Tottenham Hotspur made it seven wins from eight away matches in the Premier League this season with a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park this evening.
The London derby endured a scrappy opening 45 minutes in which Moussa Sissoko came the closest to opening the scoring, thwarted by Mamadou Sakho after a driving run.
Palace were a constant threat from corners, but it was Spurs who benefitted from a set piece when Juan Foyth pounced on a rebound to head home his first career goal on 66 minutes.
The Eagles made a late charge to snatch a point but Hugo Lloris saved well from Jeffrey Schlupp and Alexander Sorloth to keep Palace winless at home in the top flight this term.
Relive the action with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
Welcome to Sports Mole's coverage of the Premier League's evening kickoff as Tottenham Hotspur take the Premier League's best away record to Selhurst Park, where Crystal Palace have picked up the fewest home points in the division this season. Away banker? No such thing in the Premier League...
CRYSTAL PALACE: Hennessey; Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, Van Aanholt; Kouyate, Milivojevic, McArthur; Meyer, Townsend, Ayew
Subs: Guaita, Ward, Kelly, Schlupp, Reidewald, Puncheon, Sorloth
Subs: Guaita, Ward, Kelly, Schlupp, Reidewald, Puncheon, Sorloth
SPURS: Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Foyth, Davies; Wanyama, Sissoko; Lamela, Dele, Lucas; Kane
Subs: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Dier, Winks, Eriksen, Son, Llorente
Subs: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Dier, Winks, Eriksen, Son, Llorente
A major blow to Crystal Palace as Wilfried Zaha is left out of the squad, presumably due to injury. Palace's talismanic attacker reportedly missed training yesterday and Roy Hodgson has not risked him this evening, with on-loan Swansea striker Jordan Ayew given the task of filling those big boots.
That is the only change enforced on Hodgson from last weekend's 3-1 defeat at Chelsea. Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham are still sidelined, leaving the Eagles desperately short of firepower. Summer signing Max Meyer makes successive league starts for the first time since joining from Schalke.
Joel Ward has recovered from a groin problem to take his place on the home bench, six weeks after his last appearance for the club. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has captured his place on the right side of the defence, and it may be that the pair of full-backs are Palace's best attacking outlets in Zaha's absence.
How Hodgson must envy the depth at his opposite number's disposal, with Mauricio Pochettino making six changes to the side which eventually overcame PSV in the Champions League in midweek, and still being able to field a team of internationals with Christian Eriksen and Son Heung-min in reserve.
The only member of the Spurs starting lineup yet to win a full international cap is defender Juan Foyth, who was called up to the Argentina squad last month. Pochettino keeps faith in the 20-year-old despite him conceding two penalties on his Premier League debut at Wolves a week ago.
A decision may have been taken out of Pochettino's hands by the injury suffered by Davinson Sanchez against PSV, with the Colombian missing out today with a hamstring strain. Mousa Dembele was also a midweek casualty and won't play again until after the New Year because of a knee problem. Victor Wanyama is back from his own injury to take Dembele's place in midfield, alongside Moussa Sissoko.
Victor Wanyama is back from his own injury to take Dembele's place in midfield, alongside Moussa Sissoko who is in the midst of his best run as a Spurs player, making his fifth league start in a row. Harry Winks isn't granted the same luxury as Pochettino manages his fitness after a long-term ankle issue.
Dele Alli makes his first Premier League start in over two months after a couple of injury layoffs, splitting Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela in the supportive trio to Harry Kane. Moura and Lamela have really stepped up this season to make light of the absences of both Alli and Eriksen, who has been struggling with an abdominal problem and is held back today after playing 90 minutes on Tuesday.
Today is Wilfried Zaha's 26th birthday, and he would have loved the chance to celebrate it with a 26th Premier League goal, against his one-time suitors. You have to go all the way back to September 2016 to find the last time that the Eagles won a top-flight match in which the Ivorian did not play.
