It may not have been pretty, but Tottenham are quickly relearning the art of winning again after their 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace made it three wins in a row for the first time since February 2025.

A lot has happened since Ange Postecoglu’s side beat Brentford, Manchester United and Ipswich Town in successive games, but finally, the north Londoners are starting to forge an identity and some much-needed resilience.

Since their opening day humiliation away to Brentford, Spurs have given their supporters a blueprint for how they want to play and now the results are starting to follow.

There is a reason why, despite failing to win any of their first six league games, De Zerbi never came under any significant pressure. Spurs are a team with a plan, and a leader in De Zerbi whose confidence has never wavered even as the outside noise built.

Goalscorer: Jan Paul van Hecke

PA

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 13th-minute red card made the hosts’ task far easier tonight, but worse Spurs teams than this have failed to seize the advantage against 10 men.

De Zerbi’s side have personality, aggression, and a will to win that has been sorely lacking in the last 18 months. They did not blow Palace away, but they kept them at arm’s length and never looked in any real danger of missing out on three points.

Propelled by lively performances from Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus, Spurs dominated and crucially got the goals in either half to put the game beyond the Eagles.

Six of their 10 league goals this season have come in the final 15 minutes, with Jan Paul van Hecke’s unorthodox header coming after 73 minutes.

It has often taken Spurs late into games to get on the scoresheet, but Archie Gray’s 25th minute opener ensured the home side were in control from early, and they were therefore able to play with freedom and without chaos.

De Zerbi would have hoped for a quiet night and a boring win, and that is exactly what he got as Spurs dictated possession, increasingly made Dean Henderson work in the Palace net, and were able to see out the final throes of the game with little fuss and a touch of panache thanks to the young Luca Williams-Barnett.

Up to eighth in the table, Spurs now have Europe in their sights. It was not long ago that relegation chat threatened to resurface after a 3-2 loss at home to Aston Villa had them sitting rock bottom.