Tottenham beat Palace 2-0 for third straight league win

Tottenham beat Crystal Palace 2-0 on October 31 after Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off in the 13th minute, securing a third consecutive Premier League victory. Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke scored for Tottenham, which controlled much of the match against a Palace side reduced to 10 players. Mateta was dismissed after a video assistant referee review upgraded referee Michael Oliver’s yellow card for a high challenge on Tottenham captain Micky van de Ven. The forward caught Van de Ven on the Achilles with a studs-up tackle, leaving Palace to play most of the match a player short. Tottenham took the lead in the 25th minute. Mohammed Kudus delivered a corner to the far post, where Gray headed the ball into the net. Spurs added a second in the 73rd minute when Mateus Fernandes crossed for Van Hecke. The defender’s first header was tipped onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Dean Henderson, but Van Hecke scored on the rebound. Tottenham had 34 shots to Palace’s two, according to reported match statistics, and held 79.4% possession. The numerical advantage shaped the contest, though Palace defended for long periods before conceding the second goal. Tottenham’s result extended its...