Spurs deserved their third win in three games and one week. Lloris was solid throughout and his second-half save from Sako, as well as from Campbell, highlight was a quality keeper he is. Elsewhere Alderweireld was strong and impressive, as was Vertonghen but Son was the man of the match. With Kane still firing blanks going forward, the South Korean looked liked the only player who would score for his side and so it proved. Finally, the home fans will be delighted to have Eriksen back and making an immediate impact. That’s all from me today. Thanks for your emails and other forms of correspondence. Enjoy your Sunday.
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Full-time: Tottenham 1-0 Crystal Palace
That is your lot.
90 + 3 mins Mutch gets the ball out on the wing. He swings it in. Who is there to clear up the danger for Spurs? Lloris, of course.
90 + 2 mins Think it would be harsh on Spurs if they did not get three points from this. They have the better side for a serious slice of this match.
90 mins Corner to Palace. Is this going to be it? No! Lloris punches it clear. However, there will be four more minutes for Palace to try their luck.
88 mins More brilliant stuff from Lloris. Bamford poked the ball across the box and into the zone of danger. Campbell was speeding in to slam it home but Lloris sped of his line and whacked it clear. The Frenchman hasn’t had much to do today but what he has done has been great.
87 mins Carroll replaces Lamela, who has actually been very decent today. Let’s see if he can repeat that performance before we all start building statues to him though.
86 mins In the Spurs half, Bamford wins a long ball that was punted forward McCarthy. It is worked to Mutch, wide on the left. He sends it into the box but Alderweireld knows what to do with it.
84 mins The final roll of the dice by Pardew. On comes Bamford for Sako.
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82 mins A weaving run from Bolasie – one of the few Palace players to perform properly this afternoon – ends with his side winning a corner. Cabaye sends it over but he makes it far too easy for Lloris to come and catch it.
80 mins Spurs get another free, near where Eriksen booted one over from a few minutes ago. Kane has a go this time. He finds the Palace wall.
79 mins Some subs to tell you about. McArthur is off for Mutch and Son is off for Clinton.
76 mins Lamela comes from behind and takes out Cabaye. It is clearly a foul and clearly a yellow card so it is baffling to see him argue against it all when he is booked. Anyway, the free is a decent way out so Puncheon tries to chip one in. Spurs have no trouble dealing with it and a swift counter finds Eriksen with the ball. A stylish pass finds Alli and he marauds into the box. He shoots but his effort misses by this much.
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74 mins Delaney gives away a free-kick about 30 yards out. Eriksen will take. Eriksen will boot it over the stand and into the car park.
"Get up," shouts Pardew as #cpfc sit deep. Spurs not being pressed enough now.
— Richard Cawley (@RichCawleySLP) September 20, 2015
72 mins Time for Bamford?
This all started with a Lamela. He got the ball just outside his box, looked up and found the feet of Eriksen. He, in turn, looked up and found the run on the left of Son. Once the ball was at the feet of the South Korean international, he ran at goal. There were two Palace defenders near him but not hear enough and he was allowed to enter into the box. Once there he unleashed his shot and watched it squirm under McCarthy and into the net. He deserved that.
GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Crystal Palace (Son, 68 mins)
He got two during the week and he has another one now.
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66 mins Off goes Chadli, on comes Eriksen. He gets a rather loud roar when he enters the arena.
65 mins Palace attack down the left, before the ball is swept across the box and into the feet of Sako, on the right. He absolutely smashes a half-volley in Lloris’ direction but Lloris pulls off a sumptuous save for Spurs.
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64 mins Good news Spurs fans.
Christian Eriksen preparing to come on for Spurs
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) September 20, 2015
62 mins Walker gets the ball and gets running. Bolasie comes across and chops him down. The Palace man does not argue when the referee whips out a yellow one.
60 mins ... Spurs have the ball in the net thanks to a header from Davies. White Hart Lane is about to explode with delirium but the linesman spoils the party by lifting his flag and indicating there was an offside.
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58 mins Spurs attack. Alli is hauled down outside the box but Michael Oliver says ‘you must be joking’ (or something to that effect) when he asks for a free-kick. Spurs continue to attack, this time via Son, but he tries too many tricks and eventually finds himself in a cul-de-sac. But the attacking is done just yet because ...
56 mins The camera pans to Eriksen, who seems content to be sitting in the sun, working on his tan. Spurs (and Kane) could really do with him right about now. There is a real lack of invention in the team.
