Ten-Man Palace Fall to Third Straight Defeat as Spurs Climb Table

Tottenham Hotspur beat a 10-man Crystal Palace 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a result that lifts Roberto De Zerbi's side into the top half of the Premier League table and leaves Pierre Sage facing mounting questions over his position at Palace.

Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off early in the contest, leaving Palace to play the majority of the match a man light.

Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke scored the goals that secured victory for Spurs, who recorded a third successive league win for the first time in 616 days. Tottenham have had three permanent managers during that 616-day stretch, underlining how rare a run of form this has been for the club.

De Zerbi looked visibly satisfied at the final whistle.

For Palace, the defeat was their third in a row in the league, dropping Sage's side into the relegation zone.

Sage acknowledged afterwards that his team had fallen short of what he expects, pointing to the numerical disadvantage as a significant factor. "It was a difficult game 11 v 11 and when we took the red card as well, it's a more difficult game," he said, as reported by Yahoo Sports.

Pressed on Palace's troubled start to the campaign, the manager accepted that results on the pitch had created the current uncertainty around his future. "I'm not comfortable with the situation but it's a consequence of what we did on the pitch," Sage said. "My only action is on the team and on the pitch, that's why I can't speak about the situation of the club or my situation because it's a consequence too of this."

He insisted the only route back was through performances in training and matches, telling reporters he wanted his players focused from the start of the next working week. "The only way to change things is on the pitch," Sage said. "I told the players I want to be the first one on the pitch on Monday. They can trust in me, I will never give up."

Sage added that Saturday's display at Tottenham had sharpened his resolve to improve the squad in training, saying the performance was "not in line with my conviction" and that he did not like handing opponents such an advantage.

Asked directly whether he expected to be given time to turn things around, Sage declined to predict the club's decision but was clear about his own commitment regardless of the outcome. "It's not for me to decide these things," he said. "But if I have one hour, I will give my best. If I have ten years, I will give my best. I'm responsible for the situation but I will find a solution for the situation."

The result leaves Tottenham building momentum in mid-table while Palace must regroup from inside the bottom three, with Sage's immediate focus turned to training sessions he has pledged to lead personally from Monday.