Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace: Gray and Van Hecke sink 10-man Palace after Mateta red
Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace: Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke headed in after Jean-Philippe Mateta's 13th-minute red card as Spurs won three league games in a row.
Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace was decided early, as Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 13th-minute red card left the visitors chasing shadows and Roberto De Zerbi’s side cruised to a third straight Premier League win.
Main image: DSN graphic.
Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke both headed in from corners. It is the first time Spurs have won three league games in a row since February 2025, a run that started with the 3-1 home win over Coventry and continued with last weekend’s 2-0 success at Chelsea.
As our Tottenham v Crystal Palace preview noted, Palace had won three of the previous four meetings. This time they barely laid a glove on the hosts.
Mateta red turns Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace
Mateta, rested in midweek specifically to lead the line here, lasted less than a quarter of an hour. His studs-up challenge on Micky van de Ven was first shown a yellow, but VAR sent referee Michael Oliver to the monitor and the card was upgraded to red.
Spurs took control from there. Gray, booked three minutes after the dismissal, rose at the far post to head Mohammed Kudus’s corner into the bottom corner on 25 minutes. By half-time the hosts had enjoyed 78 per cent of the ball and eight shots to Palace’s one.
Palace stayed in touch until midway through the second half, but with 17 minutes left Van Hecke settled it, forcing the ball over the line from close range after another set piece. De Zerbi also handed a league debut to Luca Williams-Barnett off the bench late on.
| Key numbers | Tottenham | Crystal Palace |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | Gray 25′, Van Hecke 73′ | – |
| Red cards | 0 | 1 (Mateta 13′) |
| Yellow cards | Gray 16′ | Mingueza 53′ |
| Half-time possession | 78% | 22% |
| Half-time shots | 8 | 1 |
Spurs climb, Sage under pressure
Spurs went six league games without a win at the start of the season. They now have 12 points from nine matches and climbed to eighth, at least until the rest of the round is played.
For Pierre Sage, it is a third successive league defeat after losses to Brighton and Newcastle. Palace started the day 17th on seven points, and Sky Sports reported that the result dropped them into the relegation zone. The scrutiny on the Frenchman will only grow.
Mateta’s early exit sums up a difficult spell for Palace’s record Premier League scorer. Our sister site DGBN has previously looked at Mateta’s contract claim and the transfer decision it left Palace facing.
Elsewhere in the Premier League
It was a big day lower down the table and at the top. Brighton won 1-0 at the Etihad, a game our Man City v Brighton preview built up, and Aston Villa host Fulham tonight. Our Aston Villa v Fulham preview has the team news.
