Premier League

TOTTENHAM 0
CRYSTAL PALACE 2 (Eze 45, 48)

THIS was the 20th time this season Tottenham have endured a defeat – a new club record.

It is a cold hard statistic that is asking a Europa League medal to do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of saving a season.

No matter what plays out in the Europa League final in two weeks time, with two domestic games to play, Spurs have been beyond poor. And Crystal Palace’s slick side, lead by their wonderful conductor in chief Eberechi Eze, put the north Londoners to shame in every department this afternoon (Sunday).

While Tottenham might trot out the excuse that they have one eye on the final, Palace have a trip to Wembley next Saturday to prepare for. And how Oliver Glasner must be relishing an FA Cup final with players working as hard for the shirt as his charges.

Speaking after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat, Ange Postecoglou lamented his second string side did not manage to offer any standout showings that could give him a selection headache for Bilbao.

If the day had any consolation, it was the news that Dejan Kulusevski’s knee-knock, which saw him hooked after 18 minutes, was not serious.

Postecoglou said some of his benchwarmers who got their starts here might not have been able to motivate themselves sufficiently; a damning confession for a coach to make.

He added: “You’ve got to be ready for your opportunity. If there’s nothing else we’ve learnt this year, it’s that nothing goes to plan. I’m not thinking about the line-up for the final. If there is that attitude in there, it’s the wrong attitude because you’re missing an opportunity.”

Spurs meet Aston Villa on Friday in their last game before heading to Bilbao – and Villa, still chasing a Champions League spot, will be licking their lips at the prospect of facing this soggy outfit.

Postecoglou said: “I think some of it is psychological in terms of not being able to cope with what’s before us. We’re trying to navigate this fine line of being prepared for a really big game but also needing to perform at the levels you need in the Premier League because it’s unforgiving.”

Unforgiving is one way to describe the Spurs performance against a Palace side who are looking forward to their own big day; the FA Cup final versus Manchester City. And how the Eagles deserve a place on a podium.

For all of Tottenham’s failings today, Palace were a joy: solid with their back three, simple in possession, and with a stand out match-winner in Eze. Daniel Levy, peering down from the directors box, must have noted how well Glasner has forged an exciting Palace side from low-cost signings.

Nowhere was Palace’s joyful approach more obvious than in the work of Daniel Munoz on the right. As early as the eighth-minute, Spurs were caught napping: Ben Davies out muscled on the long punt forward and Munoz skipped wide. His cross was tapped home from close range by Ismaila Sarr. The referee pulled the game back, judging the Palace midfielder to have been offside when the attack broke the lines. It was the first of three VAR checks on goals scored by the visitors in the opening 45.

The idea of wrapping everyone in cotton wool must be appealing to the Tottenham bench. The last thing Postecoglou wants are more niggles to deal with – a season of physical trouble has been his go to excuse for a woeful campaign.

He must have been readying for another post-match lament when Kulusevski did not get up after attempting to gather possession on the left and was met aggressively but fairly by Marc Guehi. The Spurs attacker was clobbered theatrically and with the Swede earmarked for the injured James Maddison creator role, Postecoglou was worried.

Afterwards the prognosis was Kulusevski should recover in time. Perhaps he limped off aware of what was going to follow.

On 25 minutes, Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who had already been far busier than Dean Henderson in the opposing goal, saved from close range following a piece of Eze opportunism. Kinsky had previously scrambled to stop a Jean-Philippe Mateta effort that he needed two bites at to block and smother. It was just one of a number of saves Kinsky was forced into.

On 29, scrappy midfield work allowed Munoz the freedom of the pitch to stride into the box on the left: he opted to play one more pass instead of shooting – and the linesman got his flag up quickly as Eze shaped to finish.

Spurs found it hard to get a foot on the ball. Kulusevski’s bustle and strength was missed. His replacement was Mathys Tel, who spent the afternoon chasing long balls over the top he was never going to get to. In the midfield, the axis of Archie Gray, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr looked a poor fit. It was unclear who was holding, who was making the runs from deep, and who was the conjuror. Instead, all three failed at doing any role coherently.

Tottenham had already survived two VAR decisions when a third found Munoz was onside as he broke down the left and crossed for Eze to sweep home in the final play of the opening 45. It was all Palace deserved having conjured up 13 first-half efforts to Tottenham’s measly one.

It took Eze two minutes of the second half to double the lead – and what a lovely goal it was. He got the ball central and turned on the pace and power to buy the space he needed to thread an inch-perfect ball forwards. Eze bustled in for the return – an instantly hit side foot into the bottom corner.

Spurs failed to create anything of any note in response, the returning Heung-Min Son raising the fans’ interest a little but not the game’s quality.

The last time Tottenham lost this number of games in a season was in 1912. No matter if Postecoglou adds the club’s third UEFA Cup to their trophy room, no one wants to endure another campaign like this one, and that can surely only mean one thing for the under pressure manager.

Glasner in the opposition dug out might well be an option – an appointment that one could wish would include bringing along Eze, a simply wonderful footballer who would stroll into the Spurs first XI.

Tottenham: Kinsky, Spence, Davies, Danso, Porro (Son, 58), Sarr, Bentancur (Bissouma, 45), Gray, Tel, Kulusevski (Moore, 19), Odobert
Substitutes not used: Vicario, Richarlison, Romero, Solanke, Johnson, van de Ven

Crystal Palace: Henderson, Mitchell (Chilwell, 60), Lacroix, Guehi, Richards, Lerma (Kamada, 61), Hughes (Devenny, 87), Munoz, Sarr (Esse, 77), Eze, Mateta (Nketiah, 60)
Substitutes not used: Turner, Franca, Clyne, Kporha