Tottenham Hotspur loses 1-3 to Crystal Palace as fear of relegation increases

The specter of relegation from the Premier League loomed increasingly large for Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, after the team hovered just above the drop zone following a 1-3 home defeat to Crystal Palace.

When striker Dominic Solanke put 16th-placed Tottenham ahead in the 34th minute, a first league win in 2026 seemed on the cards for the hosts.

But before the break the match collapsed in disorder, with Palace replying three times to stun the hosts after Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven was sent off.

Van de Ven brought Ismaila Sarr back into the area and was shown a red card before Sarr fired home the resulting penalty.

Adam Wharton then played in Jorgen Strand Larsen to put a low show past Guglielmo Vicario in the opening minute of stoppage time and provided another classy assist for ⁠Sarr to make it 3-1.

Sarr also had a goal disallowed for marginal offside shortly before Solanke’s opener.

Ten-man Tottenham fought in a subdued atmosphere after the break, but could not prevent a fifth consecutive league defeat, extending the winless league series to eleven.

It has 29 points from 29 games, one more than Nottingham Forest and West Ham United, who are in better form. Palace’s win moved them up to 13th in the standings with 38 ⁠points.

Tottenham have always been a presence in the Premier League, last being relegated from the top flight in 1977, but interim manager Igor Tudor will have to turn things around very quickly if he wants to stay above the hatch.

Published on March 6, 2026