Tottenham 0 Crystal Palace 2: Spurs drop to 17th in Premier League table and suffer yet more injury woes

ANGE POSTECOGLOU’S Tottenham revved up for the Europa League Final in record-breaking fashion – as they crashed to an all-time-low 20th Premier League defeat of the season.

In the process, they showed exactly why – whatever happens in that final against Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21 – they will surely not be Postecoglou’s Tottenham next season.

EPA

Crystal Palace were dominant as they beat London rivals Tottenham 2-0[/caption]

Getty

Ange Postecoglou’s side were dismal and now sit in 17th in the league[/caption]

Alamy

Dejan Kulusevski was taken off injured in the first half, handing a huge blow to Spurs’ Europa League hopes too[/caption]

This was a truly pitiful performance from Spurs – not so much a case of poor defending but of vast institutional negligence, as Palace ran riot, the scoreline never reflecting their dominance.

And an early knee injury to Dejan Kulusevski – one of only three players retained from Thursday’s semi-final victory at Bodo/Glimt – was further cause for misery.

An Eberechi Eze double either side of half-time gave Oliver Glasner’s side the perfect pep-up before Saturday’s FA Cup Final against Manchester City

Palace also had two first-half goals ruled out and twice struck the crossbar as they outclassed their hosts, who now sit just one place above the relegation places before they contest what – in terms of league positions – is the worst Europa League Final of all time.

Spurs may yet lift their first trophy in 17 years in the Basque country next week – after all, they have defeated United three times this season – but this dog’s breakfast of a league campaign must surely spell the end of their Australian manager’s reign.

With those Cup finals on the horizon, it threatened to be a case of players spending 90 minutes trying to avoid injury.

Yet Palace were at full pelt in their final run-out before next weekend’s Wembley final.

After returning from the semi-final trip to northern Norway at 4.30am on Friday, Postecoglou made eight changes to his starting line-up but this was still a team of experienced pros and the display they bordered on disgraceful.

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Getty

Ebere Eze scored both of Palace’s goals[/caption]

The England star was dominant throughout the clashGetty

Djed Spence – at left-back, according to the teamsheet – gave one of the worst individual performances of the season.

Glasner selected his first team, minus the injured Adam Wharton, the Eagles still eyeing a top-half finish.

And within nine minutes, Palace thought they had the lead after a sweeping crossfield move – Eze to Jean-Philipe Mateta to a marauding Daniel Munoz on the right.

When the full-back centred low to the back stick, Ismaila Sarr darted to the back post for a tap-in.

Yet Mateta had been marginally offside in the build-up because his shoulder was leaning across the halfway line – another triumph for VAR.

Soon, Tottenham’s back-up keeper Antonin Kinsky almost chucked a weakly-struck Munoz volley into his own net.

And then came the moment Postecoglou had been dreading even more than a Palace goal, as Marc Guehi’s challenge sent Kulusevski up into the air, the Swede hurting his right knee as he fell.

Kulusevski, who had briefly been acting as a false nine, was replaced by Mikey Moore.

And then came one of those familiar passages in a match during which Tottenham simply stopped trying to defend.

Kinsky made a point-blank save from Mateta, whose angled pass soon found Munoz for a shot which was drilled against the crossbar.

Spurs seemed to have decided that, under no circumstances, would they mark Munoz, who was soon given acres of space for a shot on goal, yet mishit a pass to Mateta instead.

Soon after, from a corner, a Chris Richards header was pushed against the bar by Kinsky.

Reuters

Tottenham have now lost 20 Premier League games this season[/caption]

Spurs chief Daniel Levy must be contemplating Postecoglou’s futureShutterstock Editorial

The atmosphere was funereal and the defending comedic – but somehow Palace were not in front.

Next, Eze had a long-range shot deflected narrowly wide and from the resulting corner, there was another disallowed goal – Maxence Lacroix’s header cannoning in off the out-stretched arm of Guehi.

Then, after a lengthy VAR check, an actual goal.

Munoz, who must have been feeling as though he was part of a one-man Covid lockdown, careered down the right in blissful isolation once more and centred for Eze to tap home.

Yves Bissouma arrived as a half-time sub and was booked within 90 seconds for kicking Will Hughes in the head.

And then it was 2-0, Eze locating Sarr who sprinted down the right and cut back a return ball for Eze – unmarked, as you may have guessed – to drill past Kinsky.

Mateta then ploughed forward and had a shot saved and from a long throw-in, Kevin Danso almost headed into his own net, Kinsky pushing wide.

Then, in a shock twist to a rather repetitive plot, Spurs almost scored – Pedro Porro’s cross to the back post met by a flying header from Pape Matar Sarr, which fell wide.

Glasner made a triple substitution, showing mercy to his hosts, who eased up a little while continuing to dominate.

Throughout it all, Postecoglou stood by the edge of his technical area, largely motionless. He will be moving soon enough.

Reuters

Postecoglou could lose his job this summer even if he wins the Europa League[/caption]

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