Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace: Mateta Red Card Sinks 10-Man Eagles as De Zerbi's Spurs Win Third Straight

Tottenham Hotspur made it three Premier League wins in a row on Saturday by beating 10-man Crystal Palace 2-0. Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off after 13 minutes, and Spurs controlled almost everything that followed. Archie Gray headed the opener and Jan Paul van Hecke added a second-half goal. Spurs moved up to eighth. Palace fell into the relegation zone, and the pressure on manager Pierre Sage grew.

Mateta's early exit

The game turned in the 13th minute. Mateta made a late, studs-up challenge from behind on Micky van de Ven, and referee Michael Oliver first showed a yellow card. VAR asked him to look again at the monitor. Oliver upgraded it to a straight red for serious foul play.

The ban is a heavy one for Palace. Mateta will miss their next three Premier League matches, against Liverpool, Coventry City and Hull City. All three come in the stretch where Sage's side need points most.

Spurs make the extra man count

Spurs took 12 minutes to make their advantage pay. Mohammed Kudus swung in a corner and Gray headed it in. Several reports described it as the young midfielder's first senior career goal.

The second goal came at a set piece too, in the 73rd minute. Van Hecke's header hit the bar, and he reacted first to poke in the rebound.

The numbers show how one-sided it was. Tottenham had 34 shots to Palace's two. They had 79.4% of the ball and finished with expected goals of 3.26 against 0.14. Sky Sports reported that Palace's 20.6% possession was the lowest they have ever recorded in a Premier League match.

De Zerbi's Spurs gather momentum

Roberto De Zerbi's side are building some form. This was their third straight league win and their second London derby win in a row, after a 2-0 victory over Chelsea. De Zerbi singled out Sandro Tonali's performance in midfield for praise. Van Hecke said the team's confidence keeps growing as the wins come.

The result takes Spurs to eighth. They are now in touch with a crowded group chasing the European places, with the November international break close.

Sage under pressure

For Palace, it was a third straight league defeat, and they dropped to third from bottom. Sage accepted responsibility after the match. "I will never give up," the Frenchman said, adding that finding a solution was his job.

His task gets harder without Mateta. Palace's next league game is against Liverpool, so they will be without their main striker against one of the division's strongest attacks. Coventry, who climbed out of the bottom three by beating Sunderland the same afternoon, are one of the sides Mateta will also miss.

Key takeaways

• Tottenham beat Crystal Palace 2-0 on Saturday 31 October for their third straight Premier League win.
• Jean-Philippe Mateta's yellow card was upgraded to a red after a VAR review in the 13th minute. He now misses three league games.
• Archie Gray (header from a Kudus corner) and Jan Paul van Hecke (73') scored.
• Spurs had 34 shots to two and 79.4% possession. Palace dropped into the relegation zone.

FAQ

Why was Jean-Philippe Mateta sent off against Tottenham? Referee Michael Oliver first booked him for a late, studs-up challenge on Micky van de Ven. After a VAR review, Oliver upgraded it to a straight red card for serious foul play.

Which matches will Mateta miss? He is suspended for Crystal Palace's next three Premier League matches, against Liverpool, Coventry City and Hull City.

Where are Tottenham and Crystal Palace in the table? After the match, Spurs had moved up to eighth. Palace were third from bottom, inside the relegation zone.

Sources: Sky Sports, FotMob, Flashscore, VAVEL