Palace never recovered from Jean-Philippe Mateta’s dismissal. Michael Oliver flashed yellow for the striker’s lunge on Micky van de Ven, then went to the monitor on VAR’s advice and upgraded the card to red. Van de Ven was able to carry on; Palace spent the next 77 minutes a man light.

Twelve minutes later the goal came. Mohammed Kudus swung an in-swinger from the corner, Archie Gray slipped his marker inside the six-yard box, and his header looped back across Dean Henderson into the far corner.

Mateta off on 13

Mateta’s challenge was the kind VAR exists for: studs down, late, catching Van de Ven on the Achilles. The Dutch defender stayed down briefly before continuing. The force of the contact left Oliver little room on review.

Gray himself was booked three minutes after the red for an awkward foul of his own, and Roberto De Zerbi hooked him at the break. Pedro Porro came on with the lead already banked.

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De Zerbi’s slow turn

Three consecutive league wins is a modest headline anywhere else, but Spurs had looked like a long project when De Zerbi arrived. The run began with a 3-1 win over Coventry on 19 October, continued with a 2-0 at Chelsea five days later that ended a long Stamford Bridge hoodoo, and now this. Spurs went into the weekend 14th in the table. Bottom half still, but moving.

Palace sinking under Sage

Pierre Sage arrived in June with Ligue 1 Manager of the Year and the Coupe de France from his season at Lens in his cabinet. The adjustment to the Premier League has been harsher. Palace went into Saturday 18th, with two wins from eight and a goal difference of minus ten.

Mateta, their first-choice striker, now faces an automatic three-match domestic ban for serious foul play.

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