By Gary Rose.
Tottenham Hotspur moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League table and continued their superb start to the season with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.
After a tight first half in which Odsonne Edouard went closest with a low strike that was pushed away by Guglielmo Vicario, the visitors took control after the break.
They benefitted from a huge slice of fortune with the opener when Palace defender Joel Ward turned James Maddison’s cross into his own net.
But there was nothing lucky about their second as a lovely move involving Maddison and Brennan Johnson ended with Son Heung-min firing home from six yards for his eighth goal of the season.
Jordan Ayew thumped in a stunning strike after taking the ball down on his chest in stoppage time for Palace, but there was to be no equaliser as Tottenham continued their fine form under new boss Ange Postecoglou.
The Australian has breathed new life into his side since joining from Celtic in the summer and this win extended Spurs’ run to eight wins and two draws from their opening 10 games.
The victory means Tottenham move on to 26 points, five ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal, who both have a game in hand and can close the gap over the weekend.
Maddison is Spurs’ key man again
Postecoglou’s impact on the Spurs squad cannot be underestimated – he is not only enjoying the best start to a season by a new manager in Premier League history, but has also guided his team to their second best start to a top-flight campaign.
Spurs’ best ever start came in the 1960-61 season, when they amassed 30 points from their first 10 games and went on to win the league title. While it is early days, fans will be starting to dream of of a title challenge this term too.
Key to Tottenham’s impressive form this term has been the irrepressible Maddison, who has appeared right at home in this Spurs team ever since his summer transfer from Leicester City, and it came as no surprise that he was at the heart of both goals at Selhurst Park.
Palace had defended solidly and maintained their shape well for 52 minutes, but they buckled when Maddison found space inside the penalty area drove the ball powerfully across the face of goal to deflect in off Ward.
After that Tottenham, and Maddison in particular, found space more frequently and he played a significant part in the second, carrying the ball forward and gliding into the box before feeding Johnson, whose cutback was converted by Son.
Maddison and Son’s ability to maintain their stellar form will be key in determining just seriously Tottenham can challenge at the top of the table as the season progresses, but right now both players are looking unstoppable.
Positives for Palace despite loss
Crystal Palace have enjoyed a decent start to the season over their own under Roy Hodgson, but have come out of two difficult games against Newcastle and now Tottenham with zero points, conceding six goals and scoring only once.
But, while the 4-0 loss to Eddie Howe’s side was a poor performance from start to finish, there were signs of encouragement in this display against a team continuing a stunning run of form.
They frustrated their opponents in the first half and created the better chances, but ultimately Ward’s moment of misfortune proved decisive.
It may have ended in defeat but this battling display was more like what Hodgson surely wanted to see after following the meek capitulation at Newcastle last time out.