Report and free highlights as Spurs seal sixth spot; Palace finish 14th
Sunday 26 July 2020 21:44, UK
Tottenham guaranteed Europa League football for next season by finishing sixth in the Premier League despite a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on the final day of the season.
Starting the day one point behind Wolves, Spurs made the perfect start when they went ahead in the 13th minute through Harry Kane's low strike.
However, Palace levelled just after the break when Jeffrey Schlupp fired home from a corner to seal Roy Hodgson's side a share of the spoils at Selhurst Park.
The point, coupled with Wolves' 2-0 defeat at Chelsea, means Jose Mourinho's side finish the season level on points with Wolves but a better goal difference secures a place in the Europa League second round of qualifying next season. That could still be upgraded to a group stage place if Chelsea beat Arsenal to win the FA Cup next Saturday.
Spurs threatened in just the fourth minute when a swift counter-attack saw Lucas Moura's cross just beat Heung-Min Son at the far post before Giovani Lo Celso fired straight at Vicente Guaita.
The visitors capitalised on their early dominance when Lo Celso fed Kane, who cut inside and fired into the bottom corner to score his seventh goal in eight games since the Premier League's restart.
Mourinho's men tried to stretch their advantage at the end of the first half with another excellent counter-attack but Harry Winks' cross just evaded Kane while Moura rounded Guaita but his shot from a tight angle was cleared by Joel Ward on the goal line.
Spurs were punished for failing to build on Kane's opener when Palace levelled eight minutes after the restart.
Scott Dann climbed highest at the far post, his header eventually fell to Schlupp via Jordan Ayew's miskick, and he fired into the roof of the net from close range.
The goal brought Palace to life and they nearly got lucky with one as a deflected cross from the right almost caught Hugo Lloris out and hit the near post, while Ayew struck an effort wide from just inside the Spurs penalty area.
Spurs, who failed to have a shot on target in the second half, were living dangerously, and they could have lost the game in added time.
An inviting delivery was met by Dann, but his free header was placed wide as the visitors held on to ensure European qualification.
Kane continued his fine form adding his seventh Premier League goal since the restart.
Only Andy Cole (9), Les Ferdinand (9) and Matt Le Tissier (8) have scored more Premier League goals on the final day than Tottenham striker Harry Kane has in just six such appearances (7).
Kane netted his 31st goal in Premier League London derbies, with only three players managing more (Thierry Henry 43, Teddy Sheringham and Frank Lampard on 32).
Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson: "We could not move up a place in the table, but I am really pleased with them to go out and get a hard-earned point. Our squad is small, it is ageing, we have been playing some of the top teams in the country and it has been hard. I see this period as a necessary evil that we have had to go through.
"Even if the intention and desire from the board is to spend some money and rejuvenate the team, whether it's a possibility in the market is another matter. Unless we get help soon the job gets harder and harder. We need some players who can do what Harry Kane did for Tottenham today."
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho: "The season was crazy, not just since I arrived, but since they played the Champions League final. The season has been up and down and really hard. We managed in this group of matches to get results and to perform - not today, it was not the best performance.
"But we managed in this period to play well, get results and be solid and put ourselves in this position on the last day to qualify for the Europa League.
"From a personal point of view, I am happy because I think since I arrived we would be fourth which is good with all the problems we had."
The 2020/21 Premier League season kicks off on September 12 2020, and will run until May 23 2021.
Premier League clubs have voted for the summer transfer window to open the day after the 2019/20 season ends - on Monday July 27 - and run for 10 weeks.