While the best chances of Zaha wearing a Spurs shirt seem to have passed, Andros Townsend did play 93 times for his boyhood club. He's now made the same amount of appearances for Palace, scoring only eight goals compared to his 11 at Tottenham. The England winger has found regular football but arguably hasn't taken his game to the next level. Today would be the perfect time to step up.
While the best chances of Zaha wearing a Spurs shirt seem to have passed, Andros Townsend did play 93 times for his boyhood club. He's now made the same amount of appearances for Palace, scoring only eight goals compared to his 11 at Tottenham. The England winger has found regular football but arguably hasn't taken his game to the next level. Today would be the perfect time to step up.
Townsend's goal against Chelsea last weekend was his first in the Premier League since March, but finding the net has been a collective struggle for Palace. The Eagles have failed to score in half of their 10 most recent top-flight fixtures, and only Huddersfield, Newcastle and Southampton have notched fewer than Palace's eight this season.
In fact, Palace have not scored a goal from open play at Selhurst Park this season. The two home goals they have scored both came from the penalty spot - both from Luka Milivojevic and both against Arsenal. That means they have drawn blanks in their other four home matches. That comes after 10 goals in three home games to finish the 2017-18 campaign.
Palace's winless run of five league games at Selhurst Park is their worst sequence from the start of a season since a 15-match streak in 1997-98. The Eagles were relegated that campaign having finished rock bottom of the Premier League, but know from last year's experience things can change quickly.
It has not just been on their own turf that Palace have been suffering of late. Overall, Hodgson's side have gone six matches without a league victory and have only accrued five points from 10 games since beating Fulham on the opening weekend.
The Eagles are in the midst of a horror run of fixtures against the Premier League's elite, and their wait for a victory seems unlikely to end soon. They have won only one of their last 18 league matches against the established top six, beating Chelsea 2-1 last October.
Like Palace, Spurs have been more comfortable on the road this season, albeit for different reasons, related to their stadium issues. Spurs have won six of their first seven away league games for the first time since 1960 - the last time they won the title. They aren't considered serious challengers this season, but maybe they would be if they had White Hart Lane to back up their away form.
Tottenham boast an unrivalled 11 Premier League away victories in 2018, including four in a row ahead of today's match. That is two more than both Manchester City and Liverpool, and three more than Chelsea and Manchester United.
A huge part of their success on the road has been Harry Kane's incessant goalscoring - the England striker has bagged 27 goals in his last 27 away league games. Kane's midweek double in the rescue mission against PSV took him to 150 goals for Spurs in all competitions.
Pochettino's side are enjoying a run of five successive Premier League London derby wins, their longest in the top flight since an eight-match streak between October 1950 and August 1951. That is a good omen with crunch clashes against Chelsea and Arsenal to follow this trip to Selhurst Park.
The Argentine already owns eight Premier League wins over Crystal Palace, across his spells at Spurs and Southampton, making the Eagles his joint-favourite team to manage against alongside Swansea City.
Pochettino's compatriot Erik Lamela is the form player at Tottenham, having scored eight goals in his past 13 appearances in all competitions. The £30m winger had managed 21 in his previous 153, so this current run is his best in England by far.
Tottenham could equal their club record of seven successive Premier League wins in the same fixture, having previously managed this against Manchester City between 2004-07, and Swansea City between 2012-15.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Spurs are on a six-match winning streak against Crystal Palace in the Premier League, conceding just one goal during those fixtures. However, Palace have never lost seven consecutive top-flight matches versus the same opponent.
There has only been one first-half goal in the past 14 league meetings - 25 of the last 26 goals in this fixture have come in the second half. The only first-half goals at Selhurst Park this season have both been 45th-minute penalties.
Only Teddy Sheringham (32) has scored more Premier League goals in London derbies for Spurs than Harry Kane (24). Kane's haul have come from 37 games, giving him a ratio of 0.65 goals per London derby. Only Thierry Henry has a better record than that in Premier League history.
RESULTS: Check out the scores from the Premier League day so far in our results section. Watford and West Ham did Palace a huge favour as they were facing starting this match in the bottom three at one point. A win could lift Palace to 14th, and take Spurs level on points with Chelsea and Liverpool.
PREDICTION: Spurs have rode their luck a little of late and I thought it may run out tonight against Palace, but without Zaha they just aren't the same side and I fancy the visitors will run out 2-0 winners.
KICKOFF: The action is underway at Selhurst Park, which might be unbeatable for atmosphere under the lights. It is rocking tonight and Palace may need all the help they can get from the home support.
Townsend appears to be leading the Palace line, or is certainly their most advanced player, and so far that has consisted only of chasing down the ball as Spurs's defenders pass it between them.
Alli, Vertonghen, Dier, Rose, Lloris, Dembele...and now Sanchez. Spurs are feeling the hurt of the World Cup big time.
Another World Cup player, another muscle injury. https://t.co/Edq0n1hylf — Dan Kilpatrick (@Dan_KP) November 10, 2018
The rain is absolutely hammering it down in London which you would have thought would suit Tottenham's slick passing game but they haven't been able to be very progressive with the ball thus far.
Hugo Lloris makes an unconvincing attempt to clear a corner but the ball drops safely and rolls out for a throw-in on the far side. The Frenchman has made lots of errors recently and Paulo Gazzaniga is making himself a fan's favourite with his cup performances.
Hodgson will be pleased with how his side have started. They are compact with a narrow midfield four and do have pace on the break, but do Ayew and Townsend have the quality to make it count?
Decent this from Palace, who work it nicely down the wing and Townsend's cross is headed back across goal to Ayew, but Lucas Moura tracked back to make an important intervention in his own box.
SHOT! Townsend drills a low shot which Lloris tips around his post for a corner, from which James Tomkins rises highest at the back post but there is no Palace player to latch onto the second ball.
Foyth seems to be carrying some backage from last week's error-strewn debut, and nervously knocks the ball out of play trying a risky back-pass to Lloris. Moments later though the Argentine skilfully turns away from Ayew and brings the ball out from defence. That should give him a boost of confidence.
CLOSE! Sissoko embarks on a brilliant run, driving through three Palace players over on the Spurs left and into the area, before dropping the shoulder against Tomkins. It would be an amazing solo goal from the Frenchman but his compatriot Mamadou Sakho makes a crucial block at point-blank range.
We have barely seen anything of Kane thus far, and not much of Alli either. That might be the most pleasing thing for Hodgson who will know the two very well from his time as England boss.
SUBSTITUTION: You can add Kieran Trippier to that World Cup injury list, as the full-back has gone down clutching his leg. Serge Aurier, who hasn't started in the league since the opening day of the season, is on straight away and is his first contribution is to clear a corner at the front post.
Davies has managed to get to the left byline for a couple of crosses in recent moments. The Welshman is not as explosive going forward as Danny Rose but the delivery has been decent, with Palace standing firm defensively so far.
This time Davies picks out a teammate with his cross, but Alli is caught in two minds with his header and it finishes up a long way off target. Tottenham's No.20 could have directed the ball into the bottom corner, or into Kane's path and ended up doing neither.
SAVE! A slip from Milivojevic gifts the ball to Kane in the Palace half and the striker does not need a second invitation to shoot, letting fly powerfully from 25 yards and forcing Hennessey to parry out the dipping effort for a corner.
Spurs are enjoying their best passage of the game so far, with Wanyama putting in a couple of strong tackles in midfield to help them quickly recover the ball and push Palace back again. Sakho is having an excellent game thus far for the Eagles, organising his side well and barely putting a foot wrong.
Alli has started to come a little deeper to pick up the ball. With Sissoko and Wanyama in midfield, Spurs aren't necessarily going to pass their way through Palace so Alli's creativity is welcome in that area.
Aurier knocks a hopeful ball into the right channel which looks as if it will be plain sailing for Hennessey, but the pace of Moura forces the Welshman into a rushed clearance which nearly got him in trouble.
The visitors put together the best move of the match so far and Moura is within inches of getting his head to Aurier's cross.
Pochettino appears to have tinkered in the last 10 minutes and it has resulted in Spurs getting on top. Alli has dropped into a midfield three, and Lamela is now playing behind a front two of Lucas and Kane. Lamela and Lucas nearly combine on the edge of the box but Wan-Bissaka intercepts.
YELLOW CARD! Tomkins is the first name into referee Jon Moss's book, a cynical foul on Alli as Spurs threatened to break away.
Spurs appear to be knocking on the door as we approach the interval, and Palace waste an opportunity to potentially hit them with a sucker-punch as Townsend sends a corner over everybody and out for a throw-in.
Now Spurs have the chance to load the box and whip the ball in, with clever play from Lucas buying him a foul from Kouyate. Lamela's delivery is too close to Hennessey who punches clear unchallenged.
HALF TIME: PALACE 0-0 SPURS
The whistle is blown on another goalless first half at Selhurst Park, which has now gone 270 minutes without a first-half goal from open play in the Premier League this season. It has not been a game full of chances either, so hopefully there will be an improvement in the second period.
Wilfried Zaha vs. Kieran Trippier was being billed as a key battle in this match, but we have been denied that duel by injury. A reminder that Zaha does not feature for Palace tonight, and Trippier has been forced off with what looked like a muscle strain - a concern also for Gareth Southgate.
STATS: Spurs have enjoyed 72% possession although not much of that was in dangerous areas until after the half-hour mark. The visitors then took a strangehold of proceedings, and if the second period begins similarly then I fancy them to eventually break Palace down.
BENCH WATCH: If Tottenham don't get that breakthrough early in the second period, it is inevitable that we see Christian Eriksen, whose guile and vision might prove the difference. The Dane also has previous at Selhurst Park, scoring a long-range winner here back in April 2017.
Hodgson would probably take this result come full time, and will be reassured by how well his side have defended so far if the plan is indeed to try to shut Spurs out. That was not the pattern of the opening 20 minutes, but the game has since settled that way and Palace don't have Zaha to carry them upfield.
There are a lot of Fantasy Football managers hoping Kane can turn it on in the second half.
SCOUT: Kane (£12.4) is the only one of the top 8 captaincy picks to play today, with 594,176 managers (4th most) handing him the armband. His owners will hope he can find some form, Kane has 3 goals and 0 assists in the last 8 Gameweeks#FPL #CRYTOT pic.twitter.com/P2K6oL1637 — Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) November 10, 2018
KICKOFF: The action is back underway at Selhurst Park where the rain seems to have relented a touch...
Lucas nearly picks out Lamela with a sudden switch of play but Wan-Bissaka stretches to intercept.
Lloris flaps at a corner and makes minimal contact, with Tomkins unable to capitalise and direct his header into the open goal. In Tomkins' defence, he probably didn't expect the ball to reach him, and Lloris eventually recovers to punch clear the third ball.
Milivojevic slips Ayew in down the left side of the penalty area but Alderweireld is well positioned to usher the forward away from danger. It looks like the type of night where a mistake could determine this game and the Belgian did well to stand up there, rather than go to ground.
CHANCE! Set pieces are proving to be a genuine source of hope for Palace, and this is probably the best chance that they have had so far, with Tomkins peeling off Alli at the back post but heading into the side-netting. The defender would have been better off going across the shaky Lloris.
Alli's shot takes a deflection off Lamela and Hennessey refuses to take a chance, pushing it out for a corner.
Spurs are operating mostly in the very confined central areas, and they can't pass their way through this Palace rearguard at the moment. They need to get the full-backs forward and to the byline, or look to add some width from the bench. Could Son Heung-min be the difference maker?
SUBSTITUTION: Tomkins has picked up a knock and won't be able to continue, so Martin Kelly is on to fill in at centre-back. That is a double blow for Palace as he had looked their best chance of a goal.
Spurs have an injury concern of their own but Lucas looks as though he should be able to run this one off.
