Tottenham Hotspur beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at home on 31 October, and the run behind that result is the real story. It was a third consecutive Premier League win, after victories over Coventry City and away at Chelsea. [1] reports it as their first such run in 616 days, and [2] dates the previous one to February 2025.
A win made easier by an early red card
Palace were reduced to ten men after 13 minutes, when Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off. That shaped the match, and it would be dishonest to present the scoreline as a straight contest. Goals from Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke completed the job, and Spurs did what a side with a numerical advantage is supposed to do.
The win also meant back-to-back home league wins for the first time in two years, following the 3-1 over Coventry. For a team that had been in the relegation zone not long ago, stringing results together at home matters as much as the points. Palace, by contrast, lost a third straight league game, and [3] says the defeat increases pressure on manager Pierre Sage. They host Liverpool next, so their problems are not easing soon.
A midfield that is starting to click
The most encouraging detail for Roberto De Zerbi is in the middle of the pitch. Sandro Tonali, signed from Newcastle United, started slowly, but BBC Sport says he is now showing running power, physicality and creativity. He started alongside Mateus Fernandes, signed from West Ham United, who has also been lively and creative after his own slow start.
Both were new to the club and the league’s pace, so the early wobbles were not a surprise. Three wins in a row suggest the pairing is beginning to give the team some balance. A fan piece on [4] also praised 18-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett and Tonali, though it is mostly opinion. The caution is that this evidence comes from a match played largely against ten men. A tougher test of the partnership will come against opponents at full strength.
Fitness news and a changed mood
Squad health is improving too. Dejan Kulusevski returned from a long injury absence as a lively substitute against Palace, adding attacking options for the weeks ahead. James Maddison, who has worked his way back from a long-term ACL injury and an earlier shoulder fracture, was declared available by De Zerbi despite limping off against Chelsea, [5] reports. Spurs beat Coventry 3-1 and Chelsea 2-0 once Maddison returned to the starting line-up.
De Zerbi himself said the mood at the club is “totally different” after the win, according to [6]. That is a manager’s view, not a measurable fact, but it fits the results. Having Kulusevski and Maddison available gives De Zerbi competition for places, which a thin squad has often lacked.
What it means
Tottenham sit eighth in the Premier League with 12 points from nine games (three wins, three draws, three defeats), with ten goals scored and ten conceded. A level goal difference is a fair summary of a team that has been inconsistent, but the form line is clearly improving: 2-0 against Palace, 2-0 at Chelsea and 3-1 against Coventry, all wins, after a 1-1 draw at Manchester United and a 2-3 home defeat to Aston Villa.
The next question comes on 7 November at Leeds United. It is an away game, and Spurs have only just shown they can win consistently at home. The Palace and Coventry wins came at home, and the Chelsea win is the one recent result that shows they can take points on the road. Leeds will not be reduced to ten men on cue, so the midfield of Tonali and Fernandes, with Maddison and Kulusevski in the squad, will be asked to control a game at even strength.
The site’s forecast for the Leeds match locks 24 hours before kick-off, so the model’s view will be published and graded then. For now, the evidence points to a side with real momentum that has not yet been tested in a level contest.
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: Spurs revival continues with victory over 10-man Crystal Palace bbc.co.uk ↩
- BBC Sport: 'Luca Williams-Barnett. If you don't know him, get to know him!' bbc.co.uk ↩
- BBC Sport: Spurs' Maddison fit to face Palace - De Zerbi bbc.co.uk ↩
- BBC Sport: Tottenham mood 'totally different' - De Zerbi bbc.co.uk ↩
