Tottenham Hotspur ended a nearly 21-month wait for sustained consistency by securing their third consecutive Premier League victory on Saturday, cruising past Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The visitors were reduced to 10 men after only 13 minutes when striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off for an ill-judged challenge on Micky van de Ven. Following previous victories against Coventry City and away at Chelsea, goals from Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke pushed Roberto de Zerbi's side into the top half of the table.
The sequence highlights a sharp change of direction for a club that endured two consecutive 17th-place Premier League finishes and had won just three of their prior 26 top-flight matches combined, with 10 draws and 13 defeats. The result also represents Tottenham's first back-to-back home league wins in two years. Spurs thoroughly dominated the encounter, unleashing 34 shots to Palace's two—a 32-shot differential that represents Tottenham's highest since Opta began recording the statistic in the 2003-04 season—alongside controlling 79.4% possession.
Tottenham's £300m summer recruitment drive also displayed clear progress. Sandro Tonali, signed for £100m from Newcastle United, influenced proceedings with his physicality and running power, while £85m arrival Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United remained a creative threat throughout. Off the bench, Dejan Kulusevski marked his return from a lengthy injury absence with a sharp cameo that drew an impressive save from Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson. The defeat leaves Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage under increasing scrutiny, with his team occupying a spot in the bottom three after claiming only two wins from their opening nine matches.
Despite the commanding triumph, De Zerbi urged his squad to stay hungry and refine their execution. "We could have scored more goals, but we created many chances. We have to be more nasty, especially in the last third of the match, especially in the finishing," De Zerbi explained to Match of the Day. Looking ahead, the head coach insisted Spurs must maintain their high standards, adding: "Three games in a row is not enough. We have to keep this behaviour, this spirit. This condition to prepare every game in the same way."