Coming into the contest in the midst of a four-match winless slump (D1, L3) across all competitions, Palace looked determined to recapture their best form against Thomas Frank’s struggling visitors.
However, despite a bright opening quarter-hour for the Eagles, they were fortunate not to fall behind in the 17th minute, when Richarlison’s well-taken finish at the back post was ruled out for an offside against Lucas Bergvall in the build-up.
Grateful for that reprieve, the hosts continued to threaten in the final third, as Jean-Philippe Mateta drilled a strike narrowly wide of the far post, before the Frenchman headed another glorious chance over the bar from close range.
Justin Devenny and Adam Wharton saw further opportunities saved by Guglielmo Vicario, and the Eagles were punished for their profligacy shortly before half time, when Richarlison’s clever header was glanced into the net by Gray for the midfielder’s first-ever goal in senior football.
Having won their final PL game in each of the last four calendar years, Palace came flying out of the blocks at the start of the second period, with Devenny inexplicably firing over from six yards after good work by Yeremy Pino and Nathaniel Clyne.
The hosts remained on the front foot with time ticking into the final 25 minutes, but wasteful finishing continued to prove problematic, as Maxence Lacroix directed a close-range header wide of the target.
After withstanding plenty of pressure, Tottenham thought they’d delivered a killer blow in the 75th minute, only for Richarlison’s tap-in to be disallowed for a marginal offside.
That set up a fascinating finale, as substitute Wilson Odobert fired against the post for the visitors in an end-to-end conclusion to the contest.
Ultimately, Frank’s men held firm to end 2026 on a high, moving up to 11th in the PL in the process.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur)