A third straight win and a long wait ended
Tottenham Hotspur beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at home on 31 October, and the result carried more weight than the scoreline. According to [1], it was their third consecutive league victory and the first such run in 616 days. [2] dates the previous comparable streak to February 2025.
The goals came from Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke. Both arrived against a Palace side reduced to ten men after 13 minutes, so the match was never a fair test of how Tottenham cope against a full-strength opponent. Still, they did what they needed to do: they took control, scored, and kept a clean sheet. The win followed league victories over Coventry City and away at Chelsea.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi said afterwards that the mood at the club is “totally different”, as [3] reported. After a run that included a home defeat to Aston Villa in September, that is a notable change in tone. One small tactical detail from the match report: Gray was on a yellow card when he was replaced at half-time by Pedro Porro, a sensible bit of game management with the lead in hand.
Midfield settling and a key player back
The most encouraging thread is in the middle of the pitch. Sandro Tonali, signed from Newcastle United, and Mateus Fernandes, signed from West Ham United, started together against Palace. [2] says both are showing signs of settling in after slow starts.
Tonali is now showing running power, physicality and creativity, while Fernandes has been lively and creative. Before kick-off, [4] had flagged that Fernandes was expected to keep his place in De Zerbi’s central midfield, which suggests the manager is building around this pairing rather than rotating freely. A separate BBC Sport fan piece also praised Tonali and 18-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett, though it is mostly opinion.
There was also a welcome return. Dejan Kulusevski came back from a long injury absence and made a lively substitute appearance, according to BBC Sport. Having him available as an option off the bench, or as a starter in time, adds creativity to a side that has scored only ten league goals all season.
Palace’s afternoon unravels
For Crystal Palace it was a miserable day. Jean-Philippe Mateta was shown a red card after 13 minutes, leaving them with ten men for the remainder, as [5] reported. The defeat was their third in a row in the league.
The Guardian’s preview had already noted that Palace had won two of their opening eight league games, lost their last two, and failed to score in those defeats. The match report adds that manager Pierre Sage’s position is reportedly under review, and BBC Sport says the result increases the pressure on him. Palace host Liverpool next before the international break, which is hardly a gentle fixture for a team short of confidence.
It is fair to keep perspective on what Tottenham achieved. Beating ten men for 77 minutes is a job that has to be done, but it is not the same as outplaying a complete side. The two goals were enough, and the clean sheet matters, yet the numbers from a one-sided game should not be over-read when judging what comes next.
What it means
Tottenham sit 8th in the Premier League with 12 points from nine games, a record of three wins, three draws and three defeats, with ten goals scored and ten conceded. That balanced goal difference describes a mid-table side, and the table position reflects it. The recent run tells a better story: win, win, win, preceded by a 1-1 draw at Manchester United, with the 3-2 home loss to Aston Villa now looking like the outlier of the past five matches.
The form says the team is gaining momentum, and the midfield pairing of Tonali and Fernandes looks like a real reason for it. Two clean sheets in a row, at Chelsea and against Palace, are the other positive sign, as the defence had leaked goals earlier in the season.
The next fixture asks a different question. On 7 November Tottenham travel to Leeds United in the Premier League. After two home games in three, this is an away trip where they will probably face a full-strength opponent, not ten men. It will show whether the improvement holds up when the game is level and the opposition has all eleven players. Predict.game’s forecast for the match locks 24 hours before kick-off, so the final call will follow the team news.
Sources
- The Guardian: Spurs see off Crystal Palace after Mateta’s early red to pile pressure on Sage theguardian.com ↩
- BBC Sport: Are De Zerbi's Spurs finding elusive consistency? bbc.co.uk ↩
- BBC Sport: Tottenham mood 'totally different' - De Zerbi bbc.co.uk ↩
- The Guardian: Premier League today: How to watch, TV channels & live stream theguardian.com ↩
- BBC Sport: Spurs revival continues with victory over 10-man Crystal Palace bbc.co.uk ↩
