what looked to be a pre-planned move. 6

Pape Matar Sarr

Won possession back for an early Kulusevski chance and had a big opportunity to head home in the second from Porro's cross but managed to send it wide. Needs to be stronger sometimes. 4

Wilson Odobert

Barely touched the ball in the first half. Had a couple of openings to create in the second period when he switched to the number 10 role but he was mostly far too quiet. 4

Dejan Kulusevski

Up front as the central forward. Had a shot blocked early on but then took a worrying hit from a Guehi tackle which forced him off within 15 minutes. 5

Mathys Tel

Battled away, first on the left and then up top when Kulusevski went off. One of the few really trying to make things happen and set up Son for a chance late on. 6

Subs

Mikey Moore

Played on the left in the first half and then switched to the right. Had more openings on the latter side and tried to create openings but it was a tough day. 5

Yves Bissouma

Shared the midfield duties with Bentancur and always seemed to be chasing the game. 5

Son Heung-min

Tottenham do not have much to play for in the Premier League and it showed on Sunday.

In their penultimate home game of a dreadful season domestically, Ange Postecoglou made eight changes from the team that beat Bodo/Glimt on Thursday to reach the final of the Europa League - laying out his intentions clearly.

And the second string, as they have done in recent weeks, could not find anything resembling a good performance as they lost 2-0 to Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It was Spurs' 20th defeat of the season and shockingly their ninth at home in the Premier League. All eyes are on the Europa League final and it looks increasingly likely that Tottenham will end the Premier League campaign just one place above the relegation zone.

They are 17th currently, with just two games to play.

While the focus is on that Wednesday night in Bilbao against Manchester United, attention will soon also turn to the summer transfer window and the work that needs to be done to improve the squad.

Whether it will be Ange Postecoglou's squad to deal with or not is another question, with plenty of speculation around the Australian's future at the club, even were they to win in Bilbao.

They got an opportunity to see one player they have been linked with on more than one occasion up close and personal on Sunday and they will have both liked and disliked what they saw.

Ebere Eze ran the show for Crystal Palace, sending Spurs to that 20th defeat almost single-handedly. And while Spurs will have disliked the fact that he gave them a footballing lesson, it also showed the hierarchy in N17 what he can do, should they plan on making a move this summer.

Eze scored just before half-time to give the Eagles the lead, slotting home past Antonin Kinsky after good work down the right by Daniel Munoz.

Then, after the break, Ismaila Sarr rolled the ball back for him just inside the area and he smashed in. They were his 11th and 12th goals of the campaign in all competitions, while he also has 11 assists to his name.

It was not just the goals either. Eze, alongside partner in crime Sarr, dictated the play in the middle of the park. He did not give the Tottenham defence a moment's piece and everything came through him.

At 26 he is the perfect profile of a player in his prime, with ample time on his side. And it could be the perfect window to sign him, with him having two years left on his current Eagles contract - it will be the last occasion you would think that Palace could get big money for him.

Tottenham need more guile in their midfield and Eze would give them that. There was a chance to buy him last summer, but Palace did not want to lose both him and Michael Olise, who would make a big-money move to Bayern Munich. Now may well be the perfect time.

Manchester United have been handed a huge injury blow ahead of their Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur on May 21.

The blow came early at the start of the second half for United against West Ham with key centre-back Leny Yoro going down injured and holding his left foot. The Frenchman was unable to continue, heading straight down the tunnel at old Trafford with Ruben Amorim's men 1-0 down.

Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham will face Amorim's United in the Europa League final on Wednesday, May 21 (8pm kick-off) in Bilbao. Victory in Spain will seal a lucrative place in next season's Champions League for the winner.

Spurs won 2-0 at Bodo/Glimt in their semi-final second leg tie after a 3-1 victory in the first leg to put them on the cusp of a first major trophy win since the 2008 League Cup. At the same time, United saw off Athletic Bilbao 4-1 at Old Trafford in their second leg fixture, 7-1 on aggregate, and will be seeking their second Europa League trophy win after emerging victorious in 2017 under Jose Mourinho.

But when it was pointed out to Postecoglou that United have acknowledged winning the Europa League would not save a disappointing season overall, the former Celtic boss could not hide his anger. "Why do I care what Man Utd think?!" he said in his post-match press conference on Thursday.

"Why is that relevant to me? OK, so ask the Man United manager why he says that. I've said all along that this is important."

On the final, he said: "It's going to upset a lot of people isn't it! The debate's now raging, the latest one is that neither of us will be able to get a trophy if we win, they're just going to take a team photo because we're not worthy.

"I mean, who cares if we're struggling in the league? Why is that important? If it's so easy to get to a final, then why doesn't everyone who finishes in the top three do it? It's a separate thing. It's got nothing to do with league form.

"We understand our league form hasn't been great. We understand the struggles we've had. A lot of them are because of the situation we've been in. But how does that diminish the achievement of getting to a final?

"Like I said, this club and others have finished in first, second or third in the Premier League, and haven't made finals. Why should that be diminished? I couldn't care less who's struggling and who's not.

"I think both us and Manchester United have earned the right to be there. I think we've probably beaten teams who will be in the Champions League next year, on our road to getting there. So looking forward to it, should be a great game."

The Premier League have confirmed that Crystal Palace's eighth-minute strike against Tottenham Hotspur was ruled out because of an offside by Jean Philippe Mateta in the build-up.

However, Eberechi Eze would find the net in first-half injury time and that effort would survive the same checks.

Spurs arrived into the meeting against London rivals the Eagles in good spirits having secured passage to the Europa League final just days ago.

With minds perhaps on that fixture later this month, it was Oliver Glasner's side who got off to the faster start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and they thought they had gained the lead through Ismaila Sarr.

However, after on-field referee Chris Kavanagh had signalled for a goal, his VAR Graham Scott found that Mateta had strayed beyond the last man in the build-up play.

A statement on the Premier League's Match Centre account on X read: "VAR checked the referee's call of goal – and established that Mateta was in an offside position in the build-up and recommended that the goal was disallowed."

The process was able to be completed quickly using the newly-introduced semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), and a visual was provided for greater clarity:

With the scoreline goalless heading towards the 45th minute, Eze was eventually able to put the ball in the back of the net for Palace again.

Kavanagh gave the all clear and this time Scott did too, with the resulting second statement confirming that right-back Daniel Munoz, who assisted his teammate, did not stray offside as Mateta had done previously.

The Match Centre clarified: "The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with Munoz in an onside position in the build-up."

Therefore Ange Postecoglou's side went in one-goal down at the break, further disappointed because of Daniel Kulusevski's injury that forced his 19th-minute substitution.

And they would be further behind after half time through Eze again, scoring three minutes after the interval.

Dejan Kulusevski was forced off in the early stages of Tottenham's Premier League clash against Crystal Palace in what is a huge worry for Ange Postecoglou.

The Swedish international took a big hit just 15 minutes into the game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, potentially to his knee. He tried to run it off but wasn't comfortable.

Kulusevski was taken off by Postecoglou and went straight down the tunnel, with Mikey Moore coming on in his place.

Postecoglou will hope it is not a significant injury for Kulusevski, with Spurs facing Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday, May 21. Spurs face Ruben Amorim's side in Bilbao after progressing past Bodo/Glimt in midweek.

In what has been a poor season, Kulusevski has impressed in periods throughout the 2024/25 campaign. The 25-year-old has 10 goals and 11 assists in 50 appearances this term.

Postecoglou even praised the Swede earlier this week after recent injuries to James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall. "Certainly it's good to have Deki available because with Lucas and Madders, [who are] different players obviously, but very creative, going down in the same week," the Spurs boss said.

"It's great that Deki's back. He obviously missed a lot of football and it always takes a while to get his rhythm and I feel like he's been getting stronger with every game.

"Against West Ham you could see he was starting to get his rhythm again. Irrespective of where he's at, he's going to work his socks off for the team. He's got an unbelievable engine, he doesn't stop running and he'll be important for us."

Tottenham face their biggest game of the last six years on Wednesday, May 21 when they take on Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Goals from Pedro Porro and Dominic Solanke out in Norway sealed an impressive 5-1 aggregate victory for Ange Postecoglou's side over Bodo/Glimt. United meanwhile, beat Athletic Club 4-1 at Old Trafford earlier this week having won the first leg 3-0 inside San Mames Stadium, which will host the final.

Though the Lilywhites have beaten United on three separate occasions this season, it could be argued the advantage is with United given the two clubs' differing injury fortunes.

Postecoglou has lost both James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall to big injuries while club captain Son Heung-min is currently missing with a foot issue, though he is expected to be back available by the time the showpiece clash arrives.

As for United, head coach Ruben Amorim has rested Bruno Fernandes in recent weeks all while Amad has gradually been increasing his minutes since returning from a long-term ankle injury. Joshua Zirkzee and Diogo Dalot are also pushing tirelessly to get back fit.

While a number of players are set to miss out because of muscular issues, no one will be absent through suspension due to an accumulation of yellow cards. UEFA rules state that all bookings from the tournament are wiped at the start of the semi-finals with a yellow in each leg not resulting in a ban for the final.

Being sent off in the second leg would be the only way to miss the game due to suspension and as such, Cristian Romero, Brennan Johnson and Guglielmo Vicario, who were all booked across the tie, will be available.

As for United, Noussair Mazraoui, Casemiro, Mason Mount, Patrick Dorgu, Leny Yoro, Alejandro Garnacho were all cautioned but will not serve any ban.

In other suspension news, Aston Villa will be without Jacob Ramsey for their Premier League clash against Tottenham, moved forward to the Friday, after he was sent off against Bournemouth. The 23-year-old was shown two yellow cards in the 1-0 win and thus will be banned for the visit of Postecoglou and his players to Villa Park.

Ramsey has hurt Spurs on many occasions and as an expert in transition, not having him available is a blow for Villa but a clear boost for what will likely be a hugely-rotated Spurs side.

However, Postecoglou has hinted some key stars will feature as he does not want a lack of match practice to impact his squad with 13 days between the second leg win over Bodo/Glimt and the final against United.

Speaking of Amorim's side, Villa face them at Old Trafford on the final day with Ramsey back available for that game.

Regardless of what happens in the final, Unai Emery could face a hugely rotated United team with that also potentially being the case the previous week against Spurs.