Alan Pardew got off to a winning start in the Premier League as Crystal Palace manager by leading his side to a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park this evening.
The hosts fell behind early in the second half when Harry Kane picked out the bottom corner for his 18th goal of the season, but Dwight Gayle levelled things up from the spot.
Jason Puncheon grabbed the winner 10 minutes from time, sweeping a first-time effort into the bottom corner to lift his side out of the bottom three.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at an entertaining London derby.
Match statistics
CRYSTAL PALACE
Shots: 21
On target: 7
Possession: 41%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 9
TOTTENHAM
Shots: 9
On target: 5
Possession: 59%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 14
Was the result fair?
The statistics make very interesting reading in this match, with Palace having had less of the ball but three times as many shots as their visitors. The Eagles used their possession more effectively than Spurs, and there is no doubt that they deserved something from this game.
Tottenham may perhaps feel that they were worthy of a point, however, having spent more time on the ball over the 90 minutes. A share of the spoils certainly would not have flattered the visitors, but they cannot have too many complaints at losing this game either. They failed to kick on after the opening goal, allowing Palace back into the match.
Crystal Palace's performance
Selhurst Park is a noisy stadium on a normal matchday, but it was really rocking for Pardew's first home game in charge. The fervour in the stands took a while to make it onto the pitch, however, with Palace failing to get going during the opening half an hour or so. They did improve towards the end of the first period, though, and continued that throughout the second half.
Kane's goal came after a bright start to the second half from the hosts, but they did not let their heads drop and fought their way right back into the game. No player took a backward step throughout the match, and that helped them to disrupt Tottenham in what was a very physical encounter.
This could be a vital victory in the context of Palace's season, and it was the perfect way for Pardew to start. His side are now out of the bottom three and have ended their eight-match winless streak, while they face Burnley and Leicester in two of their next three games. There is a real chance for them to go on a run now.
Tottenham's performance
Having been in such sparkling form last time out against Chelsea, this was a major disappointment. Spurs were the better side in the first half without ever really dominating, and could have even found themselves behind at the break had Glenn Murray been a little more clinical.
They appeared to be heading for a fifth away win in six when Kane gave them the lead, but they failed to push on from that and ultimately paid the price. It was a scrappy game, and that suited Palace more than it did Tottenham, with the visitors unable to play Mauricio Pochettino's usual brand of football.
Just as the win for Palace could prove vital for their chances of survival, the defeat could also prove costly for Spurs. They would have moved into the top four with three points today, but instead remain fifth and will drop below Arsenal should the Gunners avoid defeat against Stoke City tomorrow.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Jason Puncheon: Palace played with a lot of desire and hunger today, and nobody exemplified that more than Puncheon. The midfielder was rewarded for a good display with the winning goal, stroking it home nicely into the bottom corner.
Biggest gaffe
Benjamin Stambouli may feel hard done by having been penalised for a foul on Joe Ledley inside the box, but his careless challenge gave the referee a decision to make. Even after a number of replays it was not clear to see which player got to the ball first, so Anthony Taylor cannot be blamed for awarding the penalty. Instead, it is Stambouli who made the mistake by going for the challenge in the first place.
Referee performance
Taylor had a fairly busy game today, with a number of fouls and yellow cards being awarded. The big decision was the penalty, which did look like a foul on first glance, but could have gone either way. There were a couple of other controversial incidents, but Taylor did well on the whole.
What next?
Crystal Palace: Palace will look to maintain their 100% start to life under Pardew when they take on Burnley at Turf Moor next Saturday.
Tottenham: The Clarets are also next up for Spurs as they meet at White Hart Lane in an FA Cup third-round replay on Wednesday.
Barney Corkhill
