Crystal Palace 0-1 Tottenham - 3 observations from Selhurst Park
Aurier and crossing
Serge Aurier attracted first half interest for all the wrong reasons at Selhurst Park, with the right-back making two foul throws in quick succession. All in all, today wasn’t one to remember for the Ivorian right-back, at least from an attacking perspective. When Tottenham play in a 4-2-3-1 formation, the full-backs provide the width and a decent final delivery is of the utmost importance. This is a weapon desperately lacking in Aurier’s arsenal.
One of the main critiques of Aurier is an inability to put in a decent cross and Sunday’s early London derby proved no different. He managed to move into great attacking positions down Spurs’ right, yet would either put his cross into the first man or out for a goal kick, with all six of his attempted crosses failing to meet a teammate. A third foul throw midway through the second half summed up an inept offensive performance, though he did make a great last ditch challenge to deny Alexander Sorloth a clear chance on goal after the interval. However, there’s a reason Mauricio Pochettino tends to favour Kieran Trippier ahead of Aurier and it’s largely due to the latter’s statistically calculated WhoScored weakness of ‘crossing’.
Last ditch Palace close to key result
Injury ridden Crystal Palace were looking to end a four-match winless run when they welcomed Tottenham to Selhurst Park and they came perilously close to frustrating their London rivals. Spurs huffed and puffed and until a 90th minute corner, it looked as though they wouldn’t blow Palace’s house down. A late Harry Kane header, though, proved the difference despite Spurs wasting chance after chance, with Kane guilty of missing two and Aurier somehow fluffing his lines two yards from goal.
While Palace were hanging on by the skin of their teeth for large periods, they defied pre-match doubters right up until the death as they dug deep and frustrated Spurs. Indeed, there’s a reason they have now lost just twice at Selhurst Park in the Premier League since Roy Hodgson took over the reins with their defensive resolve a key foundation in south London. Similar performances between now and the end of the season will go a long way to helping stave off relegation and they can count themselves desperately unlucky not to have come away with a result today, despite being up against the ropes for a vast majority of their welcome of Spurs.
No Vertonghen and Alderweireld? No problem
With Toby Alderweireld suffering an injury setback and Jan Vertonghen sustaining an ankle knock in training on Saturday, Tottenham started without either Belgian for the first time in the Premier League since the former’s arrival from Atletico Madrid. As such, head coach Mauricio Pochettino was forced to field Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez as a centre-back pair for the first time. The duo could’ve endured a tough afternoon too, with Roy Hodgson again persisting with a front three of Andros Townsend, Christian Benteke and Alexander Sorloth, though that was more out of necessity given Palace’s mounting injury issues.
The attacking threat of the latter pair, too, could’ve posed Spurs numerous problems given their aerial presence, but Dier and Sanchez dealt with the threat of the duo well. There was a hairy moment or two, with Serge Aurier’s last ditch challenge or Sorloth a stand out moment in the balance of the tie, but it was proof that Spurs can function without the pair where required. Tougher opponents than Palace may have put the visitors to the sword, but it was a test that Dier and Sanchez passed. That being said, the sooner one, or both, of Spurs’ Belgian defenders return, the better as far as Pochettino and their top-4 pursuit is concerned.
