Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 Crystal Palace
Spurs climbed up to sixth in the table tonight after another attacking master-class gave Jose Mourinho’s team a resounding victory over Roy Hodgson’s Eagles.
Premier League: Spurs vs Crystal Palace was a great fixture to round up the weekend’s football, the Whites needed a win to stay in the race for a top-four place, while the Eagles still needed a point or so to rest easily in the run-up to the business end of the season.
Gareth Bale put Spurs in charge twice while Christian Benteke scored for the Eagles, and a brilliant strike from Harry Kane took the game away from Palace before the Spurs skipper rounded things off with his second. With 34 points at the start of the game, Crystal Palace were arguably near safety already, but this is a big result for Spurs as they move to within two points of a Champions League place.
Highlights of the game
The hosts rather strolled through the first half and expected to go into the break ahead, but a late twist gave Jose Mourinho’s men an unpleasant surprise.
Right from the off Spurs knocked ball around swiftly, and stretched a well organised Palace rearguard. Heung-Min Son had a great chance with just seven minutes on the clock when he met a chipped cross from Bale but his header went straight into the arms of Vicente Guaita.
Roy Hodgson has his team well organised and while they rarely made it out of their own half they restricted their hosts to few chances in the opening half. When the opening Spurs goal came it was a result of rare sloppy defending by the Eagles as Luka Milivojevic took too much time on the ball and was robbed by Lucas Moura, who then fed Kane down the left and he crossed for Bale to convert from close range.
Kane had a chance to double the lead with a free kick, but he hit the top of the wall and that was as close as Spurs came in the first half.
The Eagles had only one touch in the Spurs penalty area in the opening 45 minutes but their second one was lethal. The hosts had enjoyed a very comfortable first half and Palace hadn’t really been in the game, but a bullet header for Benteke drew them level on the stroke of half time.
Palace had a nice interchange of passes and the ball made its way out to Milivojevic on the left flank, and he made up for his earlier mistake with a superb cross which the 6ft 4in Benteke powered home with a towering header.
The Spurs vs Crystal Palace highlights were dominated by the Whites, but Benteke’s classic goal takes its place.
Level at half time the hosts came out for the second half all guns blazing, and they had taken the game away from the Eagles within seven explosive minutes. Just after the break, Bale started an incisive move, finding Sergio Reguilon on the left flank and he crossed to Kane at the far post and the skipper’s header was perfectly timed for the advancing Bale to nod home his second.
And then Kane got in on the act with the goal of the night. Matt Doherty pushed a pass into his path some 25 yards out on the left side of the penalty area, and he swept a beauty of a shot beyond Guaita and into the top left corner.
Wilfried Zaha reminded Spurs they were in a game when he struck the post after a sweeping Palace move, but any thoughts of a nervy finish were dispelled when Spurs made it 4-1 and it was another super goal. Erik Lamela swung a cross over from the right and Son squared it on the volley for Kane to head home his second.
Simply brilliant!
Key statistics
Mourinho’s team had a narrow win over Fulham in the run-up to this game but this was emphatic.
The Spurs vs Crystal Palace betting odds had the hosts as clear favourites to win the match, and with 63 per cent possession, 12 shots to five and a killer instinct the Whites put in a complete performance.
Tottenham have now won their last four games at home, while Bale’s goals made it four in three games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and his sixth in the last six games.
And Kane has both scored and assisted in six games this season.
What’s next?
Spurs are in Europa League action on Thursday when Dinamo Zagreb head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a first leg Round of 16 tie. Then they have the North London derby to look forward to when they head to the Emirates to face Arsenal. We’ll be covering that clash here at SBOTOP, as Mikel Arteta’s side has a battle on the stay in the race for European places after they struggled to impress in a 1-1 draw at Burnley on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace can get very close to confirming their place in the 2021/22 Premier League season when they host West Brom at Selhurst Park next week.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
