Tottenham edged past Crystal Palace with a narrow 1-0 victory at Selhurst Park, thanks to a landmark moment from teenage midfielder Archie Gray, whose first senior goal proved decisive in a hard-fought contest.
Gray, appearing in the Premier League for the 112th time of his young career, struck just before the interval. From a corner routine, Richarlison flicked the ball on and Gray reacted quickest at close range, nodding home to give Spurs a lead that ultimately stood firm. It was a rare bright spot in a game where chances were at a premium for the visitors and one of only their second league wins in nine outings.
Despite falling behind, Palace were the side that carried most of the attacking threat. In the opening period, Jean-Philippe Mateta wasted a clear opportunity by heading over when well placed, and the hosts continued to apply pressure after the restart. Justin Devenny and Maxence Lacroix both had presentable chances to equalise, but neither could find the required finish.
Tottenham, meanwhile, thought they had doubled their advantage on two occasions. Richarlison, deputising for the suspended Xavi Simons, found the net twice only for both efforts to be chalked off following VAR reviews for offside.
Palace’s task became harder as the game wore on. Already missing several regulars, they lost defender Chris Richards to injury, and the demanding run of fixtures appeared to catch up with them late on. Spurs almost added a second goal in the closing stages, with substitute Wilson Odobert striking the post and Rodrigo Bentancur forcing a save from Dean Henderson.
In the end, Gray’s opportunistic header was enough to secure the points, lifting Tottenham into 11th place in the table, just one point adrift of Palace, and easing some of the pressure on head coach Thomas Frank. For the Eagles, it was another frustrating afternoon, extending their run without a win to five matches in all competitions.
After the match, Frank praised his side’s mentality more than their fluency. He highlighted the resilience, attention to detail and willingness to battle, stressing that grinding out a 1-0 victory at a difficult away venue was a significant step, even if the performance itself left room for improvement.
Palace boss Oliver Glasner cut a disappointed figure. He felt his team controlled large spells of the game but were again let down in the decisive moments. According to Glasner, the inability to convert chances has become a recurring issue this season, with Palace often creating openings but lacking the clinical edge to capitalise, only to be punished by set-pieces at the other end.
Gray himself admitted the moment took a second to sink in. He said he briefly wondered whether the goal would count when he didn’t immediately see team-mates celebrating, but described scoring his first senior goal as a reward for years of hard work. The 19-year-old added that being in the right place was key, joking that the instinct to head the ball owed something to his family roots.
The goal also carried statistical significance. At 19 years and 291 days old, Gray became Tottenham’s youngest English goalscorer in the Premier League since Dele Alli in 2016. The defeat marked Palace’s third straight league loss, while their vulnerability from dead-ball situations continued, with the vast majority of goals conceded recently stemming from set plays.
