Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur. Premier League.
Selhurst ParkAttendance2,000.
Match report and free highlights as Harry Kane's ninth Premier League goal of the season is cancelled out by Jeffrey Schlupp (81); Tottenham level on points with Liverpool at the summit ahead of Anfield trip
Monday 14 December 2020 00:00, UK
Jeffrey Schlupp struck late to earn Crystal Palace a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Tottenham as the points were shared in the rain at Selhurst Park on Super Sunday.
Harry Kane's ninth Premier League goal of the season gave visitors the lead midway through the first half (22), with Vicente Guaita beaten from 25 yards out by the striker's swirling effort.
But Spurs seemed content to sit on their slender lead, and Palace deservedly equalised through Schlupp after Hugo Lloris spilled Ebere Eze's free-kick (81).
Guaita made a superb one-handed save to deny Eric Dier's free-kick in stoppage time as Palace moved above Newcastle and Wolves into 11th place while Jose Mourinho's side remain top courtesy of a superior goal difference following Liverpool's surprise 1-1 draw at Fulham later on Sunday.
Fresh from their biggest ever away win in the top flight at West Brom last weekend, Roy Hodgson placed his faith in the same starting XI that was aided by Matheus Pereira's dismissal in the 5-1 victory at The Hawthorns.
Palace went into the contest winless in their previous 10 Premier League meetings with Spurs, with their 1-1 draw in this exact fixture last season ending a run of nine straight league defeats against them. And it was Mourinho's men who carved open the first chance as Toby Alderweireld spotted the run of Heung-Min Son but the South Korean was unable to direct his shot on target from close range.
Lloris was drawn into action for the first time moments later to deny Wilfried Zaha down to his right but the visitors ought to have broken the deadlock when Serge Aurier's cross was swept towards goal by the returning Tanguy Ndombele only for Guaita to make a superb stop.
That sparked a period of sustained pressure on the Palace goal which ultimately led to Kane's opener. The England striker had already seen a header from Son's corner kept out by the overworked Guaita before the pair combined for the 12th time this season to give Spurs the lead.
There looked very little on when Kane collected the ball 30 yards out, but his dipping right-foot shot went through the gloves of the Palace stopper.
Hodgson will have been encouraged by how his side ended the half strongly, however, with Eze taking Schlupp's pass to very nearly restore parity but his shot thudded off Lloris' left-hand post.
The rain continued to fall in south London upon the restart and Palace continued to stream forward as Eze collected Benteke's lay-off before setting up Zaha to his left but the forward's effort didn't come down quick enough.
Spurs barely ventured forward in the second period with a speculative shot from distance by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg failing to trouble Guaita. It was scant respite for the Spurs defence, as Luka Milivojevic's free-kick onto the head of Benteke presented Schlupp with a gilt-edged chance to level, but the winger blazed over from inside the six-yard box.
Benteke was next to go close as he rose to meet Eze's corner, his header rippling the roof of the net, but Palace were not to be denied their leveller as Schlupp atoned for his earlier miss in the final 10 minutes, pouncing on the loose ball after Eze's free-kick was parried out by Lloris.
In a frantic final 10 minutes, Mourinho turned to Dele Alli in search of winning the game again. The midfielder was back in a Premier League matchday squad for the first time since Spurs' 6-1 win at Manchester United on October 4.
Ben Davies was very nearly fortunate with an over-hit cross that struck the crossbar before Guaita made a superb reflex save to deny Kane's header as the hosts found themselves pinned back.
Four minutes were added on as Palace voices became increasingly strained, and in the third of those, Dier very nearly floored the returning Holmesdale Road faithful with his arching set piece that drew one last save from Guaita as Palace earned their point.
Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson: "It was a bit unfortunate the way we went behind. Our goalkeeper [Vicente Guaita] had an excellent game and I didn't expect [Harry Kane's shot] to go in, knowing how good our keeper is.
"We were threatening to get the equaliser, it came quite late but it gave us an awful lot of pleasure and I thought we deserved it as well."
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho: "We have one more point than we had. In that way, a point is a point and we know how difficult they are to get in the Premier League. We [also] lost two points.
"If I look to the last 10 minutes of the game, yes, if I look at the first 45 minutes, yes, but from 45 to 75 minutes we couldn't play or build from the back and we made lots of mistakes. A team like them, they can create and fight in the box. If I split the game into three parts - we lost two points."
Guaita should certainly have saved Kane's swerving long-range attempt, but the Spaniard showed his powers of recovery to preserve Palace's point with a superb late save to deny Dier.
Prior to Tottenham's opener, he had already produced fine stops to keep out Ndombele, Sergio Reguilon and Kane - underlining his importance to Hodgson's side.
The Palace boss said of his goalkeeper: "He made two great saves at the end, one from close range and of course Eric Dier's free-kick. He had a very good game. Had he not made the mistake I'm not sure he would have felt as good after making the late saves."
Crystal Palace travel to face West Ham on Wednesday; kick-off is at 8pm. Tottenham travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on the same evening in a crucial clash at the top of the Premier League; kick-off 8pm.
