Tottenham beat 10-man Palace to secure three consecutive wins

Summarised from 7 outlets · 11 reports · Updated 31 Oct, 21:32 · Archive

Tottenham defeated Crystal Palace 2-0 at home after Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off in the 13th minute.

Tottenham beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at home to record their first three consecutive Premier League wins since February 2025. The victory came after Palace lost defender Jean-Philippe Mateta to a red card in the 13th minute. Mateta was dismissed for a late studs-up tackle on Micky van de Ven's Achilles. Referee Michael Oliver initially showed yellow, but VAR intervened and sent him to the monitor, leading to the decision being upgraded to red for serious foul play.

Archie Gray opened the scoring with a headed goal at the back post from a corner, just 12 minutes after Mateta's dismissal. The Tottenham player was replaced at half-time after picking up a booking. Jan Paul van Hecke added a second-half rebound finish in the 73rd minute after Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson made an excellent save, securing a comfortable victory for Roberto De Zerbi's side.

Tottenham moved into the top half of the table, reaching eighth place. The victory marks a significant turnaround for the club. BBC Sport reports that De Zerbi said the mood at the club is "totally different" following the third straight win. One outlet notes this is the first time Tottenham have recorded back-to-back home league victories in two years.

For Palace, the defeat extends their run to three games without a win, dating back to early October when they beat Nottingham Forest 3-1. The loss sees them drop into the relegation zone, third-bottom in the table. Mateta's suspension will rule him out for Palace's next three Premier League matches against Liverpool, Coventry and Hull.

The result intensifies pressure on Palace manager Pierre Sage, whose position is reported to be under severe threat. The Guardian reports that there was an expectation he could be sacked if Palace lost this match, and his future now hangs by a thread. Steve Parish, Palace's chairman, is said to hold the final decision on Sage's fate. Several outlets note that Sean Dyche and Thomas Frank are waiting in the wings.

Daily Mail Sport reports that Palace shipped more goals than any other team in the top flight, with Tottenham having 34 shots to Palace's two. Despite playing with reduced numbers, Palace showed resilience and did not concede further goals until van Hecke's second-half finish, though their early defending at set-pieces proved costly.

How it is being reported

• Are De Zerbi's Spurs finding elusive consistency?Are Spurs finally finding elusive consistency under Roberto de Zerbi after a third successive Premier League win, asks chief football writer Phil McNulty?BBC News · 31 Oct, 21:16
• Tottenham mood 'totally different' - De ZerbiTottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi said the mood at the club is "totally different" after picking up a third straight league victory with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.BBC Sport · 31 Oct, 20:13
• How Roberto De Zerbi has transformed resurgent Tottenham as unwanted record shrugged offSpurs dispelled poor run after 20 long months with Crystal Palace victoryEvening Standard · 31 Oct, 20:09
• Tottenham ease to win over Crystal Palace and pile more pressure on Pierre SageTottenham ease to win over Crystal Palace and pile more pressure on Pierre SageThe Telegraph · 31 Oct, 20:07
• Doubts had been gathering about Roberto De Zerbi but not now, writes RIATH AL-SAMARRAI, after Tottenham brushed aside Crystal Palace 2-0For the first time in 616 days, Tottenham have won three games in succession. If that proves Roberto De Zerbi's prowess over at least two of his predecessors, then he will presumably reserve some thanks to the assistance of Crystal Palace.Daily Mail Sport · 31 Oct, 19:56
• Pressure piles on Pierre Sage as Crystal Palace sack looms after Tottenham defeatEagles are plunged in bottom three of Premier League tableEvening Standard · 31 Oct, 19:45
• Tottenham ease past Crystal Palace as pressure intensifies on SageFortune is not favouring Pierre Sage. Just when the Crystal Palace manager needed a positive result, Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early red card condemned his side to a third straight defeat in the league, leaving their manager’s position hanging by a thread. Goals from Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke ensured that Tottenham recorded a third successive victory for the first time in 616 days as they moved into the top half of the table. To put that into context, Spurs have had three full-time managers since then, so it was no wonder that Roberto De Zerbi looked so pleased at full-time. Continue…Guardian Sport · 31 Oct, 19:42
• Tottenham punish Jean-Philippe Mateta’s moment of madness to earn third straight winTottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace: Mateta was sent off after just 13 minutes as Spurs won three consecutive games in the Premier League for the first time since February 2025Independent Sport · 31 Oct, 19:40
• Tottenham player ratings vs Crystal Palace: Forgotten star back to his best as summer signing scores 9/10Spurs are three wins from three in Premier League resurgenceEvening Standard · 31 Oct, 19:32
• Spurs beat 10-man Palace to keep up Sage pressure as Eagles fall into drop zoneTottenham beat 10-man Crystal Palace 2-0 at home to record a third straight win and maintain the pressure on Eagles boss Pierre Sage, with his side dropping into the relegation zone.Sky Sports Football · 31 Oct, 19:30
• Watch: Crystal Palace star sees red for horror challenge in Tottenham clashStriker was dismissed in must-win game for out-of-form EaglesEvening Standard · 31 Oct, 17:53

In this story: Tottenham · Crystal Palace · Roberto De Zerbi · Jean-Philippe Mateta · Micky van de Ven · Archie Gray · Jan Paul van Hecke · Pierre Sage

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log