Report & Highlights: Sensational surge helps Eagles stun Spurs

The Eagles appeared to have taken the lead shortly before the half-hour mark when Ismaïla Sarr’s breakaway goal was disallowed by VAR for a narrow offsides, minutes before Dominic Solanke tapped the hitherto confidence-stricken hosts into the lead.

But having dominated the play beforehand, Palace roared back in style, Sarr winning a penalty – which he duly converted, after Micky Van de Ven was sent off for upending him – before Jørgen Strand Larsen netted a powerful finish from a tight angle.

Sarr scored once again deep into stoppage time from a wonderful Adam Wharton pass, allowing Palace to see through the second-half with a degree of comfort – and secure consecutive away league wins at Spurs for the first time ever.

Summary:

• Two changes for Palace as Riad and Guessand return.
• 1: Wharton is close to scoring inside 50 seconds, but Vicario saves deflected effort.
• 14: Muñoz forced off with arm injury following a heavy early tackle from Souza.
• 15: Tel bursts into the area and forces Henderson into a low save.
• 29: Sarr bursts in behind and his finish loops delightfully over Vicario – but tight VAR call rules the effort out.
• 34 – Goal: Solanke taps home from close range moments later.
• 37 – Red card: Van de Ven is sent off for dragging Sarr back inside the box – Palace penalty.
• 40 – GOAL: The Senegal forward sends Vicario the wrong way from the spot.
• 45+1 – GOAL: Wharton plays in Strand Larsen to fire Palace into the lead on half-time.
• 45+8 – GOAL: Sarr latches onto another outstanding Wharton pass to poke Palace into a two-goal lead.
• HT: Tottenham 1-3 Palace
• 46: Henderson keeps out Danso’s header as Spurs start second-half on the attack.
• 67: The 'keeper makes a good low save with his legs to deny Solanke a second.
• 70: Strand Larsen turns inside the box and curls wide.
• 88: Mitchell gets close to Sarr’s fierce cross as Palace bid to add late flourish.
• 90: Canvot almost adds to Palace’s advantage from the subsequent corner.
• 90+3: Tel’s late flicked header for Tottenham flies wide.
• FT: Tottenham 1-3 Palace

The Eagles went into Thursday’s game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with two wins in our last three meetings against Spurs to our credit – as well as a fine recent record in away London derbies, with five wins and three draws in our last nine.

The most recent side that an out-of-sorts Tottenham side had beaten, some 10 matches prior, had been – in a narrow contest at Selhurst Park – Palace.

Oliver Glasner made two changes to his Palace XI for the contest, one of them enforced – Chadi Riad in for the suspended Maxence Lacroix – and the other seeing newly-crowned NET88 Player of the Month, Evann Guessand, come in for Brennan Johnson.

Kicking off to audible anxiety echoing around the ever-impressing Tottenham stadium, Palace almost capitalised on those early nerves inside the opening minute.

The source was a familiar one, with Chris Richards’ long throw bouncing around the Tottenham box and falling to Adam Wharton. His first-time effort through a crowded box appeared to take a nick off a Palace shirt – but it was one which took the ball closer to goalkeeper Vicario, who beat it away.

Not long after, a set-back: Daniel Muñoz burst down the outside of Souza, who cleaned the Colombian out with a heavy challenge. A yellow card was awarded, and Muñoz looked to continue – but minutes later it was clear the fall he sustained was too heavy.

On came Nathaniel Clyne for his 249th Palace appearance – and the full-back was tested immediately by Mathys Tel, who drove into the box, but saw his low snap-shot well claimed by Dean Henderson.

Palace remained the more composed team as the next quarter-of-an-hour ticked by – and on the half-hour mark, Glasner’s side appeared to have taken the lead.

Much discourse has been had surrounding the role of VAR in tight offside calls, and Ismaïla Sarr’s breakaway goal on 29 minutes – set up by some brilliant approach play involving Jørgen Strand Larsen, improvising a pass from the floor, and Guessand, curling it towards Sarr – will surely continue it.

The Palace No. 7 was forced to adjust his run slightly to meet the ball and struck firmly on his left foot, the strike looping up over the sliding Pedro Porro and dropping gloriously over Vicario and into the net – yet the narrowest of offsides, against what appeared to be the top of Sarr’s head, saw the celebrations cut short three minutes later.

And just two minutes later, that appeared to cost Palace even further, as Archie Gray skipped around Richards on the byline and clipped in a cut-back which Dominic Solanke - on the charge at the near post – turned home.

Thankfully, Palace responded immediately – and emphatically.

A high ball in the Spurs half was headed on by Strand Larsen and into the path of Sarr who, racing into the box, was dragged back by Micky Van de Ven.

Unlike at Old Trafford, the decision was apparent – with no attempt to play the ball, the Spurs defender received a red card for a professional foul, and Sarr had the chance to score from 12 yards.

Score he did, sending Vicario diving the wrong way from the spot to draw the game level.

Tottenham head coach Igor Tudor responded with a double substitution – but Adam Wharton responded with two moments of brilliance in eight first-half minutes of stoppage time.

The first stemmed from a high recovery by Guessand, who nicked the ball into Wharton’s path. Threading an intricate pass for Strand Larsen to race onto on the outside, the Norwegian duly smashed the ball between Vicario’s legs from the angle for his first away goal as an Eagle.

Palace’s third – in the seventh minute of stoppage time – was even better.

Jaydee Canvot played it into Wharton’s feet, and the England international lofted an audacious, delightful pass over the Tottenham defence, allowing Sarr to stretch his legs and – beating both marker and goalkeeper – poke it in for number three.

From his goalmouth, Dean Henderson set off for the away end, booting the corner flag in celebration for good measure. In stark contrast to the chorus of half-time boos which rang around elsewhere, the thousands of Eagles in front of him were in dreamland.

To the hosts’ credit, having emerged from the tunnel early after the break, they did enjoy a more threatening period of the game, winning a series of set-pieces and forcing Henderson into one or two interventions, including a simple enough save from Kevin Danso’s planted header.

Tottenham did have one or two more bright moments in the spell that followed, but Palace always felt in control – and were making full use of their one-man advantage, with over 60 percent possession at times.

Johnson was afforded a warm reception from around the ground as he came off the bench for Palace with a quarter of the game remaining.

Moments later, Solanke produced a surging solo run to get into the box and fire towards Henderson’s near post. The England international’s low block with his legs was equally as impressive.

Clear chances for the Eagles were harder to come by than before half-time, but Strand Larsen did come close with a sharp swivel and curling strike on 70 minutes, his effort whistling wide.

There was one late half-chance for Tyrick Mitchell after the full-back raced onto Sarr’s firm delivery from the right, his flying effort blocked over the bar.

From the corner, Canvot met the delivery at the near post – but under pressure headed wide. Up the other end, Tel also won a near-post header from a corner – his effort flying clear of the far post.

But in truth, the period largely proved a procession through the Palace away end’s songbook, the South Londoners gleefully enjoying their degree of comfort away at Tottenham – one fully deserved for their dominant end to the first 45.

Spurs: Vicario (GK), Pedro Porro (Xavi, 74), van de Ven, Danso, Souza (Gallagher, 43), Gray, Palhinha, Sarr, Kolo Muani (Bissouma, 43), Solanke (Richarlison, 74), Tel.

Subs: Kinsky (GK), Austin (GK), Olusesi, Kyerematen, Rowswell.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Canvot, Richards, Riad, Mitchell, Muñoz (Clyne, 14), Wharton (Hughes, 81), Kamada, Guessand (Johnson, 67), Sarr, Strand Larsen (Uche, 81).

Subs: Benitez (GK), Lerma, Sosa, Devenny, Pino.

As It Happened