Spurs player ratings: De Zerbi’s side beat Palace 2-0 for a third straight win
Tottenham Hotspur extended their strong run under Roberto De Zerbi on Saturday evening, beating 10-man Crystal Palace 2-0 for a third straight win. The chance to take control came 12 minutes in, when Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off for a reckless challenge on Micky van de Ven. Archie Gray made the extra man count in the 24th minute, heading in a corner for his first Spurs goal.
Spurs dominated the ball after that but created little else before the break, and the second half followed the same pattern, with plenty of control and not much excitement. The result was put beyond doubt late on, when Jan Paul van Hecke reacted fastest after a fine Dean Henderson save and headed home the second.
At the back, Antonin Kinsky (C) had a quiet night with almost nothing to do. Gray (B) was solid at right-back as well as scoring, though his half-time withdrawal will worry fans if it was injury-related. Van Hecke (A) was commanding at both ends, composed on the ball, and is starting to justify the move from Brighton. Van de Ven (B) keeps rediscovering his best form after last season’s struggles, and Andy Robertson (C) sent in several dangerous deliveries while staying disciplined defensively.
In midfield, Sandro Tonali (B) is growing into a commanding presence, and his display makes the reported £100 million fee look better value. Mateus Fernandes (A) was outstanding again, breaking up play, winning the ball back and becoming increasingly hard to leave out. Out wide, Mohammed Kudus (B) brought energy, direct dribbling and constant problems for Tyrick Mitchell.
Further forward it was a poor night. Omar Marmoush (D) struggled to make an impact despite the extra space and added to questions about his signing. Mathys Tel (D) failed to build on his encouraging showing against Chelsea, with poor decisions, weak final balls and too few progressive runs, and he may be back on the bench. Dominic Solanke (E) had another frustrating game, getting little service and not finding enough space himself, and he faces a battle to keep his place as the squad regains fitness.
Among the substitutes, Pedro Porro (C) came on at half-time and added attacking drive down the right. Destiny Udogie and Dejan Kulusevski (both N/A) were on too briefly or too quietly to be rated. Conor Gallagher (C) replaced Solanke and made little difference with his forward runs.
The standout cameo came from youngster Luca Williams-Barnett (B), who got only a few minutes but beat his man down the flank and set up Kudus for a big chance that the winger somehow missed. It was an encouraging glimpse of his potential and gave De Zerbi something to think about.
