Tottenham go five points clear
Tottenham Hotspur extended their unbeaten start to the season with a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace on Friday, taking a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Ange Postecoglou’s team were evenly matched against London rivals Palace in the first half, but gained control after a Joel Ward own goal handed them the lead just after the break.
After 66 minutes, Spurs captain Son Heung-Min tapped in his ninth league goal of the season to effectively seal the points, and the visitors were in cruise control until Jordan Ayew scored in stoppage time for Palace.
James Maddison assisted both goals, as the former Leicester City star was once again superb for the visitors.
Tottenham‘s eighth win in ten games gives them 26 points, their best start to a Premier League season since 1960-61.
They are five points ahead of champions Manchester City, who play at Manchester United on Sunday, and Arsenal, who play at bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United on Saturday.
Palace are 11th in the standings with 12 points.
Postecoglou slammed his team following their 2-0 win against Fulham on Monday, but aside from a shaky start and some late nerves, they were dominant at Palace.
Spurs are beginning to appear like a team capable of a long-term challenge at the top after ten games, albeit the most of them against teams in the bottom half.
It is their largest advantage at the top since the final day of the 1961 season, when they last won the championship.
“Every week is a different challenge. The key for us was to be disciplined, focused and persistent in our play and we did that,” former Celtic manager Postecoglou said.
“I think the spell between the first and second goal we were dominant and played some really good football and then I still think the lads handled [the end of the match] well.”
Despite lots of smooth possession, the visitors failed to truly trouble goalkeeper Sam Johnstone in the first half, while Palace had early chances stopped by Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario.
Maddison was at the heart of Tottenham’s assaults, and the tenacious playmaker eventually gave his team the lead.
When Pape Matar Sarr’s attempted cross was rejected, the ball fell for Maddison, who drove it into the danger zone, where it rebounded off Ward’s leg and into the net.
Tottenham’s second goal was not by chance, as Maddison combined brilliantly with Brennan Johnson down the left before the replacement squared the ball for Son to convert.
Spurs threatened a third goal but were forced to face an uncomfortable climax as Pedro Porro misjudged his effort to clear a cross and Ayew controlled the ball with his chest and arm before thumping a shot past Vicario – the goal standing after a lengthy VAR review.
