Two-goal debut hero Edouard helps Palace demolish Spurs 3-0 at Selhurst

Crystal Palace 3

Tottenham Hotspur 0

By Charlie Stong

Two goals from debutant Odsonne Edouard sealed an emphatic 3-0 win for Crystal Palace against Spurs at Selhurst Park this lunchtime.

Edouard scored barely 30 seconds into his Eagles debut – making the game safe at 2-0 after Wilfried Zaha had given the hosts the lead from the penalty spot – then added a second in injury time to become the instant fans’ hero.

The summer signing from Celtic came off the bench on 83 minutes and beat Hugo Lloris in the Spurs goal from just inside the box after a cross from the left from Zaha, before a cool finish put the icing on the cake.

Spurs also saw Japhet Tanganga sent off for two bookable offences, and lost Eric Dier to injury in what was an instantly forgettable afternoon for the north Londoners.

It was a cagey first half of few real chances, with the game taking a while to come to life, but when it did Palace took the initiative.

Things started badly for Spurs, with Dier forced off after 12 minutes following a clash with Jordon Ayew – created by a terrible throw from Hugo Lloris which put the England man in trouble.

That seemed to rattle Lloris, who misplaced a goal-kick soon afterwards, as the Eagles looked to take control.

Jordan Ayew was lively and Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher – scorer of Palace’s two goals in the 2-2 draw at the London Stadium recently - grew in confidence as the game wore on.

Zaha had two half chances in the first half – dragging a shot wide of Lloris’ goal, then seeing a decent effort blocked by the Spurs defence.

At the other end Harry Kane was being well looked after by Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi, Spurs missing the creativity and thrust of the injured Heung-Min Son.

The best chance of the half came three minutes before the break. Zaha, who was beginning to give Spurs debutant Emerson Royal a tough time down the left wing, turned away from two defenders before crossing to the near post for Gallagher, whose effort was blocked by the legs of Lloris.

Spurs finally began to come to life early in the second half. First Lucas Moura twisted and turned on the edge of the Palace box before his shot was easily held by Vincente Guaita.

Zaha created a chance for Gallagher which was blocked at the other end before James McArthur shot wide of the Spurs goal.

Then the game really came to life, Tanganga cynically blocking the flying Zaha before the pair squared up.

At first it looked like a proper old fashioned scuffle – the sort of thing which belonged on a wonderfully boggy pitch in the 1970s, but on second glance it was a rather comical exchange between two players clever enough not to raise their hands, and a yellow for both sufficed thanks to the sense of referee Jon Moss.

But just three minutes later Tanganga was off – picking up a second yellow after bringing down Ayew with a rather careless lunge seeing as he was already at the forefront of the referee’s mind. The Palace fans in the Holmesdale Road End sent him on his way.

Ayew then almost took the roof off the place with a right-foot volley which flew wide of Lloris’ right-hand post as Palace went for the throat.

As the half wore on the Eagles continued to push, and 10-man Spurs sat deeper and deeper. Ayew had time and space to measure a shot when found at the back post by Zaha, but again his effort was blocked.

A beautiful piece of skill from Gallagher, turning away from a number of Spurs players set free Zaha before left-back Tyrick Mitchell saw his cross headed off the line by his opposite number three, Sergio Reguilon.

On 75 minutes came the penalty, substitute Ben Davies handling Gallagher’s right wing cross – Zaha the coolest man in the house casually stroking the ball to the right as Lloris flew the other way.

Then Edouard brought the house down with his late show.

Patrick Vieira’s Palace are up and running.

Teams:

Crystal Palace: Guaita, Ward, Mitchell, Guehi, Kouyate, Ayew (Olise, 87), Zaha, Andersen, McArthur, Benteke (Edouard 82) (Milivojevic, 67), Gallagher

Spurs: Lloris, Reguilon, Holbjerg, Winks (Davies, 60), Kane, Royal, Dier (Rodon, 12), Alli, Tanganga, Moura, Skipp

Referee: Jonathan Moss