By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Crystal Palace slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, leaving the Eagles in the Premier League relegation zone after just two wins from their opening seven matches under new manager Pierre Sage.
Mateta dismissal proves costly
The match turned in the 13th minute when striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was shown a straight red card following a VAR review for a studs-up challenge on Tottenham captain Micky van de Ven. With Palace reduced to ten men, Tottenham dominated and scored through Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke to secure a third consecutive league victory.
Sage strikes defiant tone
Despite mounting speculation over his future after a third straight league loss, Sage insisted he would not resign. “I will never give up,” the French coach said. “I want to be the first on the pitch on Monday. They can trust in me. I will give my life.” Sage acknowledged the relegation zone position as a disaster but vowed to work harder on the training ground to turn results around.
De Zerbi calls for more clinical edge
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi praised his side’s mature performance but urged greater ruthlessness in attack after his team registered 34 shots but only two goals. De Zerbi also handed a league debut to 18-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett in the closing stages.