Kane switches the play to Davies but the full-back hesitates in getting his cross in and Wan-Bissaka blocks.
GOAL! PALACE 0-1 SPURS (JUAN FOYTH)
Spurs break the deadlock and Hodgson will be furious that it has come from a set piece. Kane, being picked up by the substitute Kelly, wins the initial header which hits Milivojevic and loops up invitingly for Foyth to nod home the rebound from close range. Those two penalties are long forgotten now!
SUBSTITUTION: Hodgson responds immediately by swapping Jeffrey Schlupp for Meyer, who did not make much of an impact at all.
Tottenham are chasing a second to kill this game off and both Lamela and Lucas get in behind, only for Hennessey to rush quickly off his line and deny both of them. Lamela could have made more of his chance but could not bring the bouncing ball under control.
SUBSTITUTION: Pochettino was preparing to bring on Son prior to the goal, and now does introduce the South Korean in place of Lucas Moura, leaving Spurs with only one substitution left after Trippier's enforced first-half withdrawal.
SUBSTITUTION: Alexander Sorlorth is also on for Palace, with James McArthur having made way. The Norwegian and Ayew bulldoze through Wanyama and Foyth and the eventual cross from Schlupp is well held low by Lloris, the most assured he has looked all evening.
Foyth bails out Sissoko, whose slip had gifted Schlupp the ball on the left byline but the Argentine was across quickly to quell the danger.
A wonderful first-time touch from Sissoko lays Aurier's switch of play into the path of Lamela but the Argentine stumbles on the ball. You can rarely describe Sissoko as subtle but that was lovely from the Frenchman, who has arguably been Tottenham's best player today, continuing his good form.
SAVE! Schlupp connects beautifully with a swing of his weaker right foot which Lloris pushes away. The shooting opportunity came from a simple long ball which Foyth failed to deal with against Sorloth.
Lamela stayed down during that Schlupp attack clutching his head, and his face is covered in blood. There is a stoppage in play as the in-form winger receives treatment and Spurs prepare a replacement.
SUBSTITUTION: Harry Winks is on to replace Lamela. Eriksen would have been the natural replacement but obviously Pochettino wants a more defensive-minded player to help Spurs see these points out.
CHANCE! Townsend can't get enough power behind a volley to trouble Lloris who holds his effort. Palace are getting some joy now down the left through Van Aanholt and Schlupp, and going direct to Sorloth.
It was around this time against Arsenal that Palace came up with a late equaliser so the hosts won't be giving this one up. They know that Spurs have crumbled under late pressure this season.
Milivojevic knocks a decent ball into the channel for Ayew but the flag goes up for offside. He scored seven Premier League goals for Swansea last season but the Ghana international has not looked a threat tonight.
SAVE! What a chance for Sorloth, who should be the hero for Palace as Milivojevic's shot is deflected into his path, but the Norwegian strikes straight at Lloris 10 yards out. There is going to be FIVE minutes of stoppage time here, so Palace might get one more chance to snatch a point.
Kane wins Spurs a free kick right in the corner and that should help the visitors tick away some vital seconds.
Spurs have a counter-attack opening but Kane's pass through the middle picks out neither Alli or Son.
FULL TIME: PALACE 0-1 SPURS
Deja Vu for Spurs as they endure another nervy finish to record a fifth successive 1-0 Premier League win over Palace. And Deja Vu for the Eagles too, who are still without a home win, or open-play goal this season. Tottenham's win takes them level on points with second-place Liverpool and Chelsea.
That's it from our coverage from Selhurst Park. You can read our match report on the action here. Thanks for joining Sports Mole this evening, and be sure to return tomorrow for a bumper day of Premier League football, with Liverpool and Chelsea in action before the Manchester derby. Until then, goodbye!
That's it from our coverage from Selhurst Park - you can read our match report on the action here. Thanks for joining Sports Mole this evening, and be sure to return tomorrow for a bumper day of Premier League action, with Liverpool and Chelsea in action before the main event of the Manchester derby. Unti then, goodbye!
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
