| Match report
Tottenham managed to do just
enough to qualify for the Europa League, earning a point here and
thankful that Chelsea beat Wolves 2-0 to see Spurs jump over the
Midlanders to finish sixth, which looked unlikely only a couple of
weeks ago. Harry Kane's first half strike was cancelled out in
the second period, with Palace having the best of the half and went
close to snatching a win near the end.
With the only change to the Spurs side seeing Eric Dier re-instated
in defence, they set up as normal, while Palace’s injuries showed
their lack of depth in the squad as Kayoute slotted in the middle of
defence rather than his customary midfield position.
In the third minute, Aurier’s challenge on Zaha left him on the
floor wanting a free-kick, but Marriner waved play on and Spurs
broke away. Although Moura’s cross from the right failed to find Son
in the middle, it was headed out to Lo Celso, who struck a shot
straight into Guaita’s midriff. McArthur’s shove on Son was
penalised and from the free-kick Sonny tried a 25 yard shot, but
dragged it well wide. He took the next one for another McArthur
foul, but it was headed out for a throw-in. We lost it, won it back
in our left back position and then broke on Palace, but Moura
couldn’t pick out Harry Kane in the area.
It looked like being a fairly open affair after the first ten
minutes action, with Spurs realistically needing to win and Palace
having nothing to play for, except pride. But a pass out to Davies
on the left from Dier set the Welshman away, although he took a
heavy touch, allowing Townsend, who had tracked his run, to have
possession. His clearance came back and Lo Celso won the ball in a
challenge with a Palace defender and picked out Kane, just inside
the 18-yard line to the left. He took the ball inside with his left
foot and then struck it early with his right to leave Guaita
stretching for the ball that went all the way along the turf and
inside his right hand post. It was another classy finish from the
Spurs and England striker and an early goal was what Spurs needed.
There was an early booking for McCarthy, when he pulled Son back
inside our own half as Tottenham looked to break away. Moura did
break away from Palace youngster Mitchell, but it failed to produce
a decent chance and it left Palace the opportunity to move forward,
as Winks had to smash a tackle off McArthur with the ball travelling
into the Spurs half. Tottenham were happy to hit on the break and
Winks was a yard away form landing a cross on Harry Kane’s head when
the striker had started the move with Son 50 yards further back down
the pitch.
Aurier was doing well on Zaha on the Palace left and also made a
good tackle on Schlupp as he looked like getting around him. It led
to Palace’s fifth corner, which was recycled and Schlupp hit a low
shot from 18 yards, but straight at Hugo Lloris, who held it low
down.
Just after the half hour, Spurs worked the ball on the left and Son
put in a cross that was headed out to Ben Davies inside the area,
who struck a fierce shot that struck Kouyate and when the play moved
into the next phase, Lucas Moura went on a run into the right hand
channel and over-ran the ball as he entered the box. Or so it
seemed, but he chased it as Guaita came out and took it around him
to the keeper’s left and still had the presence of mind to be able
to square it in front of goal, but it was cleared by Ward.
Palace’s main tactic was to hit the ball early down their left wing
looking for Zaha. While this won the plenty of corners, they were
not making the most of the set- pieces. Once when Zaha got
away, Sissoko was with him, but looked to push him outside the area,
but Marriner was not interested, as Zaha went down too easily.
Palace were keeping the ball in the Spurs half, but Spurs were
organised at the back and went into the break a goal to the good.
Within a minute of the second half starting, Lucas Moura on a corner
off Mitchell and Lo Celso fizzed it in, finding Toby at the near
post, getting in front of his marker and putting his header just
over the bar. Moura then turned Mitchell and got pulled back and the
Palace man picking up their second yellow card, but the free kick
was floated into Guaita’s hands. Spurs were still pressing and
Sissoko nearly found Kane in the box, after Palace had turned over
possession.
Palace won a corner off Aurier when Mitchell put him under pressure
and a long ball to the far post found Dann, who headed it back into
the goalmouth, Ayew mis-hit his attempt and it wetn through to
Schlupp to sweep the ball into the net from six yards out, off the
underside of the bar. With Chelsea winning, Spurs still needed a
point and a goal for the home team here had finally come from one of
many corners.
Spurs conceded another corner a couple of minutes later, when Dann
won it as it came in, but under pressure from Dier, he put it over
the bar. Palace were finding a bit more space going forward and
Spurs needed to get back into the pattern of play they were working
to in the first half. Just before 60 minutes, Davies played in a
deep cross and Moura came onto it just inside the area, striking it
on the volley, but a yard or two wide of the goal.
Palace hit the post, but not intentionally, as Ward crossed the ball
and Lloris protected his near post as the ball bounced off the angle
after it had deflected off Harry Winks. Spurs were finding it
difficult to play the ball out as Palace built pressure on the Spurs
penalty area. Every time Zaha went into the box, he was looking for
a penalty by trying to draw the foul or looking for one by looking
to contact the Spurs player rather than the other way around.
At the drinks break, Palace
brought on Riedewald and Dele was ready, but didn’t make it onto the
pitch. Kane tried to break through the middle from just outside the
box, having nut-megged Dann, but he was crowded out by two other
defenders. As heavy rain fell, despite the sunshine, Tottenham
struggled to hold onto the ball or work any meaningful moves.
Sissoko pulled up holding his hamstring on the edge of the Spurs
box, handing the ball to Ayew, who tried a left foot shot from the
left, but it went well wide.
Dele eventually came on for Son in the 80th minute and Skippy
replaced Sissoko. With six minutes left Spurs conceded a free kick
on the Palace right, but Tottenham defended it away. Marriner was
starting to hand out soft free-kicks, normally to Palace, making it
seem like a non-contact sport. As Palace pushed forward, a break
down in the move Saw Spurs break away to take the ball further away
from their goal.
Three minutes of added time came up on the forth official’s board,
as Palace had a free kick deep in their half. That brought another
one 20 yards out on the Palace right and Dier got a yellow card for
a foul on Ayew. Dann won it at the far post, but he headed it
wide when he should have got it on target at least.
The final whistle brought some relief, as the second half
performance was a little disjointed and although they hung on for
the point they needed, the late header from Dann could have left
Tottenham heading home with nothing and highlighted some poor
marking at dead ball situations. That will need to be sorted
out for next season – in Europe or at home. Palace were good
enough to have a fair share of possession and more than their fair
share of shots on goal, but the fact that only two of them ended up
on target backed up the fact that they have score only 31 goals all
season. For all Zaha's trickery and the rest of the team's
hard work, there is very little end product and only because of the
loose marking at a corner, when they scored, it was true to say that
our defence rarely were panicked with the string of crosses that
came in.
For what has been a very odd
season on and off the pitch, it looked unlikely that Spurs would
have European football of any nature, but, like him or not, Jose
Mourinho has pushed the team up the table and succeeded in getting
sixth place as the time during lockdown must have been well spent
organising the team. The early restart matches were dull, but
results were achieved, then came the defeat at Bramall Lane and the
bore draw at Bournemouth, only for a six game unbeaten run to take
us into the top six. Do we belong there ? Well, if we
can finish there after this of all seasons, perhaps yes. The
summer will determine how we move on from here, but let's hope that
it is upwards, although other clubs are strengthening already.
A good point, but in future,
it is games like this that we have to turn into wins if we want to
challenge at the top of the table.
Sparky Marky |
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