Delle Alli scored the goal of the season so far as Tottenham won the Premier League match against Crystal Palace 3-1.
Alli's moment of brilliance late in the second half helped Tottenham Hotspur to a 3-1 comeback win in a pulsating game at Selhurst Park.
Spurs were unbeaten in nine away matches going into the game,
while Crystal Palace were looking for their first league win of 2016 and
their first goal since before Christmas. And the game seemed set to
follow the expected pattern in the early stages, with the visitors
completely on top and Palace limited to the counter-attacking threat of
Wilfried Zaha.
However, failing to clear a rare attack from the visitors proved
a big problem for Spurs. Zaha stepped outside his full-back and drilled
in a cross, which Jan Vertonghen turned beyond his own goalkeeper to
give Palace their first goal in six games.
Going behind fired Spurs up even further and the remainder of
the first half was a hugely entertaining spectacle, with plenty of
chances for Tottenham and acres of space for Palace to exploit on the
break.
Coming out for the second half 1-0 down, Spurs stepped up a gear
yet further and went on the offensive by pulling off defensive
midfielder Eric Dier for Nacer Chadli with over half an hour remaining.
And it was Chadli who set up the equaliser, dinking in a cross that Harry Kane headed home.
A stray elbow by Connor Wickham
on Jan Vertonghen wasn’t spotted by the officials, but will almost
certainly interest the FA, and Vertonghen was forced off with injury
moments later. With Spurs without their regular centre-back pairing for
the first time in the league this season, Palace almost exploited them
from a set-piece, twice hitting the woodwork just moments after Hugo Lloris had denied Zaha with an excellent stop.
However, it was a moment of brilliance from the breakthrough
star of the season, Dele Alli, that gave Spurs the lead. The youngster’s
cushioned control, volleyed set-up and terrific finish combined for
arguably the goal of the season so far and his genius strike knocked the
stuffing out of Palace. It was a truly staggering piece of skill from
the player, reminiscent of James Rodriguez's famous strike for Colombia
at the 2014 World Cup - a truly remarkable moment from a man who was
toiling in League One just last season, but has emerged as one of the
finest talents in the English game.
The end-to-end nature of the match continued right until the
last, when Chadli picked out the bottom corner to seal a 3-1 win for the
Lilwhites.
Palace will walk away from this game wondering what might have
been after a thoroughly impressive performance, but for Tottenham this
could be a huge moment in their season. Not often have they been able to
come from behind and win games like this, but some of the football that
Spurs played – particularly in the second half – will only add weight
behind those who claim that Tottenham are genuine title challengers.
KEY MOMENTS
30’ – GOAL! Palace 1-0 Spurs:
Zaha's cross is turned beyond a helpless Lloris by Jan Vertonghen. The
delivery was right in that corridor of uncertainty so he had to do
something, but that will be embarrassing for the Belgian to watch on the
replay. 1-0 Palace, completely against the run of play.
33’ – SHOT – Alderweireld
has a foray into Crystal Palace territory and decides to go for goal.
His shot is a dangerous one, fizzing narrowly wide, but the real chance
was for Kane, who only need to add a touch of his own to divert the ball
beyond Hennessey.
63’ – GOAL! Palace 1-1 Spurs: Harry
Kane equalises for Spurs. Chadli gets in the way of a cross, but makes
up for it by collecting the ball and chipping a delivery into the danger
area on the turn. Kane is the first to react and he nips in front of
the two centre-backs to head beyond Hennessey. 1-1, and that's about
right on the balance of play.
70’ – BLOCK – Lloris again makes a solid
stop, but it's a block from Vertonghen that saves Spurs with Palace
players queuing up to have a shot with the loose ball.
73’ – INJURY – Vertonghen really is in the
wars. Not only will he have a sore face after copping one from Wickham,
but he's done something to his shin and his helped from the field by the
physio.
80’ – BAR – The free-kick is headed off the
underside of the bar, tests out the technology as it bounces on the line
and then is flicked back on to the bar from the rebound. Somehow
Tottenham scramble it away and the Palace players hold their heads in
disbelief.
84’ – GOAL! Palace 1-2
Spurs: Dele Alli scores an absolute belter to put Spurs ahead,
controlling a looping pass with a first touch, dinking it over his head
with his second and then shooting past Hennessey from outside the box
with his third... all without the ball touching the floor. What a
talent! What a goal! 2-1 Spurs!
92’ – BAR – Alli produces
more spectacular skill to deftly send himself through on goal and he
beats the goalkeeper to the loose ball too. His shot evades the
outstretched arms of Hennessey but strikes the underside of the bar and
bounces away.
94’ – GOAL! Palace 1-3
Spurs: Game over. Spurs work a short corner to Nacer Chadli and he cuts
inside on to his right foot and plants a shot into the bottom corner.
3-1 Spurs.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Dele Alli (Tottenham) – This actually wasn’t
Alli’s best performance of the season, not by a long way, and he got
dragged in to a few of the dark arts with his knee into the back of Cabaye
and a few other tetchy moments. However, it would be faintly ridiculous
to give the award to anyone else given the ridiculous quality of his
match-winning strike. Alli is the real deal. There can be no more doubt.
He has a bit of everything and this was a strike of such quality that
it will be hard to beat in any goal of the season poll.
PLAYER RATINGS
Palace: Hennessey 8; Ward 6, Dann 7, Delaney 7, Souare 6; Ledley 6, Cabaye 7; Zaha 9, McArthur 5, Puncheon 7; Wickham 6. Subs: Jedinak 7, Campbell 5.
Spurs: Lloris 8; Trippier 6, Alderweireld 7, Vertonghen 5, Rose 6; Dier 5, Dembele 6; Eriksen 7, Son 7, Alli 9; Kane 8. Subs: Chadli 8, Wimmer 6, Bentaleb 6.
KEY STATS
Jan Vertonghen’s first half own goal was the first time Crystal
Palace had found the net in Premier League action since before
Christmas.
Tottenham are unbeaten in ten matches away from home in the Premier League for the first time since December 1995.
20 of the 21 goals scored in the last ten meetings between these
sides have come in the second half. The exception was Vertonghen’s own
goal in this game.
Palace are yet to pick up a point in 2016.
Five of Alli’s six league goals in his debut season have come away from home.
Chadli’s late goal was the 600th Premier League goal of the season.
TALKING POINT
Just how good is Dele Alli? The answer: very,
very good. This youngster has it all, the passing ability, the vision,
the goalscoring touch, the competitive streak – no wonder Roy Hodgson
was spotted rubbing his hands together in the stands at Selhurst Park.
The only note of caution is that there will be a game where his temper
gets the better of him and he is sent off. Let’s not lambast him for it
when that happens, regardless of the circumstances.
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