According to a report by BBC Sport on Saturday, October 31, 2026, Tottenham secured an important 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the Premier League after taking advantage of their opponents' numerical disadvantage following Jean-Philippe Mateta's first-half dismissal.

Crystal Palace began the encounter positively and almost took the lead in the ninth minute. Daichi Kamada produced a dangerous effort that required Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky to make an impressive save. His quick reaction prevented the visitors from getting an early advantage.

However, Palace suffered a significant setback when Mateta was sent off following a challenge on an opposing player. The striker was initially shown a yellow card for his sliding tackle, but referee Michael Oliver reviewed the incident with the Video Assistant Referee and subsequently upgraded the punishment to a straight red card.

With an extra player on the pitch, Tottenham increased their attacking pressure and eventually broke the deadlock in the 25th minute. Mohammed Kudus delivered a dangerous corner into the penalty area, where Archie Gray rose above the Palace defenders to direct a powerful header beyond goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Tottenham continued to dominate possession after taking the lead but struggled to extend their advantage before the interval. Despite playing with 10 men, Crystal Palace remained organised defensively, with Henderson making several important saves to keep his team within reach.

The hosts returned for the second half determined to increase their advantage. Tottenham created several promising opportunities through Mathys Tel, Dominic Solanke and other attacking players, but Henderson repeatedly prevented them from finding the net.

Palace also benefited from a crucial goal-line clearance that denied Tel an opportunity to score from close range. Robertson later tested Henderson with another attempt, but the goalkeeper remained alert.

Tottenham eventually doubled their lead in the 73rd minute when van Hecke headed the ball into the bottom-right corner, giving the home side greater control of the match.

The second goal made a comeback increasingly difficult for Palace, who struggled to produce meaningful attacking opportunities while defending with 10 players.

Kudus later thought he had added another goal, but the effort was ruled out for offside. Henderson also produced an excellent save to deny Kulusevski, while Pedro Porro narrowly missed the target with another attempt.

Despite their inability to score more goals, Tottenham comfortably protected their advantage until the final whistle, securing all three points with a deserved 2-0 victory.