Spurs see off Crystal Palace after Mateta’s early red to pile pressure on Sage

Fortune is not favouring Pierre Sage. Just when the Crystal Palace manager needed a positive result, Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early red card condemned his side to a third straight defeat in the league, leaving their manager’s position hanging by a thread.

Goals from Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke ensured that Tottenham recorded a third successive victory for the first time in 616 days as they moved into the top half of the table. To put that into context, Spurs have had three full-time managers since then, so it was no wonder that Roberto De Zerbi looked so pleased at full time.