Tottenham win three in a row as Palace slip into bottom three

Tottenham Hotspur beat 10-man Crystal Palace 2-0 in the Premier League, completing three successive league wins for the first time in 20 months. Goals from Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke lifted the hosts into the top half of the table.

The contest turned early when Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta was dismissed in the 13th minute for a studs-up challenge on Micky van de Ven. Referee Michael Oliver first produced a yellow card, but a VAR review saw it changed to red, with the Tottenham captain caught on the Achilles.

Van Hecke, the former Brighton centre-back, settled matters when he forced the ball in from the floor after Henderson had tipped his header onto the crossbar. Roberto De Zerbi's side also handed a league debut to teenager Luca Williams-Barnett, while Dominic Solanke returned in attack and James Maddison started on the bench after an injury scare at Chelsea.

The run carries extra weight given that Spurs have gone through several full-time managers since their previous streak of successive league victories. It followed an away win at Chelsea last weekend, only the club's second success there in 36 years.

For Palace, it was a third straight league defeat and dropped them into the relegation places, leaving manager Pierre Sage's position hanging by a thread, according to The Guardian. The paper added that there had been an expectation Sage could be dismissed if his side lost, despite a midweek Carabao Cup win at Fulham. Sky Sports noted that a weakness at set-pieces has been a recurring theme under the manager.

Chair Steve Parish will decide Sage's fate, with Palace hosting Liverpool next before the international break.