Early Mateta Red Card Leaves Palace Facing Uphill Battle at Spurs

There was little for the travelling Palace support to cheer as an early red card for Jean-Philippe Mateta set the tone for a difficult evening against Tottenham Hotspur.

Forced to play with ten men for most of the contest, the Eagles battled hard and worked tirelessly out of possession, but Spurs eventually made their numerical advantage count, securing victory and leaving Palace to reflect on what might have been under very different circumstances.

MATCH INFORMATION

OFFICIALS

PLAYER RATINGS

Crystal Palace

Tottenham Hotspur

POST GAME QUOTES

PIERRE SAGE

“The red card was normal, nothing to say about that. We had the ball, we missed the pass and JP tackled an opponent who he didn’t see. That was a normal red card. I’m not looking for somebody to blame. When we win we are together and we have to keep the same way when we lose.

We showed some values but it is difficult to come back in the game without attacking. When we recovered the ball, we lost it too quickly that’s why it was really difficult. I am not looking for excuses. I always take responsibility. If we lost in this way, it’s because we didn’t attack enough to be present and to exist in this game.

You can trust in me, I will never give up. We need to work hard. Our situation is bad and we have to take things in our hand. I will be the first on the pitch on Monday to push the players to win against Hoffenheim and Liverpool because we need points.”

TYRICK MITCHELL

“The red card was frustrating, it was one of the first tackles of the game and we felt we were doing well and it is unfortunate. We go again.

The main message was don’t concede again, stay tight as a defence and try to hit them on the counter. That is the best plan when you’re down a man.

Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. There were some positives in the game, but I can’t say much when you lose. We just have to go again. The main message is to stay together as a team. We know what we are capable of. It is staying confident and bouncing back.” 

MATCH STATISTICS

TEB VERDICT

An afternoon that was effectively decided by the early dismissal of Jean-Philippe Mateta. Palace’s game plan was torn up almost immediately, forcing Pierre Sage’s side into a long battle of concentration, discipline and resilience against a Spurs side determined to exploit their numerical advantage.

To their credit, the Eagles remained organised for large periods and prevented the scoreline from becoming more damaging, but the physical and mental demands of playing with ten men for so long eventually took their toll. Spurs controlled possession, created the better opportunities and were ultimately worthy winners.

For Palace, this is one to file under ’damage limitation’ rather than dwell on. The result is disappointing, but the circumstances make it difficult to draw too many negative conclusions about the team’s overall form or performance level. What this means for Sage is difficult to determine and remains to be seen if the Frenchman is allowed more time with two tough fixtures coming up before back-to-back league fixtures against newly promoted sides.

The focus will now be on responding positively and ensuring the setback does not derail momentum elsewhere.

TEB Rating: 5/10

The contest was heavily influenced by the red card, leaving Palace with little realistic chance of taking anything from the game. Plenty of endeavour and commitment from the Eagles, but an avoidable dismissal proved costly and left them facing an impossible task.

LEAGUE POSITION

UPCOMING FIXTURES