Heung-Min Son ended his goal drought and Harry Kane scored twice as Tottenham defeated Crystal Palace 4-0 at Selhurst Park.
The match was fairly even in the first half, with both teams trying to recover from recent disappointments. Palace, in particular, was looking to make up for a poor 3-0 defeat to Fulham in their previous home outing, and they put up a strong fight against Tottenham in the first half. However, they were unable to capitalize on their chances, and Tottenham’s quality shone through in the second half.
Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Highlights
Kane, who was making his 300th Premier League appearance, scored the first goal in the 48th minute, and added another five minutes later, bringing him within two goals of Jimmy Greaves’ all-time scoring record for Tottenham (266).
The pressure had been on Son to end his scoring drought, and he finally managed to do so in the 72nd minute, linking up with his strike partner Harry Kane for another Tottenham goal. He had thought he had earned an assist for Matt Doherty’s goal in the 68th minute, but his cross deflected off Nathaniel Clyne on its way through. Son’s goal was a fine volley, rounding off a successful evening for Tottenham.
The win brought the team within two points of the Champions League places, although they have played one more game than Manchester United, which is currently in fourth place. While Crystal Palace’s performance was an improvement on their defeat to Fulham, they have now lost two consecutive Premier League games at Selhurst Park, dropping to 12th place.
Spurs looked great
Although Tottenham was the stronger team in the first 25 minutes, there were not many clear chances for either side. Wilfried Zaha missed an opportunity to meet a right wing cross from Michael Olise, and Olise later missed his own shot. At the other end, Harry Kane directed a header past the post.
However, Crystal Palace began to gain a foothold in the game and should have taken the lead before halftime. Zaha easily passed Oliver Skipp and Bryan Gil before setting up Ayew, but the Ghanaian forward’s shot was saved by Hugo Lloris. After the break, Crystal Palace remained aggressive, with Olise curling a shot wide and substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta heading over.
However, Tottenham was not finished yet, with Kane setting up his teammates for more goals. He found Son down the right side of the area, and Son’s cross deflected off Clyne from close range. Despite the deflection, Matt Doherty collected the ball and scored Tottenham’s third with a shot past Vicente Guaita.
