Calamitous Tottenham self-destructed against Crystal Palace. Relegation is a very real prospect

Tottenham 1-3 Crystal Palace: Micky van de Ven’s ill-judged sending-off led to a chaotic end to the first half which saw Palace come from behind to inflict more pain on Igor Tudor’s side SportFootballCalamitous Tottenham self-destructed against Crystal Palace. Relegation is a very real prospectTottenham 1-3 Crystal Palace: Micky van de Ven’s ill-judged sending-off led to a chaotic end to the first half which saw Palace come from behind to inflict more pain on Igor Tudor’s sideRich Amofa Thursday 05 March 2026 23:25 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoveropen image in galleryIt’s now 11 games without a win for Spurs (John Walton/PA Wire)Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreTottenham’s precarious Premier League plight worsened significantly after a calamitous period culminated in a 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace. The loss leaves the north London club staring down the barrel of relegation, having started the night just a single point above the bottom three following West Ham’s midweek victory over Fulham.The match began with an early scare for Spurs when Ismaila Sarr had a goal disallowed for offside, but hope briefly flickered five minutes later as Dominic Solanke netted a 34th-minute opener. However, any momentum was swiftly extinguished by a moment of inexplicable folly from stand-in captain Micky Van de Ven, whose blatant pull-back on Sarr inside the area earned him a straight red card.open image in galleryVan de Ven was sent off after pulling back Sarr (John Walton/PA Wire)Sarr calmly converted the resulting spot-kick, and the Eagles capitalised further during a chaotic end to the first half. Jorgen Strand Larsen added a second for Palace with a low effort, before Sarr grabbed his brace, leaving the home side shell-shocked and facing an uphill battle with ten men.Manager Igor Tudor, who had controversially dropped big-money signings Conor Gallagher and Xavi Simons for the visit of Palace, now faces intense scrutiny. His tactical gamble failed to pay off, with Guglielmo Vicario forced into an early save from Adam Wharton within the first minute. Debutant Souza was booked after just seven minutes for a poor tackle that saw Daniel Munoz limp off, setting a tense tone.Despite a snapshot from Mathys Tel in the 15th minute, Tottenham struggled to gain a foothold. Palace thought they had scored just before the hour mark when Sarr raced onto Evann Guessand’s through ball, but a lengthy VAR check ruled it offside, prompting loud cheers from the home crowd. open image in galleryStrand Larsen celebrates his goal (John Walton/PA Wire)These cheers soon turned to despair as Solanke’s opener, set up by Gray after a deflected Tel strike, was quickly overshadowed.Four minutes after taking the lead, Van de Ven’s red card and Sarr’s subsequent penalty completely shifted the dynamic. Tudor introduced Gallagher and Yves Bissouma, but the changes couldn't stem the tide. Wharton was instrumental in Palace’s late first-half surge, threading a pass to Strand Larsen, who fired past Vicario, and then delivering a clipped ball that Sarr poked in, exposing a static Tottenham defence and leaving Pedro Porro looking foolish.Loud boos greeted the half-time whistle, but the ten men of Spurs showed some resilience in the second half. Kevin Danso was denied by Dean Henderson, and Gray had an effort blocked. Substitutions including Brennan Johnson, Richarlison and Xavi failed to alter the scoreline, as Tottenham set an unwanted club record of 11 Premier League matches without a win, deepening the crisis for Tudor and the club.PA contributed to this reportMore aboutTottenham HotspurCrystal PalaceMicky van de VenJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next