Premier League: Tottenham’s Relegation Fears Deepen After Crystal Palace Defeat

Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League survival hopes suffered a significant blow after a dismal 24-hour period culminated in a 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace, following Micky van de Ven’s ill-judged sending-off.

Spurs began the evening just one point above the relegation zone after West Ham’s victory away at Fulham on Wednesday made the prospect of Championship football a very real concern for the North London club.

When Ismaïla Sarr had a goal disallowed for offside, it appeared Tottenham’s fortunes might be about to change, especially after Dominic Solanke’s 34th-minute opener five minutes later.

However, Van de Ven’s inexplicable red card for a blatant pull-back on Sarr inside the box earned the stand-in home captain his marching orders. Sarr duly converted the resulting penalty and then scored again during a chaotic end to the first half, sandwiched between Jorgen Strand Larsen’s low strike.

Manager Igor Tudor saw Spurs rally in the second half and avoid conceding further goals, but this fifth consecutive defeat will undoubtedly raise serious questions about whether the Croatian is the right man to steer the 16th-placed club away from the threat of relegation.