54 mins Well, well. More interesting stuff going on. On the edge of the box, McArthur tries to knick the ball from Alli but instead knicks the player. Lamela and his left foot step up to take the resulting free-kick. He curls it to the top corner but McCarthy is equal to it. Corner to Spurs. Another corner to Spurs. Alderweireld gets his head on this one but Palace hoof it clear.
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52 mins Now there is. Alderweireld hits a long and lovely ball to the right corner flag, from which Spurs win a throw. This would’ve been a good basis from which to attack but Son mis-controls his pass and nothing comes of it.
50 mins There is nothing of note happening. Nothing. Nada. Niente.
48 mins Son sprints and attacks and finds Chadli. The South Korean then overlaps his team-mate but Chadli cannot return the ball. Son has been Spurs best player so far.
46 mins One half-time sub to tell you about. The ineffective (and possibly sick) Zaha is replaced by Campbell. Back in the game, we have some action already. Son chased down a ball back to McCarthy and the keeper slammed his clearance right into the Spurs player. It could’ve gone anywhere but it went out for a goalkick.
45 mins And it is back we are. Worried about the lack of goals? Don’t sweat it!
11 - 11 of the 14 goals scored in Premier League games involving Crystal Palace this season have come after half-time (79%). Patience.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 20, 2015
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Half-time: Tottenham 0-0 Crystal Palace
That’s your lot for now. By the way, in the aftermath of that Cabaye effort, Son tried to break but Kelly took him down, thus receiving the game’s first yellow card.
11 - Tottenham Hotspur have now failed to score in the first half of their last 11 league games against Crystal Palace. Expected.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 20, 2015
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44 mins And now it is Palace’s turn to go close. Walker gave the ball away near the corner flag on the right. The away side worked and passed the ball to the opposite side and, despite Dier putting in a crunching tackle on the edge of the box, eventually found Cabaye at a tight angle but in some amount of space. He chopped a shot goalwards and beat Lloris but could not beat the inside of the post.
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42 mins Palace have really improved over the last few minutes but it is Spurs with the latest effort on goal. Chadli is found out wide. He skips past Kelly (I think) and sends the ball over, forcing McCarthy to tip it away for a corner. That comes to nowt.
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40 mins Another free to Palace, this time on the left, near the corner of the Spurs 18-yard area. Cabaye stands over and fires it in. Spurs deal with it.
39 mins Davies gives away a silly one (on Bolasie) in a serious position, in between the D and right-hand corner of the box. Sako takes and curls one to the top corner. Lloris is forced into a smart save and Palace do nothing with the resulting corner.
37 mins This is interesting. Frazier Campbell is getting instructions from Pardew on the sidelines. Is he about to come on?
35 mins Down the other end, Palace get their attack on. Puncheon curls a wonderful ball from a long way out into the stride of Bolasie. However, Bolasie’s touch is heavy and he is forced to break stride and go back before cutting inside and aiming one at the Spurs goal. Lloris saves easily enough.
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33 mins That is not the first time that McCarthy has pushed a save into a dangerous territory. Palace fans should be worried about that.
31 mins Alli, who has been quiet enough for this match, stings the palms of McCarthy with an effort from outside the box, after Chadli was given too much room to set him up. McCarthy pushes the save to his left and into the feet of Kane. He threads a shot/cross across the face of goal but no Spurs player can get on the end of it.
29 mins Vertonghen intercepts a loose Palace pass on the half-way line and jaunts up field as if he were Beckenbauer. Caught in the corner, he sends the ball back and it comes across to the foot of Davies. He finds row z with ease.
27 mins Whoever invented the man bun needs a serious telling-off. Meanwhile, back in the game, Chadli sets up Son for a shot from the edge of the box. A Palace body deflects it over the bar for a corner. Lamela swings it in but McCarthy comes and collects with ease.
25 mins Bolasie shoves Dier off the ball in the Spurs half, engineers himself some space, beats a man or two and shoots at goal. It is directed wide for a corner. Cabaye takes and aims for Delaney’s noggin but Alderweireld gets there before the defender can do any danger.
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23 mins Chadli’s man bun. Discuss.
21 mins Some neat passing around the Spurs box ends with Vertonghen cutting out a cross-the-box pass and giving away a corner. Puncheon takes it and finds Souaré. He nods it down to Hangeland and the defender wraps his foot around the ball, directing it goalward from a few yards out. Lloris saves it easily enough.
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19 mins Free to Palace, wide on the right after a foul on Zaha. Palace have scored a serious amount of goals from set-pieces since Pardew took over (more than than any other side in the Premier League, in fact) but not this time. Puncheon sends it over but Sako cannot get his head on it properly.
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17 mins Speaking of Lamela. He just got the ball at his feet about 25 yards out from the Palace goal. He turned smartly and whipped one in the direction of McCarthy’s goal. The keeper was forced into a smart save.
15 mins “One Pochettino’s weaknesses is his inability to see how inept Erik Lamela is,” reckons Wilson Beuys. “He appears to be taken in by the fact that Lamela works really hard to win the ball back when Spurs don’t have possession — overlooking the fact that it’s usually Lamela who’s given it away in the first place. Lamela appears to have developed his own personal version of the no-look pass — except, instead of looking one way to fool opponents and passing it another, he simply passes without looking at the opponent who’s standing right where he passes it.” I was surprised that Spurs didn’t send Lamela on a round-the-world cruise on a ship named Do One during the summer. He’s just not very good or very consistent.
13 mins Delaney is down and holding his ankle. Delaney is up and no longer holding his ankle (though he is hobbling a bit). Pardew will not want to see him exit the field of play.
12 mins Corner to Spurs after more good work from Son, inches outside the Palace box. Lamela takes it and everyone misses it except Souaré, who lamps it to safety.
11 mins Kelly is adjudged to have fouled Kane in a dangerous position, wide on the left, not so far from the corner of the Palace box. Lamela takes the free and swings it towards the far post and the head of Kane. Kane rises but so too does Delaney and it is the defender who comes out on the winning side of the challenge. Delaney has been good so far.
9 mins Palace are finding it hard to get out of their half at the moment and even when they do, their passing has been letting them down. This is a decent start from Spurs.
7 mins Kane wins a throw in, deep inside the Palace half on the right-hand side. The England striker gets the ball back from the throw but Delaney robs him of it. Moments later, Kane finds himself wide on the right once again. There are a couple of Spurs players in the box and this could be dangerous except Kane’s cross only finds a Palace shirt.
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5 mins Dier plays a long, cross-field ball for Chadli but Kelly deals with the danger, earnign his side a throw. From that Palace take possession and try their luck down the left but Walker is alert and ensures they go no where.
3 mins Spurs get an early throw, just inside their own half, on the right but instead of attacking, they send the back to Lloris. He lumps it forward and Spurs put some pressure on the Palace box. The away side deal with that and send the ball scuttling back to Lloris. Back come Spurs and a Son shot from just outside the box is deflected out for a corner. Can they do something with this? Eh, no. Lamela takes it and finds Kane but he heads one over the bar.
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1 min Off we go then. The home side do the kick off thing and are playing right to left. “Come on you Spurs,” holler the fans, who are in fine voice this afternoon.
Right so, let’s get going. The players emerge from the darkness of the White Hart Lane tunnel and into the splendid north London sunshine. The crowd are given a clap, hands are run through hair and handshakes are offered and accepted. Tottenham are in their traditional snow white – adorned as it is with that lovely South America style sash – and Crystal Palace are in their traditional red and blue stripes.
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“Doesn’t Pochettino realise that he’s trapped in a Sisyphean woe-loop in which his strategy of resting players for the European competition will improve his premiership performance and then get him back into the Euro competition he loathes,” classic-references Ben Bennett. “I suppose he does look like a man who is only happy when it rains.” That is a good point. Has anyone ever seen Pochettino smile?
We’ve all been there. (Except mine was Packie Bonner.)
Another, shorter, look at the reaction of two Junior Spurs after @hkane28 stopped to give them his autograp... https://t.co/VtBv7O83BL
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 20, 2015
And while we are asking questions of you. Who is going to win the All-Ireland final today? Dublin or Kerry?
Here is one for ya. Given that Spurs have finished in the top six for the past six seasons and with the the exception of 2007-08 (the season they won the Rumbelows Cup and were forced to replace Martin Jol with Juande Ramos), haven’t ended up in the bottom half of the table since 2003-04, what do you think Pardew was playing at here? Straight up trolling? Or wha’?
AP: Spurs have some outstanding players. I'm a big fan of Kane, Chadli and Eriksen. They will definitely finish in the top ten.
— Crystal Palace FC (@CPFC) September 18, 2015
Team news
So, as expected, Eriksen does not start for Spurs but he is on the bench and that is sure to melt the heart of even the hardest Tottenham fan. He may not be playing but Alli – who really was wonderful during the week – is, though as pointed out in the preamble, three games in one week might be a touch too much for the 19-year old. Elsewhere in the Spurs side, the eternally frustrating Lamela comes in for Mason, who picked up an injury while picking up points for his side last week, and will line up in as part of trio that will play behind Kane. As for Crystal Palace, there is one change from the side that faced and lost to Manchester City and that is Delaney coming in for Dann. Those teams in full then are as follows:
Tottenham: Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Alli; Lamela, Son, Chadli; Kane. Subs: Vorm, Fazio, Trippier, Carroll, Clinton, Eriksen, Townsend.
Crystal Palace: McCarthy; Kelly, Hangeland, Delaney, Souaré; McArthur, Cabaye; Zaha, Puncheon, Sako; Bolasie. Subs: Hennessey, Mariappa, Ledley, Mutch, Lee, Campbell, Bamford.
Referee: Michael Oliver
24y 118d - Spurs' starting XI today has the youngest average age of any team in a @premierleague game so far in 2015.16 (24y 118d). Youth.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 20, 2015
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Good afternoon
There are many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, things to hate about modern football. The excessive wages. The excessive ticket prices. The excessively-bright boots. The disassociation between players and fans. The boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring boring post-match press conferences in which manager and players alike are so PRed to within an inch of their lives that instead of offering some insight and honesty to the more-informed-than-they-would-like-to-believe public, they vomit out cliches that are an insult to all. Lionel Messi’s suits. The fact that Cristiano Ronaldo has a couple of statues of himself. We could go on. Actually, let’s add one more because it’s relevant to today’s match, or one of the teams taking part in today’s match. Playing in a European competition and not playing to win it. That one can eff right off. Seriously. Just go. Now!
Throughout his time at Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino has hid his disdain for the Europa League – or let’s say his preference to for a higher league position to winning a European competition – about as well as Alex Ferguson hid his disdain for that club on, what he so memorably called, “their fucking perch”. Here is what the Argentine had to say a few months ago: “The Europa League is not an easy competition, it’s a very tough competition because it affects your domestic league. It was my opinion when I was at Southampton, when I was asked a lot about this and, having had a Europa League season, I can now confirm that it is very difficult to manage the Europa League with the Premier League and both cups ... I think that you spend a lot of energy when you play in the Europa League and it’s not easy. It’s true that the experience of last season with Liverpool and now with Manchester United – I think that is a clear example that you will have the opportunity to stay closer to the top four, if you only have to focus on the Premier League and the cups.”
Those quotes were from April but it seems his selection for Thursday night’s win over Qarabag suggests that his mindset has not been altered since (and was chosen with this match against Crystal Palace in mind). OK the likes of Hugo Lloris and Toby Alderweireld played but there were debuts for Kevin Wimmer, Kieran Trippierand Clinton N’Jie; a first start of the season for Andros Townsend; Dele Alli, Tom Carroll and Érik Lamela made only their second starts of the season; and, of course, there was no Harry Kane in the starting side. The obvious retort is that this is only Qarabag and Spurs won anyway so what the hell are ya going on about. And you’d have a point. But what happens when it comes to the bigger games and the knockout stages? Will Pochettino still do the same just so Spurs’ players are a tinsy bit more rested and have a tinsy bit more of a chance of finishing higher up the table? You’d hope not, right?
Of course, Pochettino not playing a full side on Thursday evening can also be taken as an indication of just how serious he takes this Crystal Palace side. And so he should. Alan Pardew’s side have been great so far this season and given the resources and talents available to him, a Europa League spot should be their aim. They have already proven they can kick it with the big boys having beaten last season’s champions and of all the teams to face Manchester City this season (before the West Ham on Saturday, of course), they are the ones to have closest to taking a point from them. They might need to tighten up the defence a little – right now they are letting in around a goal a game – but the speed and creativity in that midfield, especially with Yohan Cabaye on board, is a real joy to behold. (It will also be interesting to see if Patrick Bamford gets a chance to shine at this level.)
As it stands, Palace are three points and nine places above Spurs, who’ve had a less than impressive start to the season. It began with the defeat to Manchester United, a result which was followed by three draws (in two of which Spurs threw away the lead) and finally their first win of the season, which came last week against Sunderland. That win was as pretty as a naked selfie from Skeletor – on a side note, Skeletor had mad insults – and Spurs are missing Christian Eriksen, like the deserts miss the rain. Despite him being back in training, he is unlikely to be risked this afternoon. That could mean another start for Alli, though three in a week for someone of his age might be a bit too much. Saying that Spurs need someone to get the ball to Kane or else there will be no climbing that supposedly beloved Premier League table.
Team news and all that funky jazz will be with us soon enough.
Kick-off: 1.30pm (north London time).
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