Crystal Palace 1-0 Tottenham: Bird Ratings - A Feathery Fight at Selhurst Park
The Eagles soared above the Spurs in a tense and tightly fought London derby at Selhurst Park, securing a crucial 1-0 victory. Wilfried Zaha was the hero, scoring the only goal of the game with a beautifully taken penalty in the second half. This victory propelled Palace further up the table, while Tottenham's hopes of a top-four finish took a hit.
Here's a breakdown of the Crystal Palace players' performances, rated on a scale of 1-10:
Crystal Palace
- Vicente Guaita (8): A commanding presence between the sticks, Guaita pulled off a number of crucial saves to keep Tottenham at bay. His shot-stopping and aerial dominance were instrumental in securing the clean sheet.
- Joel Ward (7): A solid performance from the veteran defender, Ward was a rock at the back, dealing with the threat of Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski effectively. He also provided valuable attacking support down the right flank.
- Joachim Andersen (7): Anchored the defense with his aerial prowess and strength. He made numerous vital interceptions and tackles, keeping Tottenham's attack at bay.
- Marc Guehi (7): Partnered well with Andersen to form a formidable defensive unit. Guehi was alert, composed, and made crucial clearances throughout the match.
- Tyrick Mitchell (7): A constant threat down the left wing, Mitchell provided the assist for the winning penalty. He showed impressive pace and dribbling skills, keeping Tottenham's defense on edge.
- Luka Milivojevic (6): A steady presence in midfield, Milivojevic controlled the tempo of the game and distributed the ball effectively.
- Eberechi Eze (7): A creative spark in midfield, Eze was involved in several promising attacks and created chances for his teammates. His vision and passing range were impressive.
- Michael Olise (7): Another creative outlet for Palace, Olise's dribbling ability and accurate crosses posed problems for Tottenham's defense. He was unlucky not to score himself but won the penalty that led to the winning goal.
- Jordan Ayew (6): Worked tirelessly up front, creating space for his teammates and holding up the ball effectively. While he wasn't able to find the back of the net, his work rate was commendable.
- Wilfried Zaha (8): The match-winner! Zaha was a constant thorn in Tottenham's side with his pace and dribbling ability. He won the crucial penalty and calmly slotted it home, securing all three points for Palace.
Tottenham
- Fraser Forster (6): Had little to do for most of the game but was unable to prevent Zaha's penalty.
- Emerson Royal (6): Struggled to contain Mitchell's pace and was often caught out of position.
- Cristian Romero (6): A mixed performance from the Argentine defender, who made some crucial tackles but also committed some sloppy errors.
- Ben Davies (6): Solid defensively but didn't offer much going forward.
- Pedro Porro (5): Had a quiet game and failed to provide the attacking threat expected of him.
- Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (6): A tireless worker in midfield but couldn't provide the spark that Tottenham needed.
- Oliver Skipp (6): Similar to Højbjerg, he put in a solid shift but lacked creativity.
- Dejan Kulusevski (5): Looked frustrated and was unable to impose himself on the game.
- Richarlison (5): A disappointing performance from the Brazilian forward, who was largely ineffective and offered little threat in attack.
- Son Heung-min (6): Showed flashes of brilliance but was unable to translate those into goals. He looked tired and lacked his usual sharpness.
Overall, Crystal Palace deserved their victory. They were the more organized and cohesive team, defending stoutly and creating chances on the counterattack. Tottenham, on the other hand, looked disjointed and lacking creativity, failing to create enough clear-cut opportunities to break down the Palace defense.
This win for Palace provides a crucial boost to their season, while Tottenham face a real fight to secure a Champions League place.