Crystal Palace claimed their first Premier League victory of the season with a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park, courtesy of Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-half goal. The much-needed victory lifts Palace out of the relegation zone and eases pressure on manager Oliver Glasner.
Palace showed strong intent from the start, pressing Tottenham aggressively. Their breakthrough came in the 31st minute when Spurs’ Micky van de Ven lost possession deep in his own half. Palace’s Daniel Muñoz intercepted and sent in a quick cross to Eberechi Eze, who cleverly flicked the ball to Mateta. Mateta’s strike marked his first goal of the season and proved to be the match-winner.
Tottenham struggled to respond, lacking cohesion and missing star player Son Heung-Min. Their best opportunity came when Brennan Johnson deflected a corner off the post. Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson then made a critical stop just before halftime, denying James Maddison and keeping the Eagles in control.
Despite a triple substitution by Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou in the final 30 minutes, Palace’s defense held firm. Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario was kept busy as Palace pushed for a second goal, with Eze and Ismaila Sarr both coming close in the second half.
After eight winless games, the win takes Palace to 17th place with six points, two points clear of the drop zone. Tottenham, now sitting eighth, suffered their third away loss of the season, leaving them four points behind Chelsea in the race for a top-five spot.
Postecoglou commented post-match, “We needed more composure today, but credit to Palace—they fought hard and deserved the win.”
For Palace fans, the final whistle brought a huge sigh of relief, marking the end of a challenging start to the season.
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