Published: 23 January, 2016
by KOOS COUVÉE at Selhurst Park

Premier League
CRYSTAL PALACE 1,  SPURS 3

A WONDER-GOAL from 19-year-old Dele Alli paved the way for a hard-fought 3-1 victory for Spurs away to Crystal Palace today.

After a frustrating first-half performance which saw Spurs go behind when sloppy defending led to a Jan Vertonghen own goal, a much-improved side in the second half produced three class goals to clinch an important victory and further cement their place in the top four.

The sides were level at 1-1 in the 84th minute and Palace had just hit the bar twice when Alli flicked the ball up on the edge of the box, then back over his own and the incoming Mile Jedinak’s head before volleying the ball into the bottom corner from 25 yards out.  

It was a piece of pure individual brilliance and the goal Tottenham had been waiting for after Harry Kane’s headed equaliser in the 64th minute.

“It was a wonderful, amazing goal,” Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said afterwards. “Dele showed tremendous quality and he shows that in every game. To do something like this here is fantastic. His potential is fantastic, but he needs to keep working hard.”

It was far from an easy game for Spurs and the team in lilywhite had a few narrow escapes in the second period as Palace hit the bar twice and Tottenham goalie Hugo Lloris produced two top-class saves to keep the sides level at 70 minutes.

In the first half Spurs controlled much of the possession, but failed to genuinely threaten Palace goalie Wayne Hennessey. Spurs left-back Danny Rose came closest but saw his volley saved by the goalkeeper.

Winger Wilfried Zaha was by far the most dangerous man for Palace and caused Rose all sorts of problems. In the 31st minute Spurs failed to clear the ball in the box, Zaha picked it up, skipped past Rose and the resulting cross was worked into his own goal by Jan Vertonghen. Palace remained in front when the referee blew the whistle for half-time.

Spurs knew they needed a very strong second half and they came out well. Palace looked comfortable with Spurs having most of the ball but the deadlock was broken in the 64th minute when Chadli lofted the ball to the back post after Palace failed to clear. Kane out-jumped Delaney and powered past Hennessey to equalise.

After Alli’s goal had sent the travelling fans into a frenzy with his volley, Nacer Chadli, who had come on for Eric Dier, curled in a late third goal in injury time to seal the win.

Pochettino said: “I am very pleased because it was a difficult game, we had less than a week to prepare after Leicester. But I’m very pleased with the performance.”

Following his goal and assist in the 2-0 win in the FA Cup over Leicester in midweek, Son Heung-min was rewarded with a start and Erik Lamela was dropped to the bench. Son was not directly involved in the goals but worked very hard, particularly when Spurs did not have the ball, and remained on the pitch until the end.

Jan Vertonghen, who turned Zaha’s cross into his own net but went on to produce a fine defensive display, went off injured in the second half. The defender was involved in a clash with Eagles striker Connor Wickham and limped off clutching his head and knee.

Pochettino added: “Jan’s feeling not good about his knee but we need to wait. We didn’t speak about it. He’s in a difficult moment. He will stay here for tests tomorrow and wait for the result. We hope it’s not a big problem.”

SPURS:  Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen (Wimmer, 75), Rose, Dier (Chadli, 56), Dembele, Eriksen (Bentaleb, 89), Son, Alli, Kane.
SUBS: Vorm, Bentaleb, Lamela, Chadli, Wimmer, Carroll, Davies.

SPURS COMMENT by Koos Couvée

IN previous years Spurs would probably have lost this game.

The team displays great confidence and boasts the best defensive record in the league. Eriksen had been the one player whose performances had been questioned in recent weeks but he played much better against Sunderland and Leicester in a more central role.

With Palace’s bad run, lack of goals and their winger Yannick Bolasie out injured, everything looked very rosy for Spurs ahead of the game.

But, as any Tottenham fan knows, that is usually when the team is at its most vulnerable. With Spurs more steely under Mauricio Pochettino, coupled with the individual class of the likes of Dele Alli, one does get the sense that, this season, things will genuinely be different.

Today’s result has strengthened that feeling